[SOLVED] Run Windows Printer Driver under Linux.

hydrosIII · 2013-05-16 07:12:58

Hi !

Before everything, i dont know if this is the right section, so feel comfortbale to move the topic.

Im trying to migrate my small bussines to linux in which runnning like 5 windows boxes, mostly for the POS software that is windows xp native and very old. The support for XP is now down and im trying to install Arch linux in those boxes, since is the one i know the most, and migrate succesfully into linux, to the long term i would be switching my POS software for something native to linux maybe OPEN ERP bus still seeing options.

I have sucesfully runned all my needed programs in wine, and the migration was almost done till i found that all my 7 pos printers, model OKI POS 407, dont have a driver for linux. After a lot of tests i sucesfully ran the OKI POS with okiibm driver for CUPS though is not producing a good quality printing so im not sure is ready for production.

Here are the questions, I have old hardware and not willing to change (this is one of the reasons to install linux on it). Can i do something to make work the windows printer driver in the linux box?. Virtualization is an option, but not for running all the programs, because thatś other reason to run linux, I get atacked by virus often and had to restore the entire windows box by reformatig, maybe virtualize a small printer server?, is it possible?,Is it viable??

the other way that i think is possible i screating a script for resixing the postcript file that goes into the pirnter, it doesnt fit well in the page, wasting space, again, is it possible?, is it viable?

If none of the above options is viable , in the mid term im going to buy new printer, these are old but they dont have issues, except this one of course.

Can someone recommend me a printer for a Point o Sale that is fully compatible wit linux,just for printign tickets, if its old and i can buy it second-hand is better. Since the new printers are really expensive.

And well, now that im here, which POS software do you recommend me??

Thanks in advance

Last edited by hydrosIII (2013-06-16 03:36:20)

ewaller · 2013-05-16 15:16:56

In my mind, I would go for a network enabled LASER printer.

No suggestions on the POS system, but.... (I am not a Lawyer) as you take on this endeavor, If you process credit cards, I strongly suggest you consider the PCI (Payment Card Industry) standards for data security (DSS), Point of Interaction (POI), and PIN Transactions (PTS). If you process or store critical customer data associated with credit or debit card transactions, and you get it wrong, you are asking for huge liability problems. Also, are you in a part of the world that uses EMV cards (the world beyond the United States) ?

Full disclaimer: $DAYJOB has to do with credit card security.

hydrosIII · 2013-05-16 23:14:32

Hi, Yes im out of the United States and not in a very rich country , and thank you for your advice, but I dont have that big bussines that you're thinking of, were just acepting cash, and we plan to keep like that for a while, so were not storing that kind of information. In fact we use the computers just to run the POS software and Excel.
I personally think that for such tasks we dont need super new technology, but thats what the POS software industry is, if you buy their software and want the support, you need to change all the computers, to run the latest windows and preferently be of the brand they recommend, so that's why im thinking to migrate, as i said were staying for now with the POS software we have, mostly because of the database that i dont think is recoverable, so if we change we'll have to recreate it entirely, but that will take time.

So that is why te printers are important..... i think that is still cheaper/better to sell the printers and buy new ones and then move to an Open SOurce POS,m that i can mantain myself, previous knowledge, than to buy a new POS software that forces me to buy new equipment to run windows 7 or 8, and be dependent on their support..... in the program we have i cannot even see the structure of the database nor the language it is using, not to mention the frequent crashes in windows system. I dont know almost t anything of databases but al is learnable. Well of course that if it exists anyway to make the printers work that would be ideal.

So the issue is the printer, anything to solve the driver problem?? or any other printer that anyone could recommend me?? Full compatibility.... just for tickets....

Ewaller: Than you for the info in the credit card industrym and check the laser printer . i 'll consider it : ).

hydrosIII · 2013-05-19 04:08:59

OK, I trying new solutions here, reading the VMWare docuemntation it says its possible to use the drivers from the guest operating system (windows) to commnicate directly to the device (in this case the printer), ill try this solution and repport back in case someone has a similar problem , im thinking on running windows 95 or 98, with a minimal install.

Is there a way to push the fiel generated by the linux program into winndows guest and then forward it to the printer???
Ill try and repot back

WonderWoofy · 2013-05-19 04:24:00

hydroslll wrote:

...mostly for the POS software that is windows xp native and very old...

Ha ha, I read this and thought... man we all don't much care for windows around here, but this guy hates it. Then I realized you were actually talking about a point-of-sale setup, not piece of sh*t.

Thanks for making me laugh. Its been a rough day.

hydrosIII · 2013-05-21 06:43:30

Hi, i write just to report that i ran windows 95 in vitual box just to see that i cant inntall printers due to the compatibility of windows OS with virtual box gues additons, i 'll make a further try with other virtualization options and then surrender and buy nee old printers fully compatible with linux, im looking currently at some epsons

R00KIE · 2013-05-21 12:50:59

This is a very long shot but you could try ReactOS[1] and see if it works to setup the print server.

[1] http://www.reactos.org/

DarkCerberus · 2013-05-21 13:14:21

R00KIE wrote:

This is a very long shot but you could try ReactOS[1] and see if it works to setup the print server.
[1] http://www.reactos.org/

ROOKIE, I thought there was a rule on Arch Linux forum here https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Fo … pport_ONLY - which is the core policy not to promote other operating systems and such attempt to promote other OS's may lead this thread to be closed by an admin.

R00KIE · 2013-05-21 14:04:15

DarkCerberus wrote:

R00KIE wrote:
This is a very long shot but you could try ReactOS[1] and see if it works to setup the print server.
[1] http://www.reactos.org/
ROOKIE, I thought there was a rule on Arch Linux forum here https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Fo … pport_ONLY - which is the core policy not to promote other operating systems and such attempt to promote other OS's may lead this thread to be closed by an admin.

Fair enough, however I've seen more than once people getting helped to get other OSes working with virtualization on top of Arch, interoperating with Arch, or being advised to try other distributions' live cds to help debug problems.

The OP clearly stated that the idea was to use Arch as a host and possibly use virtualization so the current printers could be used thus saving money, better options have been suggested though. The OP seems quite capable and willing to try different possibilities, I only pointed out a different possibility, I did not provide any support or otherwise implied I would provide any kind of help or support, and would direct the OP to the appropriate forum or irc channel to get help with other distributions or OSes.

kokoko3k · 2013-05-21 14:07:03

I'm using a program that runs under XP that prints (and delete) everything you throw into a specific folder.
You could virtualize it and share that folder to the linux host, so that instead of printing directly from linux, you could print to pdf in the shared folder, and XP will print it.

If it souds good to you, i can give you the link to the executable, if you need the source, i need some time to search for it, let me know.

hydrosIII · 2013-05-23 04:28:36

ROOKIE: Thank for the advice, i'll check the system, i dont want the post to be closed just by that as i said im looking for possibilities, and my main goal is to use Arch linux for the usability, stability and the KISS principles. Than you very much.

kokoko3k:
Yes, im very interested in this program, maybe you can post a link to the .exe or send me a mail, also the source would be ggod, for the community, maybe a lot of people has this kind of problems. I think that things like this can help people to completely switch to linux, because it resolves the hardware problems, when buying new hardware is not easy.
The things is that the computers run windows xp alone , i dont know if they can stand running Arch and virtualizing XP, but ill give a try, for now is gonna be a temporary solution. Iĺl be changing the printers slowly, one by one.

Thank you for the possibilities, please dont close the thread.

ewaller · 2013-05-23 06:11:02

DarkCerberus wrote:

I thought there was a rule on Arch Linux forum here https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Fo … pport_ONLY - which is the core policy not to promote other operating systems and such attempt to promote other OS's may lead this thread to be closed by an admin.

To the contrary. Well, almost.

Of course there are other fine operating systems out there. They are tools; sometimes one tool is more suited than another. We really don't have a dog in the fight as to which OS someone chooses to run, and we could not care if they run Arch-- it is not a contest. As a moderator, we are concerned about:

Is there any disrespect of the other operating system? This is not a Blog to bash non Arch systems.
Is someone trying to promote a project in which they have an interest? In other words, trying to get free advertising.
Is someone looking for support for another OS or distribution which is going to create confusion to those running Arch Linux. Especially users of Arch Forks who, under the false impression that their forked version is "Just like Arch", not comprehending they are usually fighting incompatibilities caused by the fork, creating confusion on these forums, and wasting our member's time on irrelevant flotsam.

If users of other distributions can chime in to help our members, so much the better; we don't care if they are running Puppy or Gentoo. Likewise, if someone wants to suggest someone use Hurd or Windows, or CP/M great. Just don't look for help running GImp on BSD, just because Gimp happens to be in our repositories.

kokoko3k · 2013-05-23 14:09:46

hydrosIII wrote:

kokoko3k:
Yes, im very interested in this program, maybe you can post a link to the .exe or send me a mail, also the source would be ggod, for the community, maybe a lot of people has this kind of problems. I think that things like this can help people to completely switch to linux, because it resolves the hardware problems, when buying new hardware is not easy.

Here they are:
http://wpage.unina.it/aorefice/sharevari/printqueue/

hydrosIII · 2013-06-16 03:35:42

Hi, Sorry for the waiting im here, just to confirm it worked, to run te program print Queue under a Virtual Box under windows XP, and to share that directory with linux, in order that you can print using the windows kernel. It is not a good solution, but maybe it will help someone that cannot afford to change printer. Unfortunatedly for me my old machines could'nt run Virtual BOx with Xp and Arch linux + the program of POS software without hanging out once in a while, so i will buy new printers in the midterm.
However this forum lead to a goos solution so i will mark the thread as solved.
Thank you.

kokoko3k · 2013-06-16 09:46:17

I forgot to say that under windows you need a program able to print the filetype you trow in the folder.
Eg: if you don't have a pdf reader installed under windows, it will refuse to print pdf and so on.
The windows filetype association will determine what program will print, in the case you have more that one.

Arch Linux

#1 2013-05-16 07:12:58

[SOLVED] Run Windows Printer Driver under Linux.

#2 2013-05-16 15:16:56

Re: [SOLVED] Run Windows Printer Driver under Linux.

#3 2013-05-16 23:14:32

Re: [SOLVED] Run Windows Printer Driver under Linux.

#4 2013-05-19 04:08:59

Re: [SOLVED] Run Windows Printer Driver under Linux.

#5 2013-05-19 04:24:00

Re: [SOLVED] Run Windows Printer Driver under Linux.

#6 2013-05-21 06:43:30

Re: [SOLVED] Run Windows Printer Driver under Linux.

#7 2013-05-21 12:50:59

Re: [SOLVED] Run Windows Printer Driver under Linux.

#8 2013-05-21 13:14:21

Re: [SOLVED] Run Windows Printer Driver under Linux.

#9 2013-05-21 14:04:15

Re: [SOLVED] Run Windows Printer Driver under Linux.

#10 2013-05-21 14:07:03

Re: [SOLVED] Run Windows Printer Driver under Linux.

#11 2013-05-23 04:28:36

Re: [SOLVED] Run Windows Printer Driver under Linux.

#12 2013-05-23 06:11:02

Re: [SOLVED] Run Windows Printer Driver under Linux.

#13 2013-05-23 14:09:46

Re: [SOLVED] Run Windows Printer Driver under Linux.

#14 2013-06-16 03:35:42

Re: [SOLVED] Run Windows Printer Driver under Linux.

#15 2013-06-16 09:46:17

Re: [SOLVED] Run Windows Printer Driver under Linux.

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