HPLIP

Isn´t any fully free version of HPLIP?

Asked by Megver83 on 2016-03-23

I am loyal to free software, that´s why I don´t even use Ubuntu, instead of it I use Trisquel (Ubuntu based) which is a distro endorsed by the FSF. I read in hplip´s web page that hplip contains some propietary firmware I didn´t liked that. Is there a deblobbed version?

Question information

Language:: English Edit question

Status:: Solved

For:: HPLIP Edit question

Assignee:: No assignee Edit question

Solved by:: Megver83

Solved:: 2016-03-24

Last query:: 2016-03-24

Last reply:: 2016-03-24

Link existing bug

Revision history for this message

Johannes Meixner (jsmeix) said on 2016-03-24:

HPLIP has the proprietary parts well separated
from the free software parts.

The proprietary parts will be downloaded if needed
(e.g. when you set up your device with "hp-setup").

When your device does not need proprietary stuff,
it will not be downloaded.

Therefore the actual question is not whether or not
HPLIP needs proprietary stuff, the actual question is
whether or not your device needs proprietary stuff.

In general regarding plain printers
(for all in one devices see below)
and free versus non-free printer drivers
and printer driver software at all, see

https://en.opensuse.org/SDB:Printer_buying_guide

Summary:

When you buy a regular PosctScript color printer
or at least a regular PCL5e monochrome laser printer,
you do no longer need to care about free versus
non-free printer driver software.

In contrast when you buy cheap stuff that only looks
as if it was a printer but actually is not a regular printer,
then you have to "pay" with various kind of issues like
free versus non-free software and things like that.

Regarding printer scanner copier all-in-one devices
have a look at " How to use a professional network
printer scanner copier all-in-one device" in
https://en.opensuse.org/SDB:Configuring_Scanners

In contrast to regular plain printers that are no longer
really expensive nowadays, a professional network
printer scanner copier all-in-one device is still
relatively expensive (and probably over the top
for normal home usage).

Regarding HP and HPLIP:

HP offers all kind of printers and all in one devices.
from cheap stuff (that needs HPLIP plus HP's
proprietary plugins) up to all kinds of fine regular
printers (that may need the free parts of HPLIP
or no printer driver software at all - if it is a
regular PostScript printer) and HP offers also
professional network printer scanner copier
devices that do not need any driver software
(neither scanner drivers nor printer drivers).

Regarding what HP devices need HP's proprietary
plugins check the lists at

http://hplipopensource.com/hplip-web/supported_devices/index.html

regarding whether or not for a particular HP device
theer is a "Driver Plug-in" required or if HP's
proprietary plugin is only "optional".

For more information about HP's proprietary
plugins see

http://hplipopensource.com/node/309

For details for what kind of functionality
a particular HP device needs HP's proprietary
plugins see

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