MX Linux Forum

Posted: **Wed May 16, 2018 7:10 am**

I do not do a lot of printing and my 8 year old HP is still working well. But I will consider Brother if I need a new printer. Thanks.

Posted: **Wed May 16, 2018 8:08 am**

And do not forget after-sales services. I bought a lexmark printer many years ago. There was a manufacturing defect but few months after, no way to get spare parts, nor service, nada. I will never buy Lexmark anymore.
I'm using an Epson WF-7620 at the moment but with windaube (french joke inside) for my job. Will try with MX when I have time.

Posted: **Wed May 16, 2018 9:11 am**

I"m not sure that using, or not using, systemd has anything to do with the printer issues, although I could be wrong.

As for whether there should or should not be conflict between manufacturer-provided printer drivers (whether in .deb or ppd format) and those provided in Linux, consider that not every printer manufacturer is going to keep support going for older models. So say they had a driver on their website for an old model, which came out before 2013. That driver worked with said printer when the PC was running Mepis 11 and then MX14. It also worked with Manjaro at that time.

It's now 2018. The driver on the website is still the old version from 2013 [ADDED: I just checked and my model has now been removed from the Brother Linux Support site]. Meanwhile, the OS has been updated to newer Debian bases in MX16 and 17, and Manjaro as a rolling distro is much different from what it was in 2013.

That's my scenario with a Brother multifunction colour printer. I was using the official driver that came in ppd form for some time but around 2015/2016, it no longer worked. I had to reconfigure the printer afresh from the printer config GUI and then choose the printer driver straight from the pool of drivers that came with the said distros, rather than use the ppd file. And yep, the newer open drivers work where the original proprietary driver no longer does.

Posted: **Wed May 16, 2018 11:46 am**

@Fehlix, the link didn't take?
viewtopic.php?f=107&t=45181&start=10#p447392

Posted: **Wed May 16, 2018 12:16 pm**

Jerry3904 wrote: ↑Wed May 16, 2018 5:44 amIf you now don't like the MX approach to systemd, don't like the Forum, don't like the hardware recognition, and don't like...I can't even remember what else now...oh yes, that we don't cater to the unfortunate masses as you would like, then it sounds like you should consider moving on.

Give him a refund.

Posted: **Wed May 16, 2018 2:11 pm**

Richard wrote: ↑Wed May 16, 2018 11:46 am @Fehlix, the link didn't take?
viewtopic.php?f=107&t=45181&start=10#p447392

Not sure I understand what do you mean?
I've posted the link to richb's "Guide - How to ask for help"
this one: viewtopic.php?p=255062#p255062

Code: Select all

https://forum.mxlinux.org/viewtopic.php?p=255062#p255062

Posted: **Wed May 16, 2018 2:14 pm**

Both links work fine :)

Posted: **Wed May 16, 2018 4:06 pm**

That whole systemd thing is really irritating to me though. If so many distros use it, why not MX? There's no real viable explantion that I could find ... one that makes total sense and has a person left saying "Oh, duh, yeah, I get why systemd is crap!" That's an issue on my personal setup with my vpn provider. If systemd works, why not use it? No really, in plain english ... WHY NOT?

In plain English:
MX utilizes the richly-featured antiX liveboot + persistence + remastering mechanisms, and systemd is incompatible with these.
Post-installation, MX preserves your ability to switch to using systemd init.

If your interest is debian/ubuntu, plus OOTB systemd (cuz a printer driver requires it???), plus Xfce... you have plenty of choices:
APODIO , AV Linux , BackBox Linux , Black Lab Linux , CAELinux , ChaletOS , Debian Edu/Skolelinux , DRBL Live , DuZeru , Emmabuntüs , Enso OS , ali Linux , Karoshi , Linux Kodachi , Linux Lite , LinuxBBQ , Liquid Lemur Linux , OB2D Linux , Pardus , Pardus Topluluk , Peach OSI , PelicanHPC GNU Linux , Peppermint OS , Point Linux , siduction , SolydXK , SparkyLinux , SuperGamer , tuxtrans , Ubuntu Studio , Uruk GNU/Linux , Voyager Live , Xubuntu , Zorin OS

Posted: **Wed May 16, 2018 4:13 pm**

@Fehlix,
Not a problem.
I was speaking of the installer script you mentioned here:

Right, the HP Gui is nice. Brother's are well maintainable with default linux printer control and/or CUPS's interface. For installing I've recently posted here a little do-it-all-and-quick installerscript, which always worked for the last 6 Wifi/Net/usb-Brother's I've installed for me and relatives.

Where is it posted? I must have overlooked it.

Posted: **Wed May 16, 2018 5:27 pm**

Richard wrote: ↑Wed May 16, 2018 4:13 pm ... I was speaking of the installer script you mentioned here
... Where is it posted? I must have overlooked it.

@Richard : That might have been a too fast speech for me.

I've been to lazy to find the link to that post ...
But anyway here it comes again slightly adjusted for you ;=)
After the installer have been fetched and chksum verified
it will be extracted and excuted. You'll get some more confirmation
questions, so you can abort anytime.
When you run it again it will not fetch again if still availble localy.
I've checked the installer; it will cover nearly all brother printer available on
the brother support web site. As they do not often change that installer
my script might work for sometime; last change was about 3 years ago before recent version.
Have fun:

Here we go:
Brother-Printer-Installer-Helper Script

filename: brinstaller.sh

Code: Select all

#!/bin/bash
# set -x

# brinstaller.sh  ( 2.2.3-1-2022-05-13 )

# by fehlix @ mxlinux,  2016 - 2022
# helper script to fetch'n'install latest Brother printer driver
# downloaded from https://support.brother.com/
# and verified with sha512 checksum
#
# filename :brinstaller.sh
# version  : 2.2.3-1-2022-05-13

# MX Linux forum post: "Brother-Printer-Installer-Helper Script"
#
# URL: https://forum.mxlinux.org/viewtopic.php?p=447475#p447475

# changes:
# New Brother-Installer-Version: 27.12.2017 Version 2.2.0-1
# 24.09.2018 - updated to
#    new Brother-Installer-Version: 13.09.2018 Version 2.2.1-1
# 25.09.2018 - added missing 32bit-libs, thanks to davemx
#              lib32z1 lib32ncurses5
# 20.05.2019  adjusted to https download link
# 18.08.2020  adjusted to Brother installer version 2.2.2-1.
# 10.07.2021  adjusted to Brother installer version 2.2.2-2
# 13.05.2022  adjusted to Brother installer version 2.2.3-1

# https://download.brother.com/welcome/dlf006893/linux-brprinter-installer-2.2.1-1.gz
# SHA256SUM
# 4bca9b72ea14b8ffe4a5276e0b881d64f1cb5b7b29bcf06869d2cad90bd95bff  linux-brprinter-installer-2.2.1-1.gz
#BRDATE="04-06-2020"
#BRVERS="2.2.2-1"
# SHA256SUM
# https://download.brother.com/welcome/dlf006893/linux-brprinter-installer-2.2.2-1.gz
# 49f927644865fde29dc7b942fe35e237385330159a77b202d2d6cbce68fc7600  linux-brprinter-installer-2.2.2-1.gz

#
BRDATE="22-01-2021"
BRVERS="2.2.2-2"
# SHA256SUM
# https://download.brother.com/welcome/dlf006893/linux-brprinter-installer-2.2.2-2.gz
# f8419d5e779e58e79eca2717279463da56de63dc584ce8b62d5b4628274bde44  linux-brprinter-installer-2.2.2-2.gz
# SHA512SUM
# 4e361283057631ad0c14c77fdc9fca08f43626c504666cab954ac856dcb5a7803264792614e3a4cf816568ea51fa68e03dd115313aa4dc209e587610eddf120b  linux-brprinter-installer-2.2.2-2.gz

BRDATE="19-08-2021"
BRVERS="2.2.3-1"
# https://download.brother.com/welcome/dlf006893/linux-brprinter-installer-2.2.3-1.gz
# SHA256SUM
# 83db05062c535d45e348fbf9a69ae3a319af3d8787a36abebb656c0e0c5b7e7d  linux-brprinter-installer-2.2.3-1.gz
# SHA512SUM
# 9fed0c747ec2cc9eb11862df93e4a75edbeddaa9fbf0a70139fcd3da58b372fbbeaca0821fbcb8d66b43c656eaf7392a97b021f260136496e1075d1014869c37  linux-brprinter-installer-2.2.3-1.gz


function usage() {
cat<<USAGE

    Usage: $0 [Brother-Printer-Model]

    This helper script will fetch and install latest
    Brother printer-installer version $BRVERS dated $BRDATE
    Pass Brother-Model parameter or type at prompt
    like HL-L6400DW, MFC-L9570CDW, DCP-135C

USAGE
}
ME="${0##*/}"
BROTHER="$1"
[ -z "$BROTHER" ] && read -p 'Please enter Brother Model : ' BROTHER
[ -z "$BROTHER" ] && usage && exit 1;
LOCALE_ALL=C read -p "Ready to fetch and install Brother Model '$BROTHER' (Y/n) :" OK
[ -z "$OK" -o "$OK" = "Y" -o "$OK" = "y" ] || { echo "Abborting $0";  exit 1; }

# set -x
#chksum=sha256sum
#CHKSUM="83db05062c535d45e348fbf9a69ae3a319af3d8787a36abebb656c0e0c5b7e7d"

chksum=sha512sum
CHKSUM="9fed0c747ec2cc9eb11862df93e4a75edbeddaa9fbf0a70139fcd3da58b372fbbeaca0821fbcb8d66b43c656eaf7392a97b021f260136496e1075d1014869c37"

# Please enter Brother Modell Type (e.g. HL-1030, MFC-L9570CDW, HL-L6400DW)
# HL-L6400DW

BRINS="linux-brprinter-installer-${BRVERS}"
BRIGZ=$BRINS.gz
BRURL="https://download.brother.com/welcome/dlf006893/$BRIGZ"
#CHK=$BRIGZ.sha256
CHK=$BRIGZ.sha512

[ -f "$BRINS" -o -f $BRIGZ    ] || { echo wget $BRURL;  wget $BRURL; }
[ -f $BRIGZ  -a -f $CHK ] && rm -f $CHK
echo "$CHKSUM  $BRIGZ" > $CHK
$chksum -c $CHK || { echo "CHKSUM Error: abborting installer" && exit 1; }

[ -f $BRIGZ  ] && [ ! -f $BRINS ] && gunzip -kv $BRIGZ
if [ -f $BRINS ] && chmod +rx $BRINS; then
    sudo -k &&  sudo apt-get update

    # probaly not needed anymore
    #   [ "$(dpkg --print-architecture)" == "amd64" ] && {
    #       sudo apt-get install lib32z1 lib32ncurses5
    #   }

    sudo ./$BRINS "$BROTHER"
    RET=$?
fi

#
echo "$ME finished ..."
echo " "
read -p "Press any key to continue..."
exit $RET

+++
EDIT: 2021-07-10: Update to brother-installer version 2.2.2-2 (22/01/21)
+++
EDIT: 2022-05-29: # 13.05.2022 adjusted to Brother installer version 2.2.3-1

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Brother-Printer-Installer-Helper Script