Let’s talk about printers
I have had mixed success with printers on Ubuntu. My old Canon used to have issues, but then suddenly worked fine in Ubuntu 17.04 and then broke completely in Ubuntu 17.10
I have a client who has just switched to Ubuntu with two Brother printers (one is a printer/scanner). Both are listed as being supported on Linux, but neither work since he upgraded to 17.10 and getting one of them to work under 17.04 was a job and a half.
So why is it so difficult to get things running smoothly? Is there something obvious that I should be doing, or are there specific printers that work better than others?
Also another quick question, is this page up to date? https://wiki.ubuntu.com/HardwareSupportComponentsPrinters
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/HardwareSupportComponentsPrinters
They had to lock down the wiki as spammers discovered it & started putting up rubbish on it. Now few people go thru getting wiki-edit privileges needed to add/update info.
If you have printers to add (supported/unsupported) but don’t have wiki access; I am willing to add/change info for you [on the wiki].
They had to lock down the wiki as spammers discovered it & started putting up rubbish on it. Now few people go thru getting wiki-edit privileges needed to add/update info.
If you have printers to add (supported/unsupported) but don’t have wiki access; I am willing to add/change info for you [on the wiki].
Is printing done via cups?
Is printing done via cups?
For both the Canon and the Brother printers I used the drivers on the respective websites.
For both the Canon and the Brother printers I used the drivers on the respective websites.
Brother and cannon printers worked fine on Ubuntu 16.04, stop using non LTS and use 16.04 LTS
Brother and cannon printers worked fine on Ubuntu 16.04, stop using non LTS and use 16.04 LTS
brother printers are fine a s long as you dont just try and automatic install – just get the driver install tool from the website. Can be iffy with the scanner. I moved to antergos and install the printer drivers from pacman and it works 100% with scanner 100%
brother printers are fine a s long as you dont just try and automatic install – just get the driver install tool from the website. Can be iffy with the scanner. I moved to antergos and install the printer drivers from pacman and it works 100% with scanner 100%
It’s the scanner side of things that is causing the most problems. I have a new Canon TS8150 and have installed the scanner drivers, but Ubuntu still refuses to acknowledge that there is a scanner on the network. The saving grace is that the printer itself is linked to Google Drive, so I can dump scans from the printer straight there. It’s a bit of a work around though.
The brother printer/scanner just seems not to work for either printing or scanning.
While on the subject, why do manufacturers make drivers that require the command line to install, rather than using the GUI approach?
It’s the scanner side of things that is causing the most problems. I have a new Canon TS8150 and have installed the scanner drivers, but Ubuntu still refuses to acknowledge that there is a scanner on the network. The saving grace is that the printer itself is linked to Google Drive, so I can dump scans from the printer straight there. It’s a bit of a work around though.
The brother printer/scanner just seems not to work for either printing or scanning.
While on the subject, why do manufacturers make drivers that require the command line to install, rather than using the GUI approach?
Use HP, they haved the best support tho I am sure the scanners should work
Use HP, they haved the best support tho I am sure the scanners should work
My Brother printer still works fine. I don’t print much either. I’m still on the original toner cartridge which is lower capacity than standard replacement cartridges. And I’ve had it for over 10 years. It’s on the network, appears in cups via IPP, and the PPD for it that’s already in Ubuntu works fine. Did the day I bought the printer, and still does today.
Scanners on the other hand are a nightmare. Always had more problems with them than printers, in Linux. I have a Brother portable scanner, and it works just fine under Ubuntu 14.04, but under 16.04 I can’t use it at all. :-/
My Brother printer still works fine. I don’t print much either. I’m still on the original toner cartridge which is lower capacity than standard replacement cartridges. And I’ve had it for over 10 years. It’s on the network, appears in cups via IPP, and the PPD for it that’s already in Ubuntu works fine. Did the day I bought the printer, and still does today.
Scanners on the other hand are a nightmare. Always had more problems with them than printers, in Linux. I have a Brother portable scanner, and it works just fine under Ubuntu 14.04, but under 16.04 I can’t use it at all. :-/
ziesmcd00m Yes, printing is cups and scanning is sane.
ziesmcd00m Yes, printing is cups and scanning is sane.
Stick with Samsung, Brother and HP. And don’t use inkjets…
Stick with Samsung, Brother and HP. And don’t use inkjets…
It’s worth a go Chad Alan
It’s worth a go Chad Alan
Seiko Epson supports current and recently discontinued inkjets, lasers, and scanners with drivers for all operating systems and application packages for Microsoft Windows 6-up and Apple Mac OS X 10.5-up at Support.Epson.com. Hewlett-Packard directly supports current and recently discontinued LaserJets, DeskJets and OfficeJets in LinUX 4.x with the HPLIP Driver Suite.
Seiko Epson supports current and recently discontinued inkjets, lasers, and scanners with drivers for all operating systems and application packages for Microsoft Windows 6-up and Apple Mac OS X 10.5-up at Support.Epson.com. Hewlett-Packard directly supports current and recently discontinued LaserJets, DeskJets and OfficeJets in LinUX 4.x with the HPLIP Driver Suite.
B. C. Schmerker FOSS drivers? Or binary blob you have to download from their web site, and give them root to use?
B. C. Schmerker FOSS drivers? Or binary blob you have to download from their web site, and give them root to use?
Chad Alan There is no good reason for everything to not be FOSS. And why should I have to give supreme access to my computer, to every vendor on the planet? No thanks.
Chad Alan There is no good reason for everything to not be FOSS. And why should I have to give supreme access to my computer, to every vendor on the planet? No thanks.
I’m using CUPS with my Samsung CLP-325W. All prints are too dark, and I have no control over it. If anyone has a solution, I’d like to know. Using Ubuntu version 16.04.
I’m using CUPS with my Samsung CLP-325W. All prints are too dark, and I have no control over it. If anyone has a solution, I’d like to know. Using Ubuntu version 16.04.
Chad Alan Changed gamma from 1000 to 100 (in steps). No difference. Changed saturation from 100% to 50%. No difference. Text is clear but over-bold.
Chad Alan Changed gamma from 1000 to 100 (in steps). No difference. Changed saturation from 100% to 50%. No difference. Text is clear but over-bold.
Chad Alan Tried 1200 and 1500 (saturation 100%). No change. I’m applying the change, but not rebooting Ubuntu in between. I assume I don’t need to.
This is why Ubuntu will never grow past the geeks currently using it. Much as I love it, its all too hard and incompatible with hardware out there. I’d buy another printer to use, but I don’t trust that any particular printer would work any better. As others say, ‘working’ varies between versions of Ubuntu, as ‘features’ get added for the sake of it. Maybe its just me. I struggle with some things, but IMHO no-one should have to start running command-line tools and manually edit config files just to get stuff working that is plug and play with Windows. (Sadly, I have to use Windows for some of my hardware.)
Chad Alan Tried 1200 and 1500 (saturation 100%). No change. I’m applying the change, but not rebooting Ubuntu in between. I assume I don’t need to.
This is why Ubuntu will never grow past the geeks currently using it. Much as I love it, its all too hard and incompatible with hardware out there. I’d buy another printer to use, but I don’t trust that any particular printer would work any better. As others say, ‘working’ varies between versions of Ubuntu, as ‘features’ get added for the sake of it. Maybe its just me. I struggle with some things, but IMHO no-one should have to start running command-line tools and manually edit config files just to get stuff working that is plug and play with Windows. (Sadly, I have to use Windows for some of my hardware.)
Just as a check, I added the printer to a computer running Ubuntu 18.04. Different options dialog, no option to change gamma or saturation. (Found the printer on WiFi OK, I assume it loaded the appropriate software.)
Just as a check, I added the printer to a computer running Ubuntu 18.04. Different options dialog, no option to change gamma or saturation. (Found the printer on WiFi OK, I assume it loaded the appropriate software.)
Yes I installed the Samsung driver on my Ubuntu 16.04. (But not on the 18.04.)
I appreciate that manufacturers don’t support Linux, and I appreciate that the problem is with CUPS not Ubuntu. The distinction is moot, whatever Ubuntu uses, is part of it. Some generic, ubiquitous hardware still doesn’t work with Ubuntu. I’m unable to get USB DVB-T TV tuner sticks to work. I’ve tried a few. They mostly use the same common IC. Most of the help I’ve seen suggests installing Windows drivers, wrapped. That is a pretty crappy solution.
Yes I installed the Samsung driver on my Ubuntu 16.04. (But not on the 18.04.)
I appreciate that manufacturers don’t support Linux, and I appreciate that the problem is with CUPS not Ubuntu. The distinction is moot, whatever Ubuntu uses, is part of it. Some generic, ubiquitous hardware still doesn’t work with Ubuntu. I’m unable to get USB DVB-T TV tuner sticks to work. I’ve tried a few. They mostly use the same common IC. Most of the help I’ve seen suggests installing Windows drivers, wrapped. That is a pretty crappy solution.
Printer issues also afflict Windows. I have a friend who moved from Windows 7 to Windows 10. His old Dell printer would no longer work, especially the utilities that came with it, which he used. He changed to a current (Epson) printer, simply so Windows 10 would recognise it. I’ve had the same problem in the distant past with an excellent Epson scanner which wouldn’t work past Windows 95. Good hardware scrapped because the manufacturer wouldn’t keep up with drivers. (No money in that for them, they want us to buy new products.)
Printer issues also afflict Windows. I have a friend who moved from Windows 7 to Windows 10. His old Dell printer would no longer work, especially the utilities that came with it, which he used. He changed to a current (Epson) printer, simply so Windows 10 would recognise it. I’ve had the same problem in the distant past with an excellent Epson scanner which wouldn’t work past Windows 95. Good hardware scrapped because the manufacturer wouldn’t keep up with drivers. (No money in that for them, they want us to buy new products.)
:) Thanks for trying, Chad Alan. I put up with all the Ubuntu foibles. Only use Windows when I have to. Doing a bit of dev on websites, Linux is far and away the best platform to work from. Eclipse, Filezilla and Apache are my standard tools.
:) Thanks for trying, Chad Alan. I put up with all the Ubuntu foibles. Only use Windows when I have to. Doing a bit of dev on websites, Linux is far and away the best platform to work from. Eclipse, Filezilla and Apache are my standard tools.