Help needed for a beginner installing LINUX drivers

March 14, 2008 10:30 AM

Tomorrow, I am going to try and make a HP840C printer work on a Linux machine (Ubuntu 7.*) I have no idea how to do this...

...as I have never installed software on this OS (the OS itself, I installed, and I am still finding my way around it).

I have downloaded a driver to a USB stick from HP (http://www.linuxprinting.org/show_printer.cgi?recnum=HP-DeskJet_840C)

Can anyone provide step-by-step instructions on how to do it?
Please state the blindingly obvious (ie. everything I need to do after powering up!)

I have installed drivers on Windows machines and it ain't always easy. I am imagining this is gonna be a learning experience...

posted by dash_slot- to Computers & Internet (9 answers total)

Response by poster: For example of my nebieness:
the installation guide says:

"Step 2: Run the automatic installer.

Open a terminal or command line window. Then run: sh hplip-2.8.2.run"

I do not know how to open a terminal, where to find it etc. That is the info that I will require. I may be lucky and the Installer Program I am about to d/l to my USB stick will do everything after I do the above. It's being able to 'do the above' I'm not confident in.

Also, I am attempting to install a dial up modem in this machine beforehand, so I may not have internet access.
posted by dash_slot- at 10:38 AM on March 14, 2008

Response by poster: For example of my nebieness: I can't spell newbieness!
posted by dash_slot- at 10:46 AM on March 14, 2008

The job might be a lot easier than you think. Ubuntu 7.10 came with a driver for mye olde schoole Deskjet 710c. All I had to do was connect the printer and power up the PC, then add the printer from System / Administration / Printing. This list suggests that your 840c might be similarly supported.
posted by punilux at 11:31 AM on March 14, 2008

You should find that the HP 840C is selectable as a printer type in Ubuntu 7.10 without installing any additional software. Ubuntu 7.10 includes hpijs version 2.7.7 (reference), while the 840C has been supported since version 0.9.5 (reference). Before you do install additional software, follow these instructions from Ubuntu. If, contrary to my expectation, your 840C isn't recognized, then consider installing a newer version of hplip.
posted by jepler at 11:37 AM on March 14, 2008

If you'd still like to learn about how to open a terminal and perform actions in it, there's documentation about that.
posted by jepler at 11:43 AM on March 14, 2008

Installing a printer on Ubuntu 7.10 *tends* to be a one-step process: Hook up the printer to the PC and turn it on. Ubuntu will usually recognize it and configure things. I've seen this work for both newish and ten-year-old printers. I hope your "learning experience" is that Linux is often not nearly as hard as some folks want you to believe!
posted by /\/\/\/ at 11:45 AM on March 14, 2008

Since everybody else has answered, I'd like to say that HP is pretty good about having linux drivers for it's printers. The same linux drivers are the ones that make most HP printers work out of the box on OSX as well.
posted by cschneid at 1:51 PM on March 14, 2008

Response by poster: Thanks for the hope!

Tomorrow, I will connect, power up and print (and tell you how it went).
posted by dash_slot- at 5:43 PM on March 14, 2008

Response by poster: Sorry, forgot t o post back!

Am gonna try again tuesday (1st April!), but it didnt work2 weeks ago...
posted by dash_slot- at 5:40 PM on March 30, 2008