Printing with a Lexmark E232 via Apple Airport in Ubuntu Linux

The Lexmark E232 laser printer I need to use at the office works for me in Ubuntu Linux 8.04 (Hardy Heron) if added in the “System -> Administration -> Printing” as a “Generic PCL 5c Printer” using the “CUPS+Gutenprint v5.0.2 Simplified” CUPS driver.

In this particular setup, the printer is shared from its USB port using one of those utterly disgusting Apple Airport Extremes that don’t even have an http user interface for configuration. Don’t buy Apple’s networking equipment! The hardware may be of good quality and well designed but the devices are, thanks to their software, obfuscated and very limited in terms of functionality. Why do people even buy routers that require special software for both the initial setup and any later configuration changes? There certainly are cheaper an more functional printer and file servers for home networks.

I configured the E232 as an HP Jetdirect device (port 9100 on the IP address used by the Crapple Airport Extreme and printer sharing). Printing works fine using these settings.

[via:Linux Forums]