Re: Lexmark - RTFM

From: Karel Jansens (kareljansens_at_tiscalinet.be)
Date: 07/12/03 

Date: Sat, 12 Jul 2003 23:23:00 +0200

I know what you said on Saturday 12 July 2003 20:31, JM.

> Dragec wrote:
>
>> I went to buy the cheapest color printer available. And then I saw
>> penguin on Lexmark Z23 box. So I bought it. Of course, it doesn't
>> work. Yast says that this printer is not supported , but the drivers
>> are available at lexmark.co.uk . But of course, those drivers are
>> obsolete, and they work only on kernel up to 2.2
>
> I don't think this is correct. I took a look at the Lexmark driver
> and here is some info from their README:
>
> The Lexmark Z23 Color Jetprinter and the Lexmark Z33 Color Jetprinter
> are
> USB only printing devices. They will only run on a computer which has
> a USB port available and which is running a Linux distribution with a
> Linux kernel capable of supporting USB devices. Therefore, it is
> required that the Linux kernel be at 2.2.16 level or higher. To
> receive all the bidirectional communication functionality of this
> printer driver, it is suggested that the user run with a Linux kernel
> 2.4.0 or higher.
>
> So in the README it recommends a 2.4 kernel. This because of USB not
> the printer.

Well, it doesn't work on my SuSE 7.2 system, although other USB devices
appear to work just fine (kernel 2.4.4). I called Lexmark support and
they said the driver will only work on SuSE up to version 7.1. This is
mentioned on their site (but the information is NOT available upon
purchase of the printer).

I asked them what they were planning to do on it, and their reply was
basically a polite version of '*** you, stupid Linux customer'. So I
have to stand behind the OP's recommendation to never ever, even if the
survival of the human race depends on it, buy a Lexmark printer. 

-- 
Jazz.
"I'm just more practically gifted," said Wobbler.
"You mean you just press keys until something happens."
"Well? Often things do happen."
 
(Johnny and the Dead - Terry Pratchett)