Need low cost, simple to install on Slackware printer
 

Rather than try to follow the LSB 3.2 conversion for Slackware I would appreciate hearing which printers Slackers have recently acquired from like Walmart, BestBuy, Target, or Office Depot that have installed with little more than a download of manufacturers drivers. I am looking to keep it under $70 as my needs are critical but simple. HP and Lexmark will not be considered due to prior negative experiences.

Well, if you don't like HP, even tho it has the best Linux drivers, then maybe Epson, but their printers are cheap and disposable.
Check around for whether the printer works or not:
http://www.openprinting.org/printers

The Brother HL-2030 B&W laser printer is an excellent printer, very reliable, and works with Slackware. I'm installing it to all my professional clients with a tight budget (schools, libraries). Setting it up is not exactly intuitive, but I've written a small HOWTO for that.

You don't say if you need color or just B&W. For B&W only, get a laser printer. HP is well-supported, but many others are also. Keep in mind that the cost of consumables will be much more than the initial cost---the lowest initial cost may not save anything in the long run.

I have never had any problemw with HP lasers---including my (low-cost) 1022 that has been churning away for several years now.

In my experience HP have by far the best drivers on linux and I've never seen one not work right out of the box. I currently have an mfc 4580 which works very well and was cheap. They might not do it anymore, but I'm sure that if you check out their cheaper mfc devices you'll find something that will work for you.

That may not be the right approach----for example, I have had problems with HP ink-jet printers, but not with HP lasers. More generally, you can have problems with ANY brand.

I recommend listening to all options---after focussing on what exactly your requirements are.

I have been using Brother printers with Slackware for many years. I have found that the Brother drivers need 32bit or multilib.

HP OfficeJet J6450 Out of the box works.

Over a number of years -- something like 15 -- I've been using a Hewlett-Packard Business Inkjet 2280tn; it's network printer (Ethernet) with PostScript. For about five years, maybe less, don't remember, I've also been using a Hewlett-Packard Photosmart C4680; it's a USB with scan/copier (and if I remember correctly it was $75). Both printers are color, the 2280tn uses four cartridges, the 4680 uses those expensive little buggers that all inexpensive printers seem to like.

Best thing about H-P is that they provide HPLIP (it's included with Slackware) that supports pretty much every piece of H-P printing, scanning and plotting hardware they make for Linux. HPLIP integrates with CUPS, everything works and I'm a happy camper. No digging around for proprietary drivers (that may or may not work), set it up once and you're done.

I do have a Canon PIXMA iP6310D for which there are no drivers from anywhere -- I'd be glad to donate it to a good home if somebody will pay to ship the thing and get out of my equipment closet, it's got about 25 pages on it from being connected to a Windows box for a couple of days a few years ago.

H-P? Fully supported. Canon (and others)? Nah. Gimme H-P any day.

Hope this helps some.

I very much appreciate the time everyone has taken to respond but apparently most did not see my aversion to Hewlett-Packard. This is not due to the product. Their product support people lied to me not once but twice. So HP does NOT get my business. It won't hurt them it satisfies me.
The problem I had is contrary to HP claims that their driver HPLIP 3.11.3a supported the hp1000, they had to know over a year before I bought it that for multi-page printing it would overprint every page but the first. I discovered that too late. Sure I could install HPLIP 3.12.xx but why chance it. The d..n thing is now leaking all over itself too (the second one).

arubin: could you expand on 32bit and multibit; is that the same as 32 vs 64 bit machines?

tronayne: perhaps HP's more expensive hardware works with the 3.11.3a HPLIP driver but if their cheap stuff doesn't work I ain't throwing good money after bad. Agree about Canon I had their ip1800 and again after hooking it up it worked on XP but not Slack. I stumbled on their (nearly clandestine) east Asian site about 6 months later and was able to download that solution. I know I am thrice bitten.

Hello,

I use as well since a couple of years a Brother HL-2070N as a network printer and for my basic needs this printer is very good.

Cheers

+1 I've got a Brother HL-2270DW. Follow their instructions and you'll get it running in no time. Mine's connected to my network via WiFi so we can print from any of the computers in the house. The replacement toner cartridges are relatively inexpensive via Amazon too.

Brother printers are cheap $50-$100 and are well supported under linux/slackware. I have two that work great. i like the 2140 model.

Epson Workforce 40.
works out of the box.

Member Response
 

Hi,

I also recommend the Brother Laser printers. Reliable and service for a SOHO is great. The oldest in my shop is a HL-1440 and she still prints reliably.

Brother HL-2270DW provide 2X and the replacement laser pack are reasonable cost. Also have a HL-2070N that is utility to the rest of the building, though single sided it still remains very reliable and useful.
@arubun
Why? I have used .ppd file on both 32 & 64. What makes you think arch dependent? When configuring the printer you select the necessary file for service to the client.