[CentOS] Need tip on an inexpensive printer for college student using CentOS 5.5

[allan]

Yes, this is true. I have an HP LJ1200. When the parallel port crapped out the USB port worked fine using postscript.
Peace,
Allan


Robert Heller wrote:
> At Mon, 16 Aug 2010 16:21:27 -0700 CentOS mailing list <centos at centos.org> wrote:
> 
>>   On 08/16/10 4:06 PM, Bob McConnell wrote:
>>> Many of the low end HP laser printers have Postscript built in, so Linux
>>> can talk directly to them. Otherwise, I use CUPS with Gutenprint to do
>>> the translation. If you can stretch the budget, even the CP1518ni Color
>>> Laserjet is often available for less then $300. After you factor in the
>>> cost of ink vs. toner, the laser comes out costing less in the long run.
>> USB printers are more likely to require special drivers.  Ethernet 
>> printers less likely.
> 
> Most USB *printers* use the USB 'printer' protocol.  You would still
> need a 'driver' (actually a PostScript => raster filter) for
> non-Postscript printers (eg: inkjets).  I would guess that USB *laser*
> *PostScript* printers would use the USB printer protocol and would not
> need a special 'driver' -- the Linux kernel knows how to talk to a USB
> 'printer' device (HAL's hotplug code creats a /dev/usb/lpN device file
> automagically).
> 
>> However...   Many campuses have restrictions on attaching ethernet 
>> devices, like the CSU campus my kid goes to, you have to register your 
>> laptop or PC by its MAC address, you can't connect a switch or anything 
>> else to the dorm ethernet jacks, just one PC/laptop per port (and they 
>> have one port per bunk in the dorms).   Under these conditions, using an 
>> ethernet printer would be problematic, and require disconnecting the 
>> computer from the 'house' network, and plugging it directly into the 
>> printer, likely with a crossover cable, and reconfiguring the network, 
>> yada yada.    blah!
>>
>>
>>
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>>                                                      
>