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View Full Version : [ubuntu] Dell 725 Printer, No driver available - What are my options?


VipX1
August 10th, 2009, 04:11 PM
In 2006 I got a Dell Inspiron 6400 laptop and this Dell 725 printer came with it. Now the laptop has Ubuntu on it as do all my computers at home and none of them can print to that printer. Unfortunately I have no other printer so I'm stuck looking for a solution to get the Dell 725 working on Ubuntu.
I originally just plugged the laptop in and let it look for a driver, it didn't find one. It did give me all the Dell drivers available, I tried them all.. Then in the https://wiki.ubuntu.com/HardwareSupport under Dell I found a Lexmark driver for a Dell 720 printer which was for RedHat OS. I ran the driver threw Alien as described in another post but it didn't match the Dell 725 either. When I tell Ubuntu were the driver is as I add the printer it returns an error.
Is there any options left for to get this printer working on Ubuntu?
Ultimately I will want this printer to work threw a Print Server. It's Linksys switch with a USB port for a printer. There's software for Windows but nothing for Linux. I should be able to just tell Ubuntu the printer is at the i.p. of the Linksys. I do't know if that gives me more options or not, Ubuntu still needs the right drivers no matter how it connects to the printer, am I right?
For the moment the printer is only connected to the laptop directly.
It's probably a tall order but anything that might help me avoid having to buy a new printer would be appreciated.

RedRat
August 11th, 2009, 06:45 PM
Have you tried using CUPS with the machine. You can download the CUPS drivers from Synaptic. I use this with my Canon i860 and it works great. Don't know if this will help.

IAmNoodle
November 15th, 2009, 09:10 AM
Sorry to hi-jack this thread, I've hit the same problem. I already have CUPS downloaded. How would I use it?

IAmNoodle
November 17th, 2009, 02:23 AM
No ideas?

RedRat
November 17th, 2009, 03:16 PM
Sorry to hi-jack this thread, I've hit the same problem. I already have CUPS downloaded. How would I use it?

Well in my system it came installed (8.04) and was ready for use. You go to Printers and click on it. It came up and gave me various options.

Did you get it through Synaptic or did you download it directly from some source? Synaptic should install it. However, I don't know if that is true in 9.10.