Re: Getting a new printer/scanner
On Fri, 17 Jun 2022 11:54:16 Richard England<pdx.limey(a)gmail.com> wrote
So, it's time again for me to> get a new printer/scanner as
the old
one> just died.
I hope it isn't too much off-topic to solicit advice on what to
get so
that it would work flawlessly with Fedora. I'm looking for a rather
basic model. When I browse the homepages of manufacturers I can't find
any mention of support for Linux. Is there a list somewhere of
printer/scanners that are supported by Linux?
As usual you need to know what you want to do, first.
All the major manufacturers have supported Linux for years. Generally
you only need an actual driver for a USB connected printer or scanner.
My advice is that you look for a used HP or Brother laser printer
(Craigslist/Kijiji). They last forever and are easily installed/handled
by CUPS. Get one with a built-in network card, or find one *really
cheap* and buy a network print server for $25-$30. The printer can be
put somewhere out of the way (same with wireless capability). You can
print directly from any computer or tablet or phone.
The HP and Brother laser printers "just work". The laser printers can
sit for weeks, using effectively no power but still available.
If you only want 'basic' service, you should about what you really need
and the footprint. I do not know how old my HP-1320 is, at least 20
years. It has a 14" square footprint. The HP-3055 MFD is "newer" at
maybe as recent as 2006 (although that could just be the last software
update date), much larger and obtrusive. I only keep it really for the
scanner since I lent my Brother ADS-1000 scanner to my brother and it
seems to have "disappeared" and cannot be found!
If you only need scanning to make the odd photocopy, you might find a
small standalone scanner will do the job. Much smaller footprint. The
Brother scanners need the two free linux drivers installed but the
website support is excellent. The ADS series are small, fast and good.
G.