Basic linux compatible printer?

At the moment I have a Canon ip90 printer because I don’t have a lot of room. I only need something basic to print off the odd CV or shipping label. Unless things have changed in the last year or two it never worked well with Linux. The pages would come out garbled with text all over the page.

I’ve been looking for something that would not require me to reboot into Windows and found a HP LaserJet Pro M15w.

Any feedback on whether I’d have any problems in Manjaro with it? Or something better of a similar form factor?

HP are usually well supported… I don’t know about this specific model.
I don’t have any issue with my HP OfficeJet pro 8710

regarding your model
http://forums.debian.net/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=143840
https://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?t=298371
seems it’s supported by HPLIP

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HP and Canon printers are usually supported out of the box - usually. There are always models that will cause some troubles. I personally hate HP printers so Canon should be a better choice. However, I prefer Brother. It’s Linux support isn’t the best but you can install drivers from AUR and it will work, at least for many models, some may not have AUR version and only deb version.

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I am printing with a HP LaserJet M15 and I thought it was pretty easy using hplip and KDE Settings manager. On a minimal install you will want to install and enable cups.
There were some earlier issues where your user had to be in the sys group (but that is now by default on recent ISOs), and there was one upgrade that broke HP printing (on the archived.forum.manjaro.org).

I use Brother printers. Read their details. You will save a lot in ink. Oh, they are pretty cheap.

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Hi @VanZan,
Please, read carefully this link that helped me to print on a HP LaserJet 1020 without problems.
HP1020 Laserjet
The recipe begin with the following text: The solution for having LaserJet 1020 to work properly on Arch.
Hope it help,
Regards

Hi @dontknow ,
Please consider to read this post.
Please, read carefully this link that helped me to print on a HP LaserJet without problems.
HP1020 Laserjet
The recipe begin with the following text: The solution for having LaserJet 1020 to work properly on Arch.
One recipe to rule them all HP printers.
Hope it help,
Regards

Hi Guys,

Me too, I have just bought a Brother L2310Da month ago for our WIn10 office PC at our shot, ow switched to Linux, first to Debian stable and somehow it did work with some feature less driver but since I switched to Manjaro the printer does not work with any driver listed under the printers or from openprinting.org or what. I tried like 15 generic one and 15 other Brother one and PPD files too but nothing… the best result was when it did print 5 empty pages… :frowning: At home, I am also having the same issue with my Ricoh SP311sfn an Manjaro… With Debian it did work with a half okay SP330sfn driver… :frowning:

As far as I see the weakest point of Linux is printing and printer compatibility :frowning:

It is so annoying and pity because HP is the worst printer manufacturer on the planet (I worked in IT hardware distribution) and the most expensive one, most closed system etc and only that works on Linux…? Comon… devs should work really really hard on printing. :frowning: Am I supposed to sell the Ricoh and the Brother and buy twice as expensive HPs and print at triple cost if I wanna use Linux (especially if not Debian branch)…? :frowning:

Update:? Now reading this thread here I found a Brother 2310D driver in AUR source (which I did not even want to touch or enable as a noob) and installed it by the build button. But nothing happened, nothing has changed, I have no clue how to use this AUR driver.

https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/brother-hll2310d

I have bought a Kyocera 6230cdn printer, I have found Linux drivers on the manufacturer´s home page and it was easy to setup my new printer.

@Easthee Is your issue with adding the printer?

Try this: sudo usermod -a -G sys your user name

Then add printer as normal
http://localhost:631 under the Administration Tab, add your printer

system-config-printer package may be of some help as well.

I have a Brother_HL-3170CDW_series color laser and it works flawlessly with the AUR package.

2 Likes

Hello,

The Epson line of printers works out of the box. Had a workforce 630 and it never gave me problems under linux.

Basically, you need to open printer utility, add new printer and then chose drivers from the list. Because you installed proper drivers they should be on the list now.
If you want to have wifi connection, this may be more tricky, because sometimes packages responsible for searching printers on wifi network are not installed or the name or address of the printer are not working as it should (happens with some Brother models or at least happened in the past). However, there is a chance it will go smooth and connect easily.

Hi,

Thank you for trying to help. Unfortunately, my printer model is still not listed there despite the fact that the installation of the abovementioned 2310D driver file from AUR ended sucessfully (shown by the remove buton now in the software store).

But I still have not tried what @jrichard326 suggested to me above (as I am fed up with the struggle in terminal, with codes and errors).

So I have been again distro hopping since than to find a “better one”, the best one which is the most plug an play type where people can do everything by mouse alone, same as on Win10. Tried SolusOS and Fedora today and right now I am on pure Arch which I installed line by line over hours :smiley: this is not any better! :smiley: This is for people with masochist attitudes :smiley: (And Manjaro Dev Team works on Arch…! All my respect goes to them)

Most no-command type of distros are Mint and maybe Ubuntu Mate.

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I have a Brother and a Canon. I can report that the Canon, while supported (driver is in AUR), gives me tons of problems. Printing over the network can take forever, because the printer goes to sleep and only checks to see if a print job is pending on some kind of long time period. I can’t get it (even though it’s supported) to print duplex on the short side. Canon makes a great printer hardware-wise (it’s never jammed), but the software leaves something to be desired.

The Brother, on the other hand, works beautifully. Unfortunately, it’s my B&W printer, or I’d use it for everything. Driver is also in the AUR, but everything works, including duplex any which way you want.

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I have Brother MFC J4620DW and it also works well (drivers available in AUR). Generally, I have positive experience with Brother in Linux. Sure, it’s a bit lacking and there are some problem points, but in overall, it works well.

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Yes, I am aware of those and started with Debian stable 2 weeks ago on office PC where the same Brother printer installed (not easily) and worked, printed normally. I also tried Ubuntu but there were more issues with that than with Debian for me on my 3 PCs and finally I decided I wanna avoid every OS with big companies behind them (money makers who will sonner or later became Google or MS etc) so the whole Ubuntu line with Canonical behind is somethign I dont like as it is. Also, I have found that Debian based distros are the most difficult to maintain/manage for a Linux noob if any command and terminal is needed because Debian/Ubintu distros are so old and there are so many package installers so that 99% of the codes/guides on the internet are obsolete and teh commands are not working or breaking the OS… So I wanted somethign with up to date and human language help doc with valid commands/guides.

I am jealous than. My brother 2310D is not even showing up on the printer list after the AUR 2310D driver install. And why do we need AUR for such…? If there is a drivver thna it shall be on the list, just so, magically… :slight_smile:

I used to have HPs, but when the last one broke and I wanted to get a new one from HP I was quite a bit shocked how they developed … I don’t want to have a HP ink prescription and a printer that orders ink all by its own and refuses to consider alternative inks, thanks HP.

So I went with an Epson ET-3700, which is rather compact in size (for a multi-device with scanner) and came with a ton of ink to refill the big tanks. I have it for 18 months now and I am not finished with the first bottles of ink and we had quite a bit of home-schooling for two kids. The LInux support is quite OK I have to say, new printer drivers from the AUR.

A second advice that I can give is: Turboprint! Yes it’s a proprietary printer driver and it does cost you some money, BUT: it has a metric ton of printing features that you don’t get from the Linux drivers and the printing quality is really better than with the EPSON driver. PLUS you get support for various printers that are not or are only rudimentary supported otherwise. Check it out here:


(no I am not affiliated with them, just a happy user).
Cheers,
Benjamin
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Brother provides the drivers on their website; you could do things the Windows way, download them manually, and install them. The AUR makes that process a lot easier.

Drivers are either propietary or an additional software that must be added. Linux comes with many drivers in kernel, but it can’t contain everything. Basically, kernel contains drivers of COMPANIES THAT SUBMITTED DRIVERS TO THE LINUX KERNEL. So if a company didn’t bother to work with kernel devs and didn’t offer open source drivers, those must be installed manually.

Even on Windows you have to install those drivers, otherwise Brother printer won’t work.