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Re: Help With Installing New Printer

I wrote:

> HP's documentation suggests that 'MFP M28-M31' is not a multifunction
> printer model, but rather a _group_ of multifunction printer models,
> comprising the following HP LaserJet Pro MFP models:  M28a, M28w, M29a,
> M29w, M30a, M30W, and M31w.

I can give you some additional tips.  For _all_ of the above-cited seven
models, the following is true, according to
https://developers.hp.com/hp-linux-imaging-and-printing/supported_devices/index
:


1.  The minimum version of HP's 'HPLIP' software that supports the
printer is HPLIP version 3.18.4.

2.  Fortunately, no proprietary binary-only 'plug-in' is also required
for this series of printers to provide required HP 'secret-sauce'
functionality concealed from the open-source community.  Thus if your
distro packages HPLIP version 3.18.4, then you needn't go outside your
distro package regime at all (and that is A Good Thing).  If your
distro's available version of HPLIP is earlier than 3.18.4, and no
packaged upgrade is available to furnish 3.18.4 or above, then and
_only_ then would you be forced to download newer, unpackaged HPLIP from
HP's download site.  (But at least you wouldn't also need to download a
binary-secret-sauce plug-in, as well.)

3.  The supported connectivity provided by HPLIP 3.18.4 is via USB
(i.e., not over WiFi) -- which is in accordance with my suspicions.


Anyhow, looking ahead, after you figure out what printer model you
actually have, next matter logically is:  Does your system have the
Ubuntu packaging of HPLIP installed?  If not, do that.  If so, what
version is it?

Something like this would make certain all the packages are there:

sudo apt-get hplip hplip-data hplip-doc hplip-gui hpijs-ppds \
libsane-hpaio printer-driver-hpcups printer-driver-hpijs

That'll make sure you have all the relevant packages for _both_ printing
and scanning installed (because the next thing you'll want to do with
your MFP thingie is scanning, right?).

You said Ubuntu, so, by the way, what Ubuntu release?

xenial (16.04LTS) furnishes HPLIP version 3.16.3+repack0-1 (not new enough)
bionic (18.04LTS) furnishes HPLIP version 3.17.10+repack0-5 (not new enough)
eoan (19.10) furnishes HPLIP version 3.19.6+dfsg0-1ubuntu1 (_new enough_)
focal (20.04LTS) furnishes HPLIP version 3.20.3+dfsg0-2 (_new enough_)
groovy (20.10 - beta) furnishes HPLIP version 3.20.5+dfsg0-3 (_new enough_)

So, basically if your Ubuntu is earlier than the 19.10 release, then 
you'll need a newer HPLIP than Ubuntu provides packaged for your distro
(but also, frankly, you're on an ancient distro and ought to upgrade).

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