Posted on 01/17/2005 10:56:25 PM PST by N3WBI3
As opposed to how many that ship with any Windows product?
Why is it that so many people want to bash a Linux product yet strangely ignore the same exact problems when they occur with Windows.
You want a good manual? But a book. Just like with Windows.
And there even exist books that are specifically designed to help you with your problems. Here.
I have found that the vast majority of older hardware will run under Linux. I got an old Seagate tape drive to run, same with a Panasonic 5-CD changer. Neither was recognized under Windows XP.
New hardware is more chancy, which is why every install guide for Linux will tell you to check the on-line hardware compatibility guide before buying.
It's no big surprise that some proprietary Windows-only printer won't work with Linux. Just like trying to find a stereo to fit into the proprietary radio slot in my 1966 Mustang. Standards are good things. Buy a printer that uses standards and you have no worries, but a printer that only runs under Windows and you are at the mercy of Microsoft. If they decide to drop support for it, you're screwed.
For beginners, I always recommend Mandrake.
If you have a Unix background, try Debian or one of the distros based on Debian.
If you have a BSD Unix background, try Slackware.
And if you're the kind that harps and whines about how Linux isn't Windows, I always point to Linspire (formerly Lindows.) It works like Windows in a lot of ways, including strange registration requirements, always running as the admin user and other little quirks.
I wrote:
There are about 3000 pages of worthless manuals
You replied:
As opposed to how many that ship with any Windows product?
Windows came with a little booklet that I never opened. Redhat Linux came with 4 or 5 red manuals, all utterly useless for what I needed.
I'm going to try to download Mandrake. I gave it a shot and got one ISO file. I was expecting 3 cd's. I guess I'll have to search for more documentation. I'm not paying for the whole package this time. I'm hoping that the newer versions recognize more of my hardware.
boookmarked for later
It's a live CD. It won't touch your hardware and can save it's config files on a floppy or USB memory stick.
If all goes well, you can either hunt around for the hidden commands to install it to your hard drive or go get another Debian-based distro.
I use Debian Sarge as my desktop and haven't felt the need to try it out, but I hear from a lot of people that Ubuntu Linux is a great Debian-based desktop distro.
"A good way to test your hardware for compatibility is to download Knoppix."
Thanks. I've tried Knoppix. It runs a little better than Redhat, but won't find the shared XP printer on the domain.
Redhat lost the network altogether to day. It's time for a new, clean installation.
One more time....
If your printer isn't compliant with published standards and only speaks Microsoft-ese, nothing but Microsoft will talk to it easily.
It can be done, but it's a pain.
If you don't like that, call Microsoft and yell at them for not supporting published standards.
" One more time....
If your printer isn't compliant with published standards"
It's an HP Laserjet.
We have never been able to get RH 9 to acknowledge that the printer exists, even though several other computers on the domain are using it every day. It's just pissing me off that I can't do with Linux, what Windows (90,Y2K and XP) do automatically. I've now read hundreds of pages of manuals, installed multiple versions of Samba, reinstalled Linux with every imaginable network setting, sought and received the help of three different Linux nerds, and finally have given up.
For some reason, Linux doesn't like to talk to WinXP machines on our Unix driven domain. I refuse to spend money on consultants to hook a $200 computer to our network. It's just wrong. (This is New Hampshire after all. We hate spending money.)
Hey! Guess what! I went back in and changed all of my network settings about 7 times and on the last try, I got RH9 to see my printer!
It only took 14 months but I can now print with Linux!
I'm so excited. I had 3 other versions to install. Now, I don't have to install anything. It's working!
Gloryoski!
If it's listed as a paperweight, it's because HP decided to get cute with their communication protocol and broke something.
If it's listed as a compatible printer and it still doesn't work, it's likely configured for Windows-only (probably SMB) and not for IPP ( a published standard ). You'll need to break out your printer manual and enable IPP.
If it's using IPP, CUPS should find it and work perfectly.
In fact, if you aren't using some ancient version of Linux, a GUI printer wizard should be on your system.
When I installed my Okidata 6e laser printer on an HP Etherjet print server, I just opened up the wizard, gave it the IP address and printed a test page.
Congrats.
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