Hey all,

I grabbed a (USB) DeskJet 950C and it showed up in good shape. The printer checks out good and printed a test page just fine. I see the device is quite alive when I run "usbdevlister". I have followed the guides on getting the printer configured. I do see a warning when I add the PPD file:

This printer description requires CUPS filter: hpcups.
Are you sure you have installed it?

I picked "No, Let's try without CUPS filter".

(I extracted this 950C.PPD from a HPLIP.tar.gz for Ubuntu.)

I have the USBPAR: set as the output path, printer set to default, and I also mounted USBPAR: in the user-startup. USBPAR is in the DosDrivers Drawer.

After a reboot, does any one have any tips on why MultiView "Could not find printer" ?

Thanks much in advance,

-E

Try it with Turbo Print in "Printer" settings not "Printers". There are some HP Deskjet drivers which should probably work.

Trekman,

Things seem to be working well now. Thanks for the tip.

I did accidentally have the "Printer" prefs driver .HPInkJet set as default when this all started working. I've since defaulted to the HP950C driver from the list there and nothing seems to have broken. The 950Cnew driver had an error "could not find printer" so I reverted without further investigation.

I used usbparallel.device in the "Printer" prefs as the Device. MultiView printed right away. VPDF needed me to deselect "PostScript" in the driver area. Although it appears that nothing is selected to print to, that printed to the default printer perfectly.

Thanks,

-E

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Good luck, there's no viable printing option.

Unless you can find a printer from the 2000s. That's unfortunate for a 25-year-old operating system.

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Isn't a 25-year old OS pretty much much spot on if it supports printers from the 2000s, just saying ...

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It sure is! Getting these old Mac's and periph's to do something relevant (again) is quite a good feeling isn't it?



[ Edited by EVX 01.04.2026 - 15:43 ]

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Linux is over 25 years old, and yet you can use modern printers.

The problem is finding 25-year-old printers... and their consumables.
It seems like nobody takes this problem seriously. But it's still sad to be dependent on another computer just to print something simple...

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There are modern printers that do work just fine on MorphOS, on both Printer (TurboPrint) and Printers (CUPS-logic/PPD) systems. You'll just have to check the printer specs before buying it (if it supports PostScript, PCL5, ESC/P-R, SPL2/SPLc, BR-Script, or so for Printers. Printer only works with PCL, up to v5 at least, not sure about later). I bought a new printer in 2024 from a local shop and it works perfectly fine on MorphOS with both printing systems (supports PostScript3 and PCL5) and MorphOS also support special features of it (like 2-side flipping etc.). The same model is still on manufacturer's current product range.


[ Edited by jPV 02.04.2026 - 12:09 ]

> There are modern printers that do work just fine on MorphOS

Absolutely, and one significant reason for the widespread but false impression to the contrary in this regard may be the official list of supported printers that only takes into account ancient printers supported by TurboPrint, and thus lacks newer printers supported by TurboPrint as well as -- more importantly -- modern(ish) printers supported by the new (well, 8 years old by now) printing system.
In my opinion, the MorphOS Team would be well advised to replace that obsolete and misleading list by a list of the supported printer languages.

> if it supports PostScript, PCL5, ESC/P-R, SPL2/SPLc, BR-Script, or so

To my understanding, BR-Script is the name of Brother's PostScript implementation. Brother's proprietary language (MorphOS driver (#5)) goes by unknown name.

Very good info guys! This helps clear up my printer confusion.

It is misleading to me (as a rookie MOS guy) to have Printer, Printers and NetPrinter available as config options in Preferences. I've read some documentation and tutorials but need to understand why they coexist and how they may or may not work together.

I would much love to use a network printer with my G5 and PowerBook. I fought with a ~2019 DeskJet 2600 for a few nights so I moved to the USB vintage HP950C that I was lucky enough to find.

I'll keep an eye on this!

-E-

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I'm having the same problem with a Canon MB5150 on a network...
If anyone has a solution or a tutorial, I'd be very grateful.

> I fought with a ~2019 DeskJet 2600 for a few nights

Quick search shows PCL3GUI as the sole language supported by this printer model, which unfortunately is a no-go on MorphOS.

https://morph.zone/modules/newbb_plus/viewtopic.php?topic_id=13458&forum=53&start=6 (comment #7)

> I'm having the same problem with a Canon MB5150 on a network...

Which language(s) does this printer speak? If none of those mentioned in comments #8/9, chances are very slim.

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Yeah, it is confusing. Printer is old legacy printing system back from Amiga times (commercial TurboPrint software), and old programs (especially 68k ones) use it through printer.device. It basically requires own custom driver for each printer, which would mean huge amount of work for constant support for new printers because manufacturers don't of course support our systems by providing compatible drivers themselves. It's impossible to keep up with new printers in this oldskool way so it's basically abandoned to what TurboPrint authors provided, but luckily many printers are HP LaserJet compatible and work with its drivers still.

Printers is a whole new system added more lately. It generates its drivers from generic PPD files, which are easily available from printer manufacturers. It this way the printing system doesn't have to keep up with printers itself, but can utilize what manufacturers provide. Only thing to worry is if MorphOS can talk the same "language" (page description language) with a printer. There isn't a single standard for it but many manufacturers have created their own languages, of course, who would need standards. New MorphOS programs will be written to use this system.

There isn't a wrapper from the old system to new (at least yet), so you'll have to think a bit if you want support from both systems for your printer, or is the new system enough.

NetPrinter can be used with both systems if you want to print to a network connected printer instead of a locally connected.

I've made a YouTube video about configuring a new network printer with both printing systems. Enable subtitles/captions for more explanation during the video.

And check the MorphOS Library page about the new printing system.

Okay, but my Canon requires the installation of rastertocanonij when I select the PPD file. How can I install that?

>>> I'm having the same problem with a Canon MB5150 on a network...

>> Which language(s) does this printer speak? If none of those
>> mentioned in comments #8/9, chances are very slim.

> my Canon requires the installation of rastertocanonij
> when I select the PPD file. How can I install that?

You can't because it has not been ported to MorphOS (yet).
The PPD file is all you need for PostScript-capable printers. For PostScript-incapable printers like yours, in addition to the PPD file a so-called 'CUPS filter' is required (rastertocanonij in your case) that translates between PostScript language and the native/proprietary language of the printer. Comments #8/9 mention the languages CUPS filters currently exist for on MorphOS.

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This printer is a GDI printer which means it doesn't speak a required language which would work with MorphOS unfortunately. It is unlikely one gets it to run with MorphOS.


see here : https://www.druckerchannel.de/techinfo.php?m%5B%5D=4554



[ Editiert durch Trekman 01.04.2026 - 14:53 ]

Having the source code for rastertocanonij, wouldn't it be possible to do something? I think this file is universal for all "canon" versions.