Hplip-plugin annoyance

Support AUR
1

HP drivers are a pain in the backside. Always when hplip upgrades, we have to install a plugin. If this is not automatically done, I quite often get the situation that I cannot print. The whole plugin business is entirely HP’s fault, but very annoying as it gives maintenance overhead to the user.

So I installed the AUR package hplip-plugin that automatically installs the plugin when hplip upgrades. However, Arch is already using hplip 3.24.4 while Manjaro is still stuck at 3.23.12.

So this gives me the annoying warning from yay that it cannot install the latest plugin. Not a breaking problem by any means, at most slightly annoying, but could something be done?

The short term solution is of course not waiting for weeks before updating the hplip package, so it stays in sync with the hplip-plugin aur package.
Better would be if the hplip-plugin package was also in the Manjaro repos staying in sync with the hplip version used in Manjaro. This would make Manjaro a much better fit to be used by less technical savy people and reduce my annoyance about printers in general :wink:

2

Are you sure that you need this plugin? I have an HP and everything (?) works just fine without it. (However, my usage is occasionally printing and scanning.)

3

Yes I’m sure, the printer refuses to print without it.

4

Please apply some reasonable formatting to your initial topic - it is extremely difficult to read and understand.

hplip is inherited from Arch Repo - if you want to use the UI you also need python-pyqt5 that is usually all there is to it.

I have had a couple of cheap HP deskjets - they worked the repo packages - no plugins needed.

If you need scanning then there is a couple of repo packages for that too.

When a custom build packages fails - first step is always to rebuild the package.

Unless your printer is on the list from HP web you don’t need the plugin

https://developers.hp.com/hp-linux-imaging-and-printing/binary_plugin.html

5

It’s a laserjet 1102w and needs the propriety plugin unfortunately. It does not scan, so that is not my problem.

1 Like
6

In theory, according to my quick search, this printer supports at least AirPrint, which probably has to be activated in the administration webpage of the printer. And cups should support airprint in the newer versions…so at least on paper it should word as a network printer without hplip at all.

On the other hand, if you decide to pursue the hplip binary plugin method (the printer is indeed in the list), then you need the aur package. Aur is unsupported. But if you decide to use it you have to be on the testing or unstable branch of manjaro, so that it has the newer libraries to compile. You are not “stuck” forcefully on the stable branch. I leave you at that point to open the wiki to see how to switch branches :wink:

7

From the package license

3. Copies and Adaptations. You may only make copies or adaptations of the Software for archival purposes or when copying or adaptation is an essential step in the authorized Use of the Software. You must reproduce all copyright notices in the original Software on all copies or adaptations. You may not copy the Software onto any public network.

8

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