The nightmarish problem of installing a printer

[Polytropon]

On Tue, 21 Sep 2010 07:37:22 -0400, Jerry <freebsd.user at seibercom.net> wrote:
> The bottom line is that installing and running a printer on a Window's
> machine is usually far easier than on a *nix variation. Even sharing a
> printer on a network in a Windows environment is simpler.

But much more expensive, and especially if we're talking networked
settings, more complicated to manage (think about offices for example),
which makes it more expensive again (support).

Additionally, using ink-pee printers in office settings usually is
considered a no-go, as it is very unprofessional, inefficient, and
did I mention it? Expensive. :-)



> On a separate note, I have friends who claim that the Ubuntu printer
> installation routine is similar to the Window's one and works quite well
> for most mainstream printers. I read something a few months ago that
> Ubuntu was working on using Window's printer drivers directly in Ubuntu.
> I cannot confirm that; however, it would certainly be a worthwhile
> avenue to explore.

That sounds interesting. Users coming from a "Windows" background
could then easily put in the printer CD (if they didn't throw it
away already) and install drivers.

Of course, that's not how UNIX does things - here, all the things
you need to interact with hardware are provided by the OS ideally,
or by packages you can install if needed - with less forced inter-
action.

But that's reality, not a happy UNIX dreamland where you would just
plug in the printer and let the kernel and userland deamons make
it available for printing and scanning immediately. :-)




-- 
Polytropon
Magdeburg, Germany
Happy FreeBSD user since 4.0
Andra moi ennepe, Mousa, ...