RE: printer...

[Uncle Meat <kcsmart worldinter net>]

On 31-Jul-2000 rob smith opined:
> I have a lexmark Z11 printer.  It is not supported in redhat 6.2   I have
> been
> told (on another list) that there is "no way" it will ever work in linux.
> I find
> this hard to believe, with all of the "linux Guru's" out there surely
> someone
> can figure out a way to make it work...so any suggestions??

_IF_ this is a winprinter, you've probably been told right. Winprinters,
like winmodems, lack the necessary hardware to function as a real one does.
They rely almost completely on drivers supplied by manufacturers, most of
whom refuse to distribute the source code to the drivers so others can
create one for the product to support them in an OS other than 'Doze (read:
a REAL OS).

If this is a winprinter, complain loudly and often to Lexmark to open up
the source for the drivers for the beast. Then consider getting a real
printer.

The alternatives are:

1) wait for someone else to decide to figure a way to make it work. Breathe
often because holding your breath will make you pass out.

2) reverse-engineer (mostly by trial-and-error) the method Lexmark has used
to make it work. This requires a lot of time and will likely result in a
working driver at about the time you'll no longer be able to buy new ink
cartridges for it.

-- 
Didja get any onya?