I've located a driver that seems to be highly regarded for HP printers called hplp 2.7.12. However, it comes as a tar archive and I don't know how to compile these. (There's supposed to be a self-executing version of this but I can't get it to install itself). Does this driver come as an rpm? If not, is there something good for an HP all in one (model number F4135)?
I'm using a driver that came with the Mandrake 2007 software I have and it seems to work ok, but I don't seem to have a set of "tools" to use to interface with the printer.
Also, since the printer is an all-in-one model, I don't know if I'll be able to access the scanner with the driver I'm currently using.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.

The HP LInux Printing driver (HPLIP) should be available from your normal repository (I don't know what this is for Mandriva - it's rpm, isn't it?)

With HPLIP, you should be able to setup any HP printer, I've only just started using it myself - I used to do it all with CUPS and PPDs. Don't get me wrong, these are good, but you can use all the features more easily with HPLIP.

As far as I can tell (with a very quick google search) HPLIP is available from Mandriva, so you should be ok.

The first place to look for software should be your distributions software repositories. On Mandriva, you should be able to install hplip (if its not already installed for you) using the GUI package manager or by doing
Post back if you experience any problems.

It may be like mine, Suse's repository did not have the latest. You may start with this page, Mandrake is not listed but you should be able to follow the directions for PCLinuxOS or Fedora or one of the others. Those two are rpm file, as are a couple of others mentioned.

http://hplip.sourceforge.net/downloads.html


From experience, make sure and remove any other hp printer drivers or partial installs you may have

When I use urpmi to install the hplip driver from a mandriva repository, it installs an older version of the driver (hplip 1.6.9-1.1). The older version of the driver doesn't recognize the HP all in one printer I have. The latest version (hplip2.7.12) is available at at source forge (hplip.sourceforge.net/downloads.html). But I'll have to run the file and I'm not clear on how to do that.
The instructions seem simple but when I try them nothing happens:

To use the self-extracting file, follow these steps:
1. Download the file to a convenient location (e.g., home directory or desktop, etc).
2. Open a console/terminal and cd to the download directory.
3. Type in and run this command: 'sh hplip-2.7.12.run'
Download the Self-Extracting Archive With Installer Download the Self-Extracting Archive With Installer
Notes:
1. You will need to have root/su access to run the installer.
2. The installer will work on other distributions, but the automatic installation of dependencies will not be available.

I've downloaded the file to my desktop. When I get to the cd command I've followed the format of cd<directory path name> but nothing happens. Am I missing something in the cd command? I just type cd/usr/printers but should I some how refer to the hplip file name and/or location in the command?
Also, will the run command 'sh hplip-2.7.12.run' work? And are the single quote marks around it part of the command or were they just English grammar followed by the writer of the directions?

Thanks

http://easyurpmi.zarb.org/
http://plf.zarb.org/packages.php
http://sourceforge.net/project/showf...kage_id=165777

I haven't read any of the instructs but...
CD is change directory. They want you to change to the directory that you downloaded the file into so you can run the installer. That's all that CD is suppose to do, change you into the directory you specify.
http://linuxcommand.org/man_pages/cd1.html

If you downloaded a .tar or .tar.gz it is a compressed file and you will need to unpack it first.
You can use file-roller or tar or whatever you use.
http://linuxcommand.org/man_pages/tar1.html

Unless it has a script that untars it for you.
CD into that directory and run the command that the instructs advise. It says you'll need to be root to run it.

Your suggestions put me on the right track. Since I'm still somewhat of a newbie, it took me a few hours but I got the self-extracting file to work .
The HP "tools" interface works nicely with my all in one printer, it shows the status of the printer and allows me to initiate scanning. There's one minor glitch -- I can't get the printer to print. Both the HP tools interface and the KDE Printing interface show whenever I've sent a job to the printer, but the printer doesn't actually print.
I know the printer works with the computer, because when I used a more generic driver that came bundled with Mandriva, I could make the printer print (I didn't have access to the scanner, though). So that's my latest dilemma, if anyone can help.
Thanks