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this post was submitted on 10 Jul 2023
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AssholeDesign
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Tried to fire up an older HP monochrome laser printer that is still working perfectly.
The problem? Windows 11 has no drivers, and it literally cannot be used at all. Not through Wi-Fi (old drivers, too), not through the USB port, or my shared through my router.
I mean, seriously, this stuff should work on a generic print driver until the end of time, but nope.
Hot news, linux is incredibly compatible with printers. CUPS is very well designed. With relatively little technical knowledge you could probably plug a raspberry pi into virtually any old printer and get it running with the Pi as a print server sharing it with the network.
Never thought I'd see the day when it's easier to get a printer working in Linux than Windows. How the turntables.
It's actually been the case for 20 years now. Same with lots of other devices.
Around 2008-ish I saw a Tesco-branded webcam for something like 5€. I was just in need of one, so I looked up if it's not, by any chance Linux compatible. It was, right out of the box.
Same thing with Sony Ericsson phones of that era. Capable of lots of things, like Ethernet over USB or Mass Storage, but with Windows it all needed a massive and annoying driver package. Linux - plug and go.
Same with Bluetooth and lots of other things.
Hey, that might be a good project to try. I've got a Pi that's unused :)
we’ve done this with our router at home. Plug the printer into the router’s USB (has to be direct tho, doesn’t like a hub) and then install the drivers on my mac and it works. Even though this printer is an ancient brother.