[nzlug] Canon Pixma MP810 multifunction printer

[Simon]

On Thu, 2007-07-19 at 16:54 +1200, Johann Schoonees wrote:
> Thanks everyone, for a unanimous opinion it seems.
> 
> Just for my education, how important is it for a model to be in the CUPS 
> database and what happens if it isn't there?
> 
Some manufacturers have variously open drivers which are not in the CUPS
(or HPLPS) database. Some may be in the next release. Even partially
closed drivers can have spotty performance and tend to stop working when
a kernel changes or the company decides they don't like that model any
more or the guy with the technical knowledge leaves the company or it is
a full Moon on a Tuesday.

If it is in the CUPS database it will go.
In the unlikely event some part doesn't work quite the way you hoped,
there is a large body of comment on why not and how to work around it.

Of course, this is not quite the same for SANE... you gotta read the
driver notes for scanners. eg. My scanner now has a sane backend...
which jams it up on every other pass. (hp sj 2300c - if I'd got the
model sitting next to it on the shelf, I'd have been fine.)

> I've seen mention of drivers, some in the form of RPMs for FC6, from 
> different sources including a "semi-open" one from Canon.  Are you 
> saying that these drivers don't work well?
Depends on the driver and the package. Semi open drivers tend to behave
differently in different installs. If you have the option, don't use
them. You have the option.

> 
> The bit that I am not sure of is whether drivers unevenly support just 
> making the printer, scanner etc. functions work, or whether different 
> drivers result in different quality or performance.  Sometimes getting 
> things set up can be frustrating and tricky, but once there is a 
> published recipe it "just works".

The meanest driver makes the thing go... maybe at low res. If the
printer takes postscript you'll at least get text output from the thing.

It's more that different drivers implement different things. Some do
very high res but are slow for eg. In CUPS you'll usually see some
generic driver can be used with a printer at a pinch - but a more
specific vendor driver will be up first.