Author Topic: "It just works"  (Read 4538 times)

H_TeXMeX_H

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Re: "It just works"
« Reply #15 on: 9 September 2006, 03:49 »
It's not as easy as you think, especially since Lexmark refuses to provide even basic tools to get it done. (They say they provide a toolkit to write Linux drivers, but it doesn't work ... as one person put it ... even if you knew how to use the toolkit it wouldn't help you any)

pofnlice

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Re: "It just works"
« Reply #16 on: 9 September 2006, 08:51 »
damn it...

I wonder...could the printer drivers be run yunder wine or some other prog? hmmm...now I'm thinking...
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After all, running Windows without a decent anti-virus is like walking through a Red Light District after eating five metric tonnes of Viagra.

worker201

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Re: "It just works"
« Reply #17 on: 9 September 2006, 10:07 »
Quote from: H_TeXMeX_H
It's not as easy as you think, especially since Lexmark refuses to provide even basic tools to get it done. (They say they provide a toolkit to write Linux drivers, but it doesn't work ... as one person put it ... even if you knew how to use the toolkit it wouldn't help you any)

That's probably true.  But I bet it would be possible, even if it was a lot of hard work.  I figure the first thing to do would be to install the printer on a Windows computer, and then watch the control sentences the software spews out to the spooler.  If you have a basic knowlege of how other print software works, this will probably be easier, because you will probably see sentences you recognize.  From there it is just a matter of writing a 2way interpreter for the sentences into some basic control language that the target OS's spooler can understand.

Unfortunately, any of the above would probably find you at odds with the hardware/software license agreement, and Lexmark could, in theory, have you shot.

So, the only reason certain bits of hardware don't work in Linux is that nobody has the time or the desire to handle the risk and build the driver.  Eventually, though, someone will get around to it.  Might be a hundred years from now, but I'm sure it will get done.

Jack2000

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Re: "It just works"
« Reply #18 on: 9 September 2006, 10:46 »
i wonder if you could jsut run the dll's and drivers and shit
and make the program look for them there
then you are set up :) any program, anywhere

pofnlice

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Re: "It just works"
« Reply #19 on: 9 September 2006, 11:08 »
OK...one would start here... Lexmark x2350 driver download page

Then Check here Firmware compatibility

And the Publications

Then the Linux Developers kit

Then I'll see where I get from there.


HEY! Looky what I found! Lexmark Print Drivers for Unix & Linux Systems Users Guide
Quote from: "Orethrius"
After all, running Windows without a decent anti-virus is like walking through a Red Light District after eating five metric tonnes of Viagra.

worker201

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Re: "It just works"
« Reply #20 on: 9 September 2006, 11:10 »
That would be a hack.  It might work for one system, and you might actually only think it's working when it actually isn't.  That's probably been done for just about everything.  But it isn't a long term popular solution.  So it usually doesn't get around.  Most Linux docs would still call it a problem.

pofnlice

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Re: "It just works"
« Reply #21 on: 9 September 2006, 11:15 »
This looks encouraging...

http://www.lexmark.com/lexmark/sequentialem/home/0,6959,204816596_659668508_0_en,00.html

Here's the linux requirements list

Requirements
System Requirements  

   1. Linux Kernel 2.4x or higher
   2. GCC 3.2
   3. gtkmm version 2.0.2.4
   4. sigc ++ version 1.2.4
   5. make
   6. enscript
   7. magic
   8. Lexmark USB Scanner Device Driver (for Lexmark AIO Printers ONLY)

Hardware Requirements  

   1. P2 400 or equivalent
   2. 64 MB RAM
   3. 20 MB of Free HD space

Build Requirements  

   1. GCC compiler version 3.2
   2. CUPS development libraries
   3. SANE-Backend development libraries version 1.0.13

   

NOTE: LLPDDK has been built and validated on the following Linux releases: RedHat 8.0, RedHat 9.0, Mandrake 9.0, Mandrake 9.1, SuSE 8.1 and SuSE 8.2.
The Lexmark USB Scanner Device Driver package contains the open source codes and the Readme file.
Quote from: "Orethrius"
After all, running Windows without a decent anti-virus is like walking through a Red Light District after eating five metric tonnes of Viagra.

pofnlice

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Re: "It just works"
« Reply #22 on: 9 September 2006, 11:33 »
Shit...If I install magic, I loose my Ubuntu Desktop and gnome volume manager...will this be ok? Test time!
Quote from: "Orethrius"
After all, running Windows without a decent anti-virus is like walking through a Red Light District after eating five metric tonnes of Viagra.

cymon

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Re: "It just works"
« Reply #23 on: 30 September 2006, 04:08 »
Quote from: piratePenguin
Lexmark sucks btw ;)

At least.. I don't have anything good to say about the POS Lexmark printer we got..

I think we could do with a printer + scanner ... Anyone got any recommendations? Obviously it needs to have drivers for GNU/Linux.. HP released free drivers for some of their printers, and their printers shouldn't be that bad, so I might go with one of them..


HP seems to be hit-or-miss, Every bit of HP equipment I've ever had never works right, including an HP Deskjet.

Annorax

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Re: "It just works"
« Reply #24 on: 30 September 2006, 07:40 »
I have a Lexmark Z82 printer/scanner combo. It's a proprietary piece of shit that isn't even recognizable by real OSes, is not TWAIN compliant, uses a proprietary, licensed interface, and scans only through a steaming pile of un-Wine-able feces called SmarThru. Oh, and get this... they even charge the XP windroids extra for a version of the software that'll "run" on Shitdows. Is it obvious yet that the damn thing wouldn't even be in my home if I'd have had to pay for it?

It's going out back to be sledgehammered to oblivion just as soon as I get a respectable scanner... any ideas for more destructive ends for it?
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<3M> ok guys i've finally got my windows me machine up and running again :D
if everything seems to be running well on windows me you've obviously overlooked something....
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somehow, "i told you so" doesn't quite say it ;)

Senji

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Re: "It just works"
« Reply #25 on: 30 September 2006, 10:24 »
yeah get some realy xplosive shit in the ink cartrige
and then print a 100% black page ;]

H_TeXMeX_H

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Re: "It just works"
« Reply #26 on: 30 September 2006, 18:42 »
Quote from: cymon
HP seems to be hit-or-miss, Every bit of HP equipment I've ever had never works right, including an HP Deskjet.

How is that ? Got more details on what works and what doesn't ?

cymon

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Re: "It just works"
« Reply #27 on: 30 September 2006, 18:44 »
HP Deskjet 6980. Issues with the OSX drivers, often the printer didn't communicate at all. The Windows drivers seem to be a bit better.

H_TeXMeX_H

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Re: "It just works"
« Reply #28 on: 30 September 2006, 18:56 »
Ok, but we were talking about the Linux drivers ... weren't we ?

piratePenguin

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Re: "It just works"
« Reply #29 on: 30 September 2006, 19:08 »
Quote from: pofnlice
OK...one would start here... Lexmark x2350 driver download page

Then Check here Firmware compatibility

And the Publications

Then the Linux Developers kit

Then I'll see where I get from there.


HEY! Looky what I found! Lexmark Print Drivers for Unix & Linux Systems Users Guide
http://www.freesoftwaremagazine.com/articles/drivers_linux ;)
I've stumbled upon a few tutorials for creating Linux drivers, but that one actually looks like I might be able to handle it, and it looks nice..

(something wrong with posting links for some reason..)
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