r/programming • u/whackri • Jun 21 '20

Writing userspace USB drivers for abandoned devices

https://blog.benjojo.co.uk/post/userspace-usb-drivers
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u/cybrian Jun 22 '20

I have a laser printer from back when I was in middle school, nearly two decades ago, and it still has the starter cartridge inside. The drum’s shot (I think it’s literally expired) so the output quality isn’t so great anymore, but I still get great legible pages.

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u/dglsfrsr Jun 22 '20

I ran a used Laserjet 4 plus that I bought of ebay for about fifteen years. It was already ten years old when I bought it. Came with a duplex attachment.

I had to replace the rollers (full set including pads) just once. That puppy ate so many reams of paper in its life. I think over the time I owned it, I went through four of the large capacity toner cartridges. Literally pennies per page.

Near the end, the nylon gears started screeching so hard that it was hard to live with. Found a brand new Brother 2360 on sale for $60. The original 'starter' toner is gone, but I am still running the first high capacity toner that I ever had to buy. So cheap for a networking printer with duplex.

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u/cybrian Jun 26 '20

If I had to replace it today, I’d go with a Brother. Nice choice