Comments on: HP, Dell: Time for An Ubuntu Printer Partnership http://allaboutubuntu.wordpress.com/2007/07/15/hp-dell-time-for-an-ubuntu-printer-partnership/ Changing the world, one desktop at a time Mon, 03 Nov 2008 19:01:02 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: eli http://allaboutubuntu.wordpress.com/2007/07/15/hp-dell-time-for-an-ubuntu-printer-partnership/#comment-1576 eli Wed, 16 Jan 2008 22:42:36 +0000 http://allaboutubuntu.wordpress.com/2007/07/15/hp-dell-time-for-an-ubuntu-printer-partnership/#comment-1576 Yes it can be tricky. However, with supported printers, including my HP, printer setup is just as simple, if not more so than with XP. Yes it can be tricky. However, with supported printers, including my HP, printer setup is just as simple, if not more so than with XP.

]]> By: aladdin_sane http://allaboutubuntu.wordpress.com/2007/07/15/hp-dell-time-for-an-ubuntu-printer-partnership/#comment-218 aladdin_sane Mon, 16 Jul 2007 05:56:35 +0000 http://allaboutubuntu.wordpress.com/2007/07/15/hp-dell-time-for-an-ubuntu-printer-partnership/#comment-218 "In fact, Dell and Canonical should reach out to consumer printer manufacturers (HP, Lexmark, etc.) to find a way to have the most prominent drivers shipped with Dell PCs." Uh, no. This won't happen. Several years ago, and for many years before that, Dell worked closely with HP for printer support, and sold HP printers. Then Dell went into the printer business. HP was not pleased and the entire relationship ended. Every Dell printer I know is a re-branded Lexmark. Also a fierce HP competitor. However in addition to sak's comment, which is good news, linuxprinting.org's entire printer database is built into Debian (Ubuntu's progenitor) and Fedora. It really hasn't been a problem for several years now. Ubuntu probably has the driver somewhere in its repositories, or maybe your printer is too new. “In fact, Dell and Canonical should reach out to consumer printer manufacturers (HP, Lexmark, etc.) to find a way to have the most prominent drivers shipped with Dell PCs.”

Uh, no. This won’t happen.

Several years ago, and for many years before that, Dell worked closely with HP for printer support, and sold HP printers.

Then Dell went into the printer business. HP was not pleased and the entire relationship ended.

Every Dell printer I know is a re-branded Lexmark. Also a fierce HP competitor.

However in addition to sak’s comment, which is good news, linuxprinting.org’s entire printer database is built into Debian (Ubuntu’s progenitor) and Fedora.

It really hasn’t been a problem for several years now. Ubuntu probably has the driver somewhere in its repositories, or maybe your printer is too new.

]]> By: sak http://allaboutubuntu.wordpress.com/2007/07/15/hp-dell-time-for-an-ubuntu-printer-partnership/#comment-217 sak Mon, 16 Jul 2007 00:50:58 +0000 http://allaboutubuntu.wordpress.com/2007/07/15/hp-dell-time-for-an-ubuntu-printer-partnership/#comment-217 Linux does do a good job of recognizing most printers (especially HP), but sometimes the driver is not installed and you're right in that it should be easier. Fortunately, if you're a KDE user like I am anyway, there is currently work going on for a project at the Google Summer of Code (GSoC) to create a framework / service that can fetch the drivers for you and install them in a couple of clicks. Once it's done KDEPrint will recognize a printer and offer to fetch the driver for you and install it from LinuxPrinting.org (which is where I assume you found your driver). Linux does do a good job of recognizing most printers (especially HP), but sometimes the driver is not installed and you’re right in that it should be easier. Fortunately, if you’re a KDE user like I am anyway, there is currently work going on for a project at the Google Summer of Code (GSoC) to create a framework / service that can fetch the drivers for you and install them in a couple of clicks. Once it’s done KDEPrint will recognize a printer and offer to fetch the driver for you and install it from LinuxPrinting.org (which is where I assume you found your driver).

]]>