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I want to buy a cheap printer to use with my Ubuntu laptop. It is ok if the printer would be black and white. The main thing I want is a plug and play feature - no specific drivers, no set ups and etc. Do you have any suggestions?

maxpestun
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5 Answers5

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In general Linux does not require specific drivers for printing. CUPS will handle this for you. The generel rule applies here: stick with compatible hardware and you will have a hassle free usage.

Regarding specifically printers:

Have a look at the Ubuntu wiki page on printers. Notable excerpt:

Manufacturer-Specific Installation

Many of these printer manufacturers require non-free drivers or plug-ins. HP has the largest selection of free software compatible printers. Some of the higher end laser machines from other manufacturers are at least partially free software compatible.

And the wiki has a link to a site that sells Linux compatible hardware

I do not think you will go wrong when you choose any of the other printers listed on these 2 sites or even if you just buy a random HP printer.

Community
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Rinzwind
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    Just a note, but support of the printing functions of an All-in-one doesn't guarantee the scanning function being supported as well. – fragos Feb 11 '12 at 08:37
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    @NathanBasanese always :) and feel free to edit anything out of my posts that has a suspicious relation or changed into one :-) – Rinzwind Sep 01 '16 at 09:24
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hp is the best Linux Imaging and Printing

HPLIP is an HP developed solution for printing, scanning, and faxing with HP inkjet and laser based printers in Linux.

The HPLIP project provides printing support for over 2,080 printer models--including; Deskjet, Officejet, Photosmart, PSC (Print, Scan, Copy), Business Inkjet, LaserJet, Edgeline MFP, and LaserJet MFP.

HP Linux Imaging and Printing

hhlp
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    If you install hplip (recommended, as @hhlp says), I suggest you also install hplip-gui. They are both available from the standard repositories. – Paddy Landau Feb 14 '12 at 18:17
  • You need both an intelligent printer (eg. with PCL6) and (likely) the latest version of HPLIP for best effect. – david6 Feb 15 '12 at 06:53
  • One quick way is to check the recommended devices for HPLIP: http://hplipopensource.com/hplip-web/recommended.html – landroni Jun 18 '14 at 09:04
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I'm using a Brother HL-2270DL Laser printer ($69) with no issues. Just plug it in and go. It is also wireless , but I didn't try it in that mode.

BigJohn
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1

Good advice from Rinzwind.

If you're willing to spend a little extra, I got a CanonMG5220 color, all-in-one printer that I'd recommend. It has a reasonable price, runs well, and does everything I need. Mentioned as it may suit you better down the road (details here).

Todd Partridge 'Gen2ly'
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    I had a Canon printer and scanner, and neither would work with Linux. Canon was totally unapologetic about their lack of linux support, so I will not buy any more of their products. This particular printer may work now, but if you care about Linux support, you should think twice about supporting companies like Canon. I now have an HP Deskjet network printer, which is a pleasure to install on every new Linux installation. I simply choose network printer, and it's there to select. Much easier than other OSs. – Marty Fried Feb 14 '12 at 19:59
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    Canon told me not to expect updated drivers for MX895 so it would install with 14.04. Their policy is to make it clear which OS versions their products work with at launch and only upgrade drivers after if cost effective (so they'll do it for Windows but not Ubuntu) – Richard Oct 08 '14 at 15:08
  • I have cannon LBP3300, Worked on Ubuntu 16.04, but can not work on 18.04. even with 2017 driver. – ICE Nov 20 '18 at 09:43
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I am running on Ubuntu as well. For one, I have the same question before. And found and tested that HP printers are most capable of running smoothly on Ubuntu. I think Konika is one good printer for Ubuntu as well.

Sathyajith Bhat
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Jacob Green
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