Printerdriver for lexmark x4550

Stig, I would start here: http://linuxcompatible.org/X600_series_c13770.html

The web's Linux and other Ubuntu docs offer other resources and anecdotes concerning compatibility. Have you tried searching for you model of printer along with, say, "Linux compatibility" in a search engine?

With Lexmark, you may have to accept that your model may be a paperweight. I think that the situation has improved recently, nonetheless; some clever techies have succeeded with certain drivers in certain cases. The first hurdle is getting the printer driver to work: The next is getting the printer's wireless working--frankly, that's a remote possibility--maybe somebody's done it, however. Wireless in Linux/Unix, generally, has been a painful thorn for the community for a long time. (It's very likely that Lexmark intended for that feature only to work in a currently supported Windows OS.)

The problem is that Lexmark has not been very cooperative with Linux programmers in the past. Therefore, Linux techies haven't been able to write adequate drivers (the programmers must have source code in order to comply with Linux open source guidelines and patents) for most consumer Lexmark printers. (As I understand it, support in Linux for true Lexmark business printers is better--the company cooperated more fully concerning those). Lexmark has in the past provided binary code for consumer printers (often, the modules became out of date with improving Linux releases, so they wouldn't work).

Linux, unlike Windows, doesn't work with (virtually) all devices--even expensive, high quality devices may not work with Linux, or they may not work fully. This is bedeviling for many of us--it's a major reason why Linux has not gained better acceptance yet. It's best always to check compatibility sites such as linuxcompatible.org and others before making hardware purchases (that is, hardware that requires drivers).

Thank you for the most constructive solution
Stig

Sorry I couldn't get back to you sooner, Stig; my girlfriend's mother broke her hip.

It does appear to be a pretty bleak picture for the X4450 and Linux. Currently, I'm using Kubuntu 8.04 Beta on this PC. It's not a "stable" version, but I haven't had any problems so far. The newer the linux or BSD distro, perhaps it's more likely that problem peripherals may find support. I'll investigate the printer section on this thing and get back to you.

I just looked at the printer section: It's not yet listed. I would try converting Red Hat's Lexmark .rpm to .deb I own a cheapo X600, and I'll give that a try myself someday soon....

Stig, this may be a workaround for your more advanced printer (however, it may not be helpful after all--it's definitely not straightforward):
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?s=1fffa3503140284f84706ef101a62047&t=260848#post1518542
This involves using VMWare, a virtual machine.

Wine is a program that runs Windows programs and drivers in Linux. It's a very long shot, but you could try to wrap a windows driver for the X4450 with Wine (this is somewhat similar to the solution above). Have you won the lottery lately?!

I noted a post mentioning Samba--perhaps with the device hooked to a Windows machine, somehow, you may be able, indirectly, to get the device working with a networked linux machine. Samba is very useful; it allows file transfer between networked linux and Windows machines. I noted that Samba printers are set up in the printer configuration dialogs on a (remote) linux machine.

See the lengths people go to to get their stuff working in Linux!

My HP PSC1510 works (almost) plug 'n play, including the scanner (I think I had to choose the driver from the printer config and from Sane (I used XSane)). HP and Epson are better supported brands, but even in those brands, a few models are not well supported. Canon is next in compatibility among major brands. I think Brother tries to be cooperative--it's always best to check. Dell generally rebrands Lexmark printers.

The post for the .deb files indicates a link for files already converted from .rpm. I did get my Z645 to work well with Kubuntu 7.10 with those drivers. I also got my Z710 to respond, as well (the page seems to need formatting).

Since the .deb drivers merely are binaries, sans source, linux purists dismiss them as a matter of principle and continue to indicate that many Lexmark printers won't work in linux. Of course, such purists endeavor to keep linux uncorrupted by spurious (proprietary) binaries: This attitude is very noble, but it's not very helpful.

Well, we are about to begin 2010 (two years have passed by), and there doesn't seem to be hope for Lexmark to help at all. They even got rid of the Linux Drivers Development kit (the following page doesn't even exist anymore: http://www.lexmark.com/US/products/info/linux/). I fill this to make a general call to stop buying Lexmark.

Thanks for keeping us apprised of this! I'm sorry to hear it: Apparently, we seem like angry, buzzing gnats buzzing around them. All we can do is to make the 2010 resolution to re-double efforts to check for linux hardware compatibility before purchases. (But, what if such items are purchased for you by the well-meaning, yet, naive and unsuspecting! (Your relatives, or, worse yet, your boss!))

I'm glad that I "bit the bullet" and purchased a Brother HL-2140 mono-laser this year. It works with linux (mostly), and, I don't have the problems with cartridges drying out and, thus, always needing to run an inkjet's cleaning routine. It seems to work like a champ--with great authority--in Ubuntu 8.10.

Most people don't care about linux and will continue to purchase Lexmarks since they are cheaper than equivalent-feature competitor models at Wally World, Tarjet', Best Bye, Office Nemesis, and, Stiff-Colds! (These people also insist upon Vespa64, even though it can't be fueled in our parallel universe, and, therefore, it won't "go" for them!)