Printers and incompatibility with Debian versions greater than 5
Hello.
I currently have (but, cannot print with) a Samsung CLX 3185.
I am running Debian 6.
The reason that I can not print with the device, is that it appears to
not print clean any more (it prints with greay blotchiness all over the
pages, and that also applies to photocopying), so, after being quoted
aout 150AUD to get it examined, as Samsung do not provide printed
manuals, I am considering buying a new printer.
With that device, I have not been able to scan to the computer, with
Debian 6.
Samsung, when I tried to install the device, advised me that it is not
compatible with Debian after Debian 5, so I could not do anything like
use the Samsung Unified Printer Driver.
Instead, I had to use a workaround, and printed using the CLX 3170
driver within the Debian drivers (rather than using a Samsung driver).
To use the device for scanning, I have to scan to a USB drive, then
connect the USB drive to the computer, and upload scan files.
In looking for a replacement printer, I have been considering buying a
Samsung CLX-4195FW or a Samsung CLX-3305FW.
From what I understand, both are supposed to be compatible with Debian 5
(according to Samsung, which also indicates that they are not compatible
with Debian versions later than Debian 5).
What is the difference between Debian 5 and Debian 6, that does not
allow Samsung printers (and, I believe, other brands, such as HP) that
are compatible with Debian 5, to be fully compatible with Debian 6 and
later?
From memory, when I was running Debian 5 on a desktop computer,
the CLX-3185 worked okay, with scanning and printing, both working with
the computer (although, I had not tried faxing to and from the
computer).
And, is a printer and scanner driver available from within the Denian
drivers (as it is not available from Samsung), to make the Smaung
CLX-3305FW and/or the Samsung CLX-4195FW, fully compatible with Debian
6?
The scanning software that came with Debian 6, does not find the device
- I get a "No scannners detected" error with "Simple Scan", and I get a
"No devices available" error, with xsane.
So, without having a Samsung Unified Printer Driver or other compatible
full device driver, able to work with Debian 6, Samsung appears to be
not compatible with Debian, any more.
Thank you in anticipation.
--
Bret Busby
Armadale
West Australia
..............
"So once you do know what the question actually is,
you'll know what the answer means."
- Deep Thought,
Chapter 28 of Book 1 of
"The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy:
A Trilogy In Four Parts",
written by Douglas Adams,
published by Pan Books, 1992
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