Doug Laidlaw wrote:

> On 9/5/19 5:47 am, Markus Robert Kessler wrote:
>> Dear all,
>>
>> during the last days I tried to install a Printer / Fax from HP (M127fn)
>> on several different platforms.
>>
>> On every OS it seems the same: You can only get these printers to work
>> when installing a mandatory proprietary "plugin". This plugin originally
>> comes from HP and you will never see the sources. It's just a binary
>> "run" file which you may trust and invoke, or not.
>>
>> As if this was not bad enough, the run file seems to have moved to a
>> different location some days ago, and, hence, on e.g. Mageia 6
>> installation failed completely, and on Raspbian Stretch I had to do an
>> "apt-get update" prior to being able to proceed.
>>
>> But even after that I got complaints about not fitting pgp checks and had
>> to continue even though the plugin potentially was manipulated.
>>
>> So, at least, this has nothing to do with OpenSource philosophy.
>>
>> I am wondering why so many people running Linux for higher security, are
>> nevertheless agreeing on having non-OpenSource components like this on
>> their machines.
>>
>> - Has anyone found out, what this "plugin" exactly does? And, to which
>> locations the installer ("run file") writes or modifies files?
>>
>> - Are there alternatives as true Open Source drivers?
>> I know that high end laser printers can be accessed via PCL or PS
>> protocol, but not so with HP Fax Lasers.
>>
>> Any ideas highly appreciated!
>>
>> Best regards,
>>
>> Markus
>>
>>
> You probably know about the Linux Printer Driver Web site.  It is so
> long since I looked at it, that I can't quote the URL.

It used to be linuxprinting.org, but that got absorbed by the Linux
Foundation, and is now http://www.openprinting.org.

Linux "Printer Drivers" (that is, "Postscript Printer Definition" (PPD)
files) can be found at http://www.openprinting.org/drivers

> My wife has an HP laptop, and I used to have one.  It takes ages to
> start up.  It is too big to be portable, but I can't imagine customers
> being happy with the delay.  I initially chose Brother printers, because
> they support Linux.
>
> I own a Raspberry Pi, but haven't used it as a normal computer.


--
Lew Pitcher
"In Skills, We Trust"

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