[SOLVED] HPLIP versions

[acecoder]

The current version of hplip from the MG5 package manager is 3.14.6. I have an HP LaserJet P1102w printing successfully on this. I recently purchased an HP Officejet 5740-e after first checking on HP's hplip web site where it states that hplip 3.14.10 is the minimum version required for this printer. Although hplip 3.16.5 is the current version, 3.14.10 is the next version after 3.14.6.

I have always preferred to use software installed from the distribution's package manager, since this is both simpler and avoids any compatibility problems, even if I'm a few versions behind the very latest. I'd prefer to have the latest versions of, e.g. digiKam or Wireshark, but I can live with this.

By way of background, this new printer, which is too new for the current software, replaces a 10 year old Dell Photo 964 AIO which had become too old for the current software. I run 3 virtual machines on a Mac, running Windows XP, Windows 10, and of course Mageia 5. When I had, e.g. a color .pdf to print, I would make it accessible to the XP VM and print it from there. A bit of a nuisance, but really no big deal. The Dell drivers would only load into XP , not Win 10, MG5. or OS X needless to say. I bought the 5740-e because I wanted another HP printer because of their support of Linux via hplip, which seems to be far more extensive than other brands. I also knew full well that I would have to decide on the following choices with this new printer:

1. Wait for Mageia to update to a newer version of hplip. Any update would be ok, since all I need is at least 3.14.10. I might be waiting a while, but in the meantime I can continue to do what I did before, make a file available to a VM I can print to the 5740-e from, namely XP, Win 10 or OS X.

2. Install hplip 3.16.5 (the current version) from the hplip web site. How will this affect the version currently installed by the package manager? Is this risky? Will I get continual update reminders because the new version is different from what the package manager thinks is installed? Or will the package manager behave itself until Mageia catches up to version 3.16.5, whereupon I can then resume relying on the package manager alone for hplip updates?

3. Install hplip 3.16.5 from my currently installed HP Device Manager, which has a checkbox to notify me of updates. Would this be any safer than option 2, or would all the same questions apply?

4. Use the package manager to remove hplip, and do all future hplip installs and updates from the hplip web site or the HP Device Manager, leaving the package manager completely out of all hplip activity. This would be safe, but a bit more work. I would have to re-add my LaserJet P1102w and also download its required plug-in.

As well as any suggestions on my specific printer issue, I would be interested in any general comments on the issue of software versions installed from elsewhere when a version has already been installed by the package manager.

[doktor5000]

There's a newer version of hplip available from the Mageia repositories, 3.15.11 from core/backports, see http://madb.mageia.org/package/show/app ... name/hplip

And according to http://hplipopensource.com/hplip-web/mo ... 1102w.html it only requires "Minimum HPLIP version 3.10.4", not sure where you got the info from that you need 3.14.10 ... ?

[acecoder]

Thanks for the quick response. I'll follow up on the backport. I'm ok with the 1102w, it's the 5740 that needs at least 3.14.10.

[acecoder]

I have installed hplip 3.15.11 from the backport and installed my HP 5740-e successfully. All working fine. Thanks for your assistance.

[doktor5000]

Please mark the thread accordingly by editing the topic of the first post and prefix it by [SOLVED], thanks