Printers and You

I use a mopria certified printer. That's great because you can add it as a driverless model in linux. No more migraines !

Wow, that's a good resource. Thanks

olivir I do not see Linux on the supported list.

brent Not at all. ️

I have used several different Brother computers and always just download the drivers from their website. I normally spend about 15 minutes relearning how to make it work but it always works. I am also not a technical person and have a non-tech job. Anyone in the tech world should find it easier than do I.

elfprince Yes but it works, I use my printer driverless.

olivir

OK, but then, how did you do it? Could you explain to us?

olivir

FAb7D

Axios

Thank you for your feedback.
Personally, I have an HP Officejet 2622 printer that I was able to install using the hplip package, then plugging it into my computer and it works.
But I admit that this is the first time I've heard of installing a printer without using a driver. And like @elfprince , I was (and I remain) perplexed to see that on the Mopria website, there is no section offering printing from Linux. But glad it works for you @olivir.

brent my head explodes when I hear 'driverless' and I can't wrap my head around it

We all know that memory is dirt-cheap these days, and the memory that's in firmware is no exception. Instead of a driver on a mini-CD, as was common not long ago, "driverless" printers have it on a little bit of firmware, like the BIOS on a motherboard. My Epson color jet printer and my Brother label printer are both driverless.

I predict that it won't be long before all printers are.

brent excellent, thanks for the explanation

Here's more of an explanation, from ChatGPT:

Driverless printers, also known as "plug and play" printers, work by using modern communication and technology standards to enable printing without the need for specific printer drivers to be installed on a computer. This simplifies the printing process and makes it more convenient for users. Here's how driverless printers work:

Printer Hardware: Driverless printers are equipped with built-in software and firmware that can interpret standard print data formats and commands. They often support industry-standard printing languages like PCL (Printer Control Language) or PostScript.

Network Connectivity: Driverless printers are typically connected to a network, either through Ethernet, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth. This connection allows them to receive print jobs from various devices without the need for direct physical connections.

Communication Protocols: To enable driverless printing, the printer uses standard communication protocols like IPP (Internet Printing Protocol) or Bonjour (used in Apple's AirPrint). These protocols allow devices on the same network to discover and communicate with the printer.

Print Job Submission: When a user wants to print a document from their computer or mobile device, they send the print job to the driverless printer over the network. This can be done through the operating system's native print dialog or a printing app.

Printer Identification: The driverless printer responds to network discovery requests, making it visible to nearby devices. Users can select the printer from a list of available printers.

Print Data Conversion: Once the printer receives a print job, it processes the data. If the document is in a standard format like PDF or JPEG, the printer can directly interpret and print it. If the data is in a non-standard format, the printer may convert it into a format it understands.

Printing: The printer then begins the printing process, using its built-in control software to manage paper handling, ink or toner application, and other printing parameters.

Status Updates: Driverless printers often provide status updates to the user's device, such as the progress of the print job or any errors that may occur during printing.

Key advantages of driverless printers include ease of setup and use, compatibility with a wide range of devices and operating systems, and reduced reliance on device-specific printer drivers. This makes them suitable for modern, diverse computing environments, including mobile devices and computers running various operating systems.

It's worth noting that the term "driverless" refers to the fact that users don't need to manually install printer-specific drivers on their devices. However, driverless printers do have their own internal software and firmware that facilitate this functionality.

I used to have a brother printer and here is how I installed it (primary credit to persons unknown on some website):

Download driver file for RPM
Install from the software center:
rpm
A2ps
glibc-32bit
psutils
Go in the terminal to where the driver file is
sudo gunzip -v the file
sudo bash the file

The instructions are a couple of years old, so I don't know if everything is the same. As a minimum, I would hope that Brother has updated their 32 bit drivers by now.

Most printers I find are usable out of the box. I just like to install the manufacturers drivers since the apps tend to have a lot more features.