[cups.general] Canon CAPT drivers (eg LBP-3200)

[Klaus Singvogel]

Anonymous wrote:
[...]
> 
> http://software.canon-europe.com/software/canon_capt_printer_driver_for_linuxs21386.asp?model=
> http://software.canon-europe.com/Printers/Laser_Beam_Printers/LBP320010044.asp
> 
> They appear to include a binary driver and source (as rpm files).  I've only looked briefly but it appears to be GPL too.
> 
> If it's all GPL, is there any chance of it being incorporated into the CUPS project?  (Hopefully for use by non-rpm distros.)

I doubt that this could happen. A few included files are not GPL (look
at the exhibit section, at the download site), and so files are shipped
as binary only.

The disadvantage of these binary-only drivers is, that CUPS is written
with the intention to support more than one specific Operating System
(not only Linux), and more than one architecture is supported under
Linux (not restricted Intel x86 architecture only).

Even more, if Linux vendors, like Suse/Novell, might consider to
include any such binary-only drivers for a specific architecture, we
still run into problems, if we need to do security updates of these
drivers (no sources means impossible), if the system is changing the
library interfaces (means: no longer working), and many more.

Therefore, and again, I suggest to buy a HP printer. HP printer might
be a bit more expensive, but they have a GPL driver with _complete_
sources and support most of all of their printers (still a few
exceptions exists, like LaserJet 3100, or LaserJet 1010):
	http://hpinkjet.sf.net/

Sorry for my explicit advertising for HP printers. But several printer
vendors didn't learn, what GPL really means, why it is necessary, and
why HP is years ahead with the Linux/GPL policy.

Regards,
	Klaus.
-- 
Klaus Singvogel
SUSE LINUX Products GmbH
Maxfeldstr. 5                     E-Mail: Klaus.Singvogel at SuSE.de
90409 Nuernberg                   Phone: +49 (0) 911 740530
Germany                           GnuPG-Key-ID: 1024R/5068792D  1994-06-27