[Tfug] Printers

[Robert Hunter]

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On Sat, May 17, 2008 at 12:24:36PM -0400, Steve wrote:
> 
> I have switched everything to Debian and Ubuntu, and was pleasantly surprised with the printer.  It takes a 35mb software download and 15 minutes of install time to get the HP printer working with windows.  I plugged the printer into Ubuntu, and it printed a test page immediately.
> 
> 
> 
> That's a switch, I assumed it would take at least as long with linux.

Actually, that's one of the advantages of a well maintained software
repository, and more generally of the OSS model.  Once the effort has
been invested in producing a mature software package for the platform
(sometimes by a single individual, but more often though a combined
effort of many people), the package joins the repository, and benefits
from the common infrastructure, maintenance efforts, and distribution
mechanisms of the project.  In this case, the HP printing software you
are using ( I'm guessing hplip+cups ), was probably installed along
with the base OS.

Contrast this with a typical windows installation, which, as you
described, requires additional steps to install 3rd party software,
which in turn, probably bundles tons of libraries, even they they may
already exist on your system (and in many varieties).


- --Rob
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