RE: Printer

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• In reply to: Leon: "Printer"
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To: "Leon" <leonmk@optonline.net>, <freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>
Date: Mon, 27 Dec 2004 22:05:39 -0800

Hi Leon,

  I hope you didn't buy this THEN try using it under FreeBSD.

  The Dell AllInOne A960 printer is exactly the same as the
Lexmark X6170. Dell commonly rebrands other people's stuff as
their own. By doing this they charge more money for the
Dell branded device, as you would pay if you just bought
it off the street from a retailer. It is worth it to note
by the way that the A960 is now in the Dell discountinued list,
and can be purchased from a link on Dell's website for
"refurbished" printers, here:

http://www1.us.dell.com/content/products/compare.aspx/printers?c=us&cs=22&l=
en&s=dfh

  The Lexmark X6170 is NOT supported under ANY version of UNIX,
whether Linux, FreeBSD, Solaris, etc.

  The X6170 communicates with the computer ONLY via USB and it
does NOT have any kind of emulation of other printer. It will
NOT print ASCII if you send text to the printer.

  You must understand that the way that these printers operate
is that the print engine and page rendering is entirely done
by the software driver that runs on the PC. In short, all the
PC does is send a series of commands to the printer that
position the print head and print out dots on the paper for
where the 1's are and no dots for where the 0's are. These
commands are proprietary to the manufacturer and are different
for each make and model of printer.

  There are UNIX printer drivers such as gimp print that can
do this, for example I have an Epson C84 printer where the driver
is entirely built by compiling gimp on my computer, and works
similarly to the X6170 driver under Windows. I can print color
Postscript files, and printouts from the Netscape web browser on
my FreeBSD system and whatnot on this printer. (even though
this printer is not a Postscript printer)

  In the future you should go to the website:

http://www.linuxprinting.org

  before purchasing a printer. Anything that is listed as a
supported printer on this website will work under FreeBSD. It
is also not necessary to run CUPS or the Foomatic driver as
the site claims.

Ted

> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
> [mailto:owner-freebsd-questions@freebsd.org]On Behalf Of Leon
> Sent: Monday, December 27, 2004 11:26 AM
> To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
> Subject: Printer
>
>
> Hi,
>
> I have a "BSD5.3"
> I'm trying to set-up a printer.(Dell AIO A960)
> I think, that this printer made by "Lexmark".
> They have one looks like what I have(Lexmark X6170)
>
> I do not know if "BSD" support this printer.
> So if you know, pleas let me know.
>
> Thanks,
> Leon.
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