I just had the following conversation with my linux desktop:
Me: “Hi, I’d like to use my new printer please.”
Computer: “Do you mean this HP Laserjet CP1515n on the network?”
Me: “Erm, yes I do.”
Computer: “Good. You’ve got a test page printing as we speak.
Anything else I can help you with?”
Sadly I don’t have any alternative modern operating systems to
compare it to, but having done similar things with linux over the last
12 years, I’m impressed with how far we’ve come. Thank you to everyone
who made this possible.
on said:
I find it amusing that I can scan from my HP PSC over the network, but HP’s own software for Windows can’t. 🙂
on said:
FYI:
Windows 7 is similarly easy when it comes to network printers. Vista was a little more fragile, and XP was an exercise in pain and frustration. Mac OS X is somewhere near XP in frustration terms if it doesn’t already know about the specific model of printer – but given it uses CUPS, it ought to know.
I charted the full process for installing a Kyocera network printer under Ubuntu 9.04, Mac OS X 10.5, and Windows 7, here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/38953010@N07/sets/72157622033324095/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/38953010@N07/sets/72157622033283651/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/38953010@N07/sets/72157622033253115/
on said:
Anon: really? I’ve got one too (F2480) and it works great for network printing with the hpilp package. But for scanning I haven’t been able to figure out anything better than ssh to the directly connected host and run hp-scan there; not that this is hard, but i’m curious how you got it to scan over the network directly.