SuSE Linux: All versions
You are considering buying a certain printer or you already own a printer and would like to get information about the printer's usability with Linux.
Refer to Installing a Printer and search the mentioned sources of information. The information about a printer being supported is generally based on user reports. There is no guarantee. Also "supported" usually means "normal performance" and not "optimal and 100% supported". For example, it is often not possible to use the resolution specified as maximum by the manufacturer or to print with the specified speed.
Also try to obtain detailed information from the manufacturer about how the particular model functions with Linux. This is particularly important if the model is new.
Find out if the printer is compatible with another model that works with Linux and use the Ghostscript driver for the compatible model.
Compatible means that your printer is able to print with the same binary control sequences as the compatible model. The printers "understand" the same printer language directly, not through a driver emulation (e.g., for Windows).
Regarding GDI printers, look at the article GDI Printers. GDI printers do not understand a standard printer language (see below), but use a proprietary protocol. Normally, you cannot use this type of printer with Linux because the proprietary protocol needs a proprietary driver (e.g., for Windows).
A similar name does not guarantee compatibility. Printers with similar names sometimes do not understand the same printer language directly.
Find out the printer language used by your printer from the manufacturer. This information is often listed with other technical data in the manual.
Examples of standard printer languages:
If you find a solution that works for your printer, please let us know. Because we are not able to test every available printer on our own, we depend on our customers' feedback. We would like to make your solution available for all our customers and Linux users via our hardware database.
Please describe, as detailed as possible, which driver you use or which entries you selected from the YaST2 printer configuration menus. Also mention the quality of the printouts or if there are any restrictions (for example, if only black-and-white is possible, the resolution is limited, or the colors are wrong). It is important to include if you made special adjustments or if it worked with the standard configuration without any problems.
From SuSE Linux 8.0 on the very best way to give us perfect
information is to send us a printout of the graphical
YaST2 test page together with the output of
cat /proc/sys/dev/parport/parport0/autoprobe
,
if the printer is connected to the parallel port, or
cat /proc/bus/usb/devices
,if the printer is connected to the USB. Run this command after the YaST2
test page printout was finished.
It is also helpful to include the output of the commands
cat /etc/lpdfilter/QUEUE/upp
and
cat /etc/lpdfilter/QUEUE/yast2
,
where QUEUE
must be replaced with the
actual queue name printed on the YaST2 test page.
SDB-jsmeix_print-kompatibel
)