Pleasantly surprised

Mr_Toad

I've been doing some coding on my Raspberry Pi and decided that it would be nice to print the python code listing as it was getting rather long and sometimes paper is easier to use.

So, off I go to preferences > printers > add printer.

And there's my Samsung C460 Laser showing under Network printers so I select it and the generic driver and in under two minutes I'm printing, albeit in black and white.

No problem for coding but I thought I'd have a look on the Samsung support site for a Linux print driver and there it was.

Downloaded it and installed it and the new driver duly appeared, and was even preselected, in the available driver list and now I have colour printing and if the install log file is to be believed I can also scan.

It's nice to be pleasantly surprised when you're expecting a battle and things go well.

Ben84

I'm glad to hear you had a good experience. However, it's the opposite to my experiences with Samsung printers and Linux. I do know my way around Linux and printer stuff quite well, but with several models have been unable to make the Linux drivers they supply work. Others have been some of the most difficult to set up. I've also had issues with multiple outdated versions of the Linux drivers being present on different pages of their site, so updating and maintaining is a issue. As for Samsung's technical support, they seem to have no support for Linux and simply state they can't help in their reply and never reply to subsequent emails I've sent. They were polite emails I sent asking to be referred to someone there who can help with Linux. I guess they don't have anyone there who will even attempt to help, despite claiming they support Linux.

Anyway, I'm sorry to drop in this negative point of view, but I do want to warn people, Samsung and Linux can be a pain.

Mr_Toad

Yes. I was expecting a fight, I've been there before on more popular distros and want expecting it to be so easy on a raspberry pi!

Ben84

Mr_Toad wrote: »

Yes. I was expecting a fight, I've been there before on more popular distros and want expecting it to be so easy on a raspberry pi!

Printers are one of the remaining frustrating things with Linux. Most everything else that I found was a pain when I first started using Linux has gone now. I think some printer manufacturers have a way to go with their Linux support, but they'll get there in the end I'm sure. Until then, I often wish there was some kind of database of user experience with printers and various operating systems. You really just can't trust all the manufacturer claims it seems. I can however say Brother printers seem to get it right, as every model I've tried with Linux worked properly and I got there pretty quickly, so I tend to buy and recommend their printers now. Unfortunately, they're one of the more expensive makes. But they've worked nicely so far and seem durable, so I don't think they're bad value for money.

Fightsback

Mr_Toad wrote: »

Yes. I was expecting a fight, I've been there before on more popular distros and want expecting it to be so easy on a raspberry pi!

Nice to know Samsung is well supported, Canon could learn a thing or two. HP are usually very well supported under Linux but their ink prices require a second mortgage.

tronator

Ben84 wrote: »

I'm glad to hear you had a good experience. However, it's the opposite to my experiences with Samsung printers and Linux. I do know my way around Linux and printer stuff quite well, but with several models have been unable to make the Linux drivers they supply work. Others have been some of the most difficult to set up....

Very often the PPD file is enough to get a printer working under Linux. If the printer doesn't have a Linux driver, unzip the Windows driver and look for it in there.

Ben84

tronator wrote: »

Very often the PPD file is enough to get a printer working under Linux. If the printer doesn't have a Linux driver, unzip the Windows driver and look for it in there.

That's a good idea. I have tried this in the past with mixed results. Some printers rely on other additional software. The problematic Samsung printers did however claim to work with Linux, and I was using the Linux drivers they provide.

patman99

Never failed to get a printer working under Linux. I use the CUPS drivers and at one point even had both my HP and my son's Canon accessable at the same time (Windows would not even 'see' the Canon when I replaced his broken HP with it).