How I've set up Samsung ML-1210 on Debian

This article is written to describe the steps I've used to configure the Samsung ML-1210 printer in my Debian box.

1. Installation

Yes, you need to install something to be able to print a page! ;)

On my machine was installed a Debian Sarge (exactly Official Snapshot 20041121), fast upgraded to Sid. To install all you need write this command (as root)

# apt-get install cupsys cupsys-client cupsys-bsd gs-esp printconf

and will install, except the libraries and other support tool, "foomatic": this is the package containing the gdi drivers, needed to let ML-1210 works.

Almost automagically, you can see this sort of messages into the consolle:

Printer on usb:/dev/usb/lp0 was detected by Debian using the ad-hoc method.
Please submit the following information to foomatic-db@packages.debian.org:
<autodetect>
<usb>
      <commandset>GDI</commandset>
      <manufacturer>Samsung</manufacturer>
      <model>ML-1210</model>
</usb>
</autodetect>

Configuring Samsung ML-1210 on usb:/dev/usb/lp0 with gdi driver as queue
"ml1210".

Yes, I could not believe my eyes: the printer was correctly detected and configured.

2. Configuration

Ok, it was detected, but the configuration it's not the best we can get: let's do better!

First of all, connect to http://localhost:631 : that's the management consolle of cups. After inserting root/<pwd> go into "Printer" section and click onto "Print Test Page". If the printer is turned on, a page should be printed.

The result is not good, and if you print any other pages, you'll see that they are all out of page, misaligned, and things like these.

This webpage let us know that ML-1210 is a printer that "works Perfectly" under Linux. It suggests to download a gdi driver for this printer. I've done it but it will come out that it's not needed: you have already got all you need.

In LinuxPrinting.org CUPS Quick Start, and in particularly in the section 6, you'll find a way to configure the page margins. Follow those steps and execute the script: once done and the test page has been printed, try set all parameters to 0 (yes, every parameter to 0).

Now print again some pages: I obtain a good result!

For me this workaround worked great, I hope that even for you.

Sandro Tosi (email), 23 May 2005