Old printer not working with Windows 11? Try this
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If you’re still clinging to a printer you should have ditched a decade ago, the OpenPrinting project may have some good news.
Users can now use printers not supported by modern versions of Windows through the Linux emulator Windows Subsystem for Linux in conjunction with the project’s Open Printing software.
In keeping with its hardcore fanbase, Linux supports a wide variety of legacy hardware whose Windows support has long been discontinued, for example the Linux-based open-source printing system CUPS that Apple left in 2020.
How can I use this?
In a presentation originally reported by The register (opens in new tab)Till Kamppeter, a decades-long Linux developer, a current manager of OpenPrinting and a Canonical contractor, explained how the process works.
First you need to check if you have installed Windows 11 and the current WSL version.
You will also need to check whether your printer really does not work under Windows.
You can do this by going to “Settings” > “Bluetooth & Devices” > “Printers & Scanners”. If it works, you don’t need to continue.
Once done, install the Ubuntu application from the Windows Store, followed by installing the USB bridge if necessary, then install “avahi-daemon” and the printer application in Ubuntu under WSL.
If you’re still unsure about how the process works, you can go here for more clarity from OpenPrinting’s user manual (opens in new tab).
The past few years have been kind to fans of Linux emulation.
The performance of Ubuntu Linux, one of the most popular Linus distros, running with the Windows subsystem for Linux 2 under the upcoming Windows 11, matched well with the performance of the distro running on bare metal, according to a new report. benchmark project (opens in new tab) pulled together by technical website Phoronix.
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