I'm trying to wrap my head around how printer drivers work on Linux Mint (64-bit latest version) because I'm having trouble with my secondary printer. My primary printer, which is connected via Wi-Fi, worked perfectly right out of the box thanks to driverless printing (IPP). However, my secondary printer, a Brother QL-1060N label printer hooked up with a USB cable, isn't cooperating. Linux Mint detected it but said it couldn't find a driver. I followed the instructions from a guide to disable IPP by running a command: `apt remove ipp-usb sane-airscan`, thinking that would help me get the manufacturer's drivers working. Even after doing that and installing the Brother drivers, the Brother printer still won't print, though my primary Wi-Fi printer continues to function. My question is: why does my primary printer still work with IPP disabled? Understanding this might help me tackle the issues with my secondary printer better.
3 Answers
If you want to get your Brother printer to work, have you checked the `/etc/cups`, `/var/log/cups/`, and the web interface at `http://localhost:631`? Those places can give you more insight into what’s going wrong.
It looks like you only removed the `ipp-usb` package, not the whole IPP system. That could be why your Wi-Fi printer is still functioning. The driver for your primary printer might not rely entirely on IPP, allowing it to work even without IPP being enabled.
Yeah, it’s possible that the Wi-Fi printer has its own drivers that still function independently of IPP, especially if it was set up to be driverless from the start.
Consider connecting your Brother printer to your router with an RJ45 cable instead of using USB. That’s often how the drivers will expect it to be connected. Plus, reserve the IP for the printer in your router settings to streamline communication.
I haven’t checked those yet; I’ll give them a look. Thanks for the tips!