* Alfredo Cole [02-15-06 19:01]:

If Linux is going to make it to the desktop, then it must work with low priced printers. It would not make much sense to have a very expensive printer on your desktop (or home for that matter) just so it works with Linux. Network printers are fine, but a lot of people need a printer right close to work. So, HP will have to rethink this one, or small businesses (SOHO) will have to stay with MSW.

Just my thoughts. Best regards.

You are certainly welcome to your thoughts, but you have NOT considered the entire situation. The printer was DESIGNED for windoz ONLY, without reguard to ANY OTHER OPERATING SYSTEM, and as such, it's value is low. Would you buy a header manufactured for Ford engine to place on an imcompatible Chevrolet motor? Of course not. Then why purchase a printer designed to ONLY work on windoz and expect it to work in Linux/Unix/DOS/.....? -- Patrick Shanahan Registered Linux User #207535 http://wahoo.no-ip.org @ http://counter.li.org HOG # US1244711 Photo Album: http://wahoo.no-ip.org/gallery2

Hello, On Feb 16 02:39 Hans du Plooy wrote (shortened):

... if windows can do the voodoo required to make it print, there's no reason why linux can't too.

On the one hand this is obviously right because if a computer program can drive the device under Windows, it can be done under Linux as well - perhaps hard timing requirements of incredible weak printer hardware may require even a kernel-driver but it would be possible with Linux. On the other hand it is often not possible in practice: A free driver may be impossible because of license problems. Even HP may not be allowed to make a free driver because the printer may have built-in stuff which is protected by a third-party license. The printer hardware is so weak that communication with it requires a bi-directional data channel and/or the communication has hard timing requirements so that only a special kernel driver could do it (e.g. a special "upblpLJ1020" kernel module). Theoretically it is possible but in practice it becomes very complicated and in the end it is not possible with reasonable effort.

So to my mind there is very little left for HP to do to make this printer work properly in linux.

If there are no obstacles as mentioned above, "all" what HP would have to do is: - Include a free driver for the ZJS printer language. - Include the firmware for the printer. - Let their ZJS driver do automated firmware upload. As soon as HP would include the firmware in HPLIP, there would be a license problem because the firmware file is not 100% free software even if it is allowed to re-distribute it. I.e. the HPLIP software would be no longer in full compliance to the "Debian Free Software Guidelines (DFSG)", because there is no source code for the firmware, see http://www.debian.org/social_contract.html#guidelines HP could solve the firmware license problem either by providing source code for the firmware or by splitting the firmware file into a seperated source archive with a special license. Guess how long the HP lawyers may need to decide how to deal with the firmware license problem ;-) Of course HP could make a proprietary binary-only closed source driver for this device which is then normally only available for i386-compatible computers, see http://portal.suse.com/sdb/en/2003/11/jsmeix_print-info-for-manufacturers.ht... Kind Regards Johannes Meixner -- SUSE LINUX Products GmbH, Maxfeldstrasse 5 Mail: jsmeix@suse.de 90409 Nuernberg, Germany WWW: http://www.suse.de/

On 2/16/06 3:47 AM, "Bryan S. Tyson" wrote:

There is no reason this could not work in Linux if the manufacturer supplied suitable drivers.

...coming in late to the conversation... Why not grab one of those cheap little print servers...you know the ones that you plug the printers USB into, then the other end takes a RJ45... We did that on a few printers and then just used the generic PPD. Depending on some of the "extras" the printer has, you won't loose much function. We couldn't set the amount of ram the printer had, and a few other goofy things...but we could print OK. They are only $50+ US. (and yea, I know they aren't really print servers, but that's what they are called.) -- Thanks, George Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice; it is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved. - William Jennings Bryan

* Doug McGarrett [03-18-06 22:44]:

OK, I have let things go for a while, but now I'd like to try again. I was told I have to have C, or C++ or something like that in order to do a "make" or a "make install".

what is it that you wish to compile and install? "pin" is the utility that will tell you where files reside on the distro.

I can't find anything called that on any of the CD's. What CD has the necessary files, and what directory are they in, and what are they called? This is my first experience of YAST, and it does not seem helpfull at all. (SuSE 10.0). All of the CD's (except #1) seem to have about the same directories. I could spend the rest of my life trying to find the files I need. There must be an easier way. I don't have enough hair left to tear out any.

pin will save your hair and, perhaps, your frustration. ps: look here: http://www.linuxprinting.org/show_printer.cgi?recnum=HP-LaserJet_1020 -- Patrick Shanahan Registered Linux User #207535 http://wahoo.no-ip.org @ http://counter.li.org HOG # US1244711 Photo Album: http://wahoo.no-ip.org/gallery2

OK, I have let things go for a while, but now I'd like to try again. I was told I have to have C, or C++ or something like that in order to do a "make" or a "make install". I can't find anything called that on any of the CD's. What CD has the necessary files, and what directory are they in, and what are they called? This is my first experience of YAST, and it does not seem helpfull at all. (SuSE 10.0). All of the CD's (except #1) seem to have about the same directories. I could spend the rest of my life trying to find the files I need. There must be an easier way. I don't have enough hair left to tear out any. With Respect to Patrick Shanahan's advice. I did not see anything in

On Sat, 18 Mar 2006 22:42:34 -0500 Doug McGarrett wrote: the Linux printing where you had to recompile, but here is how to load the C compiler on SuSE 10.0. 1. Insert CD 1. 2. Yast/Software Management 3. Bring down the Selections tab and select C/C++ Compiler and Tools. You need as a minimum gcc. -- Jerry Feldman Boston Linux and Unix user group http://www.blu.org PGP key id:C5061EA9 PGP Key fingerprint:053C 73EC 3AC1 5C44 3E14 9245 FB00 3ED5 C506 1EA9

El Jueves, 16 de Febrero de 2006 15:34, Johannes Meixner escribió:

Hello,

(...)

I do not understand what you mean. Don't you find a low priced printer which fits your needs at http://hpinkjet.sourceforge.net/productssupported.php

Or do you in fact mean: "Linux must work with any arbitrary printer model"? If yes, read http://portal.suse.com/sdb/en/2000/08/jsmeix_print-kompatibel.html and http://portal.suse.com/sdb/en/1998/06/ke_printer-gdi.html

I think you know what I mean. You seem to be smart enough.

What exactly do you mean with "Linux"? Strictly speaking "Linux" is only the kernel. Do you mean in fact that "Linux distributors must support any arbitrary printer model"? If yes, have in mind who would have to pay the price for our efforts and expenses (e.g. license fees) to support any arbitrary (weak) printer model.

Kind Regards Johannes Meixner

http://www.desktoplinux.com/ http://www.desktoplinuxconsortium.org/ http://www.kde.org/ http://www.gnome.org/ http://www.linuxjournal.com/node/1000030 Maybe you should try to tell these people what should be meant by Linux on the Desktop. I don't think most people on this list have any doubts as to what is meant when someone says "Install Linux". As far as supporting SUSE in particular, I have been paying for my license since 7.2, and I should not have to tell you what that means. I am clear as to using HP 1020 with SUSE by now. Let's move on. Best regards. -- Alfredo Cole-Tuckler