[svlug] good cheap Linux-compatible printer?

[Bill Ward]

On 5/16/07, Mark S Bilk <mark at cosmicpenguin.com> wrote:
> So about three years ago I bought a Samsung ML-1740 laser printer
> for $75 after rebate from Fry's.  I almost never need to print
> anything, so it sat in its carton until last month when I had
> to print tax forms.  It's supposed to be Linux compatible, but
> its Linux setup program wouldn't even run.  SuSE 9.3 found it
> on the USB port when I plugged it in, but then the admin program
> (yast) couldn't see it.  So I hunted down the old parallel cable
> that I'd soldered back together after my cat had chowed down on it,
> and that worked.  But yast said the printer definition file on the
> Samsung CD was not valid, and it didn't have a table entry for
> the ML-1740.  So I said it was a similar-numberd model (1710 or
> something) and it worked!  Probably if I went to the Samsung
> website I'd find updated software, but it works well enough now.

I have the ML-1740 which I bought at Frys cheaply too.  It works
perfectly out of the box over USB with Ubuntu, no driver installation
needed.  It even auto-detected it.

--Bill.