Notices

The HP Officejet Pro 8100 that I mentioned before works with SuSE Linux and some HP software via network (even with an older SuSE).
Just take a look at this:
http://hplipopensource.com/hplip-web..._pro_8100.html

The question is if printing works for N900 without that ePrint.
I do not like that cloud printing stuff, I want to print via WLAN and not via Internet.

2nd best solution would be
N900 -> Computer -> HP Officejet Pro 8100
which seems to be possible via
"URPO Remote Printing Utility for Maemo"
http://urpo.garage.maemo.org/index.html
(but I did not test this). Otoh: if I do it this way I can
transfer files via USB to the computer and do the printing there
without URPO.

Probably not, since many don't have modules for desktop, yet alone in an older kernel. See, the problem with USB printing is that it opens the door to one re-implementing the wheel on how to connect. With parallel, there was one proper way to send data, and about 3 ways to "read" data back. Everything "looked" like a parallel port in the end, so you pick your read-back method (if you even cared about that) and off you go. Using USB, you can set-up any damn funky protocol you want on top of that, be it parallel emulation, TCP over USB, USB serial, kermit, zmodem... anything at all. Some of the smarter ones picked very common protocols (parallel emulation or TCP over USB), but some made their own up. So unless you get their proprietary driver, even if you know the underlying file format to send, if you don't know the proper USB sub-codes to make it go, it doesn't.

It uses JetDirect, which means you can send HPL formatted input directly to it via a telnet connection to the proper port. The question is, does it accept PostScript, PCL5 or something else. Since it lacks a PS in it's name, I'm guessing not PS. It may accept PCL5, which means you could still print to it directly via linux (PCL5 output is part of ghostscript, and I believe it's in N900's version as well), but that makes the files rather large. For an inkjet system though, that's ok, since it prints the thing as a raster anyway... less work for the printer to do, and the N900 acts as a big buffer manager.

It all depends on what you're printing and what you're printing it to. If you want to print to a PS printer via wifi, you're golden. The farther away you go from that, the harder it gets.

According to the specifications it has:
"HP PCL 3 GUI; HP PCL 3 Enhanced"

Hmmm, will Ghostscript
http://maemo.org/packages/view/ghostscript/
help in this case?

If one would clone the AirPrint protocol for N900 then this should also work. ;-)

Ghostscript may be able to put out PCL standard. Last I looked it did PCL and PCL5. The major changes between 1, 3, and 5 were different compression methods supported and maximum resolutions. I'd say give it a try. Worst case it will start printing giberish and you can just power cycle the printer to clear the buffer.

Just wanted to share my experience after a little trying:

I just bought a couple of thermo printers for a hand full of $$$ over at ebay. Sadly they got only IR and Serial connection, so I thought, I couldnt get it to run anyway... i bought a Serial to USB adapter cable and USB mothermother. So I thought, maybe i should try to connect that to my N900. I did, started h-e-n, mounted. Woops, there it is in CUPS. USB#1. I make a .txt file in Terminal. lp file.txt > woops, here it comes. Working out of the box.

So here is the point where i really get confused. Haha, but i like it. I wrote a shellscript, to grab my last sms and print it out. Now i wanna make it printout Contacts, and mails. The thing is, what I recognized: Its not printing special characters, like german äöü 'n stuff. And at the beginning of every file, i need a line like: "xxx xxx xxx xxx", or it will mess up the first Characters of the actual textfile.
Maybe if i can get a ppd file for the printer it will work better. Gonna Contact the manufacturer.

Just wanted to lay my 5cent in. Thanx for the beautiful cups porting though. You guys rock!

Just for clarification - do You really mean serial ports, or You had parallel in mind?

/Estel

No I have Serial to Serial USB to Usb mother - usb mother to usb micro usb.

like that. (sorry printing quality is poor, but the thermal paper and printer is like 10years old, i think that is why the quality is so poor.
anyway, works good. btw any1 knows why i have no adressbook.db in osso-abook ? strange...

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images...120407001.jpg/

I want to print

I need to print via Wifi an excel document with my n900. Is this possible? I only found URPO. Apparently not compatible with this type of files....Is there an alternative?

xls may be opened by SheetToGo (DocumentsToGo), but there is no possibility to print from that application.
So only chance to achieve that would be to use EasyDebian, configure CUPS on that and use OpenOffice/LibreOffice (did not test myself, but did with leafpad and lp itself).
But I may warn you, it could be a time intensive task...

I'll try to Easy Debian.