Automatic duplex printer, scanner with cheap ink?

See https://trisquel.info/forum/h-node#comment-24649 (from "How to pick a printer").

Picking a printer that works with Trisquel can be difficult because Trisquel does not support current HP models generally speaking. It's one of the problems with looking through h-node for a printer. Chances are you won't actually be able to find a model that is still readily available on the market. There are a very small number of exceptions. As was mentioned we try and stock a few that *will* work today with Trisquel, but they're not readily available, and we don't ship the printers outside of the states at the moment. It's a bit tricky to do for a variety of reasons not least be different regions need different cables, and there may or may not be ink sold locally in a given region.

It's also not a guarantee that what HP reports will work will actually work in Trisquel. For a variety of reasons this is the case. One being non-free pieces, but another being there are different variations, which does impact support. There are actually more issues I've recently realized as well with the way some distributions (and probably Trisquel too) are importing updated versions from upstream (or failing to do so I should say- that is to say there might be an updated driver for hplip in ubuntu-backports, but that doesn't mean that Trisquel 7 has imported the updated version from ubuntu-backports, so while a printer may work in Ubuntu 14.04 via ubuntu-backports you can't just assume that other distributions based on Ubuntu 14.04 will also support the same printers).

If your outside the US I'd suggesting starting with HP's documentation here as it does provide the best starting point in terms of locating a Trisquel compatible printer (much more so than the h-node database):

http://hplipopensource.com/hplip-web/recommended.html

What you want to do is click on the particular model printer your looking to buy and make sure it has the following:

Minimum HPLIP version which is less than the number for which is included in version of Trisquel your using. To do that go check packages.trisquel.info. Enter HPLIP into the "Search packages directory" field/box. Then under where it says Package hplip look for the version in the description. In Trisquel 7 (which is belenos)the version is 3.14.3.

Next check that the 'Support level' says full. If it doesn't then you might be able to print with the all-in-one, but it won't scan. Or maybe the print resolution will be less than the printer is capable of.

Next check the 'Recommended?'. Make sure it says Yes. If you don't get a recommended model then you might not get bug fixes and similar in the near future, or it might not be supported at all even. HP does not indefinitely provide support any more. They maintain the support provided that it continues to work, but if it stops working, nobody from HP is going to fix it. Outside developers are welcome to submit fixes, but HP makes no guarantees to the company fixing these models.

Now this is where the freedom aspect comes into play. There are two sections at the bottom. One says "Driver plug-in". What this really means is that there is or isn't a proprietary component required. Make sure it says none here. The other critical thing to check is where it says 'Requires firmware download'. If it says Yes then it won't be supported in Trisquel either as this is also a proprietary component.

The last thing I need to point out is that while HPLIP is free software it will download non-free components for many HP models. As a result it's not sufficient to install the latest HPLIP driver from HP. You will only be able to determine if a printer is free software friendly (or likely is) by checking the information above. The Trisquel version of HPLIP has been modified to exclude printers which are dependent on non-free pieces. As a result it wouldn't surprise me if there are errors in h-node's database in regards to any HP printers listed. Many users that are submitting such data aren't competent enough to supply accurate identification. Essentially there testing methods are flawed. Checking HP's documentation is therefore a better method.

Go with a laser printer. Yes, inkjets cost less up front but they always have high prices for ink and usually anti-features so as to reject third party ink cartridges. Plus, you don't end up with water soluble ink like with an inkjet. And even if there isn't a driver specifically for GNU/Linux you can always use the generic Postscript "driver" from CUPS. Any laser printer should be capable of understanding PostScript so compatibility is practically guaranteed.

"and don't support postscript (or true postscript or something)."

Any laser printer that doesn't support PostScript is a piece of junk IMO. Stick to those that do.

Chris: Big thanks for that guide. That helps a lot. This will make it a lot easier to find a printer.

I choose a ink printer because I dont print so much so filling ink isnt a big problem. Lasers take long time to warm up and I tested to follow Chris guide and cant find a Trisquel compatible printer for three times the price that is color. They all require Driver plug-in. After that i stopped looking.

I did talk with HP support some months ago and they said that they have no plans to release a printer that dont print the yellow tracking dots for the next three years. They said it isn't 100% yellow but a combination. ......and now we know why printers will not print with missing ink or cartridge.

It would be a great feature someone created a program that did know how the tracking dots where printed by the printer and then added some extra dots to change the date, time, serial. But it must be a perfect match that is in line with printers original tracking dots.