[gentoo-amd64] Re: Printer Setup

["Duncan" <1i5t5.duncan@cox.net>]

sean <tech.junk@verizon.net> posted 452D99D4.4030902@verizon.net,
excerpted below, on  Wed, 11 Oct 2006 21:26:44 -0400:

> The printer is setup fine, CUPS is running, and a great test page is 
> produced.
> 
> The problem is from Gimp, all other apps seems fine. What I have found 
> is that I always have to reselect and save the printer settings.
> 
> I also have to print the same item twice.
> On first time print it pulls the paper in, and just runs the paper 
> through, then pulls another sheet in and just stops. Checking the que, 
> it shows no jobs.
> Choose print again, and it then prints the picture.

For historical reasons (there wasn't a suitably universal solution at the
time), GIMP has its own print driver setup.  However, that's a good thing
as for some printers the GIMP print driver is far better than the
foomatic solution, and it's possible to configure the system in general to
use it.

I don't use the GIMP personally, however (nothing against it, it's great
it's available, just that simpler interfaces like that of kpaint do what I
need with far less learning, and thus far less frustration in the mean
time, on my part), and the last printer I had worked well with KDE > CUPS
> foomatic, so that's about all I know about the gimpprint stuff.

BTW, that printer was the only one I've run on Linux, an HP 832c ink jet,
well supported but not suitable for use once every six months or so,
by which time the ink cartridges have plugged up.  Those are $30 to replace
HP, $10 generic, so while it was a relative ink miser for active use,
$10-30 every six months to print a couple pages wasn't a satisfactory
solution.  I expect I'll go laser printer next, tho I've not decided
whether to just get a cheap black-on-white-only or go color, which even
tho it's not as good quality as inkjet color (which isn't as good quality
as dye-sub), /would/ be about the same quality as my old inkjet was, given
its age.

At least in the inkjet range, for Linux, Epson or HP are by far the best
supported.  Perverting Cannon's slogan, on Linux, it's more "No you
Cannon(t)", tho it's better supported than the likes of Lex- (aka
shit)mark.  I've not taken the time to research lasers as I will before I
actually buy, yet. 

Meanwhile, I have alternatives such as simply not printing, saving and
reading on the computer instead (my usual), mailing it to work to print
and pick up if it's text or installing the software and hooking up the
modem again to fax it if line-drawing will work (they have a Brother lazer
based fax/printer/copier), or printing to text/image/pdf as appropriate
and transferring it to floppy/CD and taking it to a commercial printer if
desired.  All of those options are lower cost and about the same hassle as
the $10-30 every few months for a new cartridge every time I decide to
print a few pages, that I /was/ dealing with, so it works for me.

-- 
Duncan - List replies preferred.   No HTML msgs.
"Every nonfree program has a lord, a master --
and if you use the program, he is your master."  Richard Stallman

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