Ubuntu – Alternative printing method(s) for an unsupported printer

driversprintingserversoftware-recommendationwindows

I have in my office, a Konica Minolta bizhub 211 multifunction printer, it works well with windows workstations… It has a lot of good features, like duplex…

konica minolta bizhub 211

I haven't found any drivers for UNIX, so I'm looking for alternative methods, how can we make it useable in Ubuntu. I'm thinking on some windows based server, or what I know…

It's id in lsusb: 132b:2052

I wrote here requesting for drivers: ubuntu.hu, linuxforums.org, forums.debian.net, ubuntuforums.org; and also to the manufacturer, but they said only, that "the first PostScript supported printer is only bizhub 223", so they don't care that thing.

Update: I've heared about the raw printing method trough a normal Windows workstation. Have someone got any information about this workaround?

Please suggest working methods,

Thanks, B. Roland

Best Answer

Once your unsupported printer is recognized either from USB or if setup as network printer from the appropriate network setting you are asked for a driver. If your printer is not listed you can alway select "Generic" to give you a choice of standard printing methods depicted below:

enter image description here

In this example on the left hand side a "PCL6/PCL XL Printer" is selceted and gives you again a variety of selections of PCL6 subsets on the right hand side. Depending on your model your Konica/Minolta printer may be a PCL6 printer and this entry may work, but you will have to simply try out what subsets are appropriate. If it's not PCL6 you may also try out if a generic GDI driver works.

Fancy special things your printer may be capable of will not work with a generic driver but at least you can print out something.

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