BRO MFC-490CW Drivers Issue Again

[Leonard Chatagnier]

--- On Wed, 12/3/08, Derek Broughton <news at pointerstop.ca> wrote:

> From: Derek Broughton <news at pointerstop.ca>
> Subject: Re: BRO MFC-490CW Drivers Issue Again
> To: ubuntu-users at lists.ubuntu.com
> Date: Wednesday, December 3, 2008, 8:40 AM
> Rashkae wrote:
> 
> > Leonard Chatagnier wrote:
> >> Just finished a fresh Intrepid install and find
> that there are no
> >> printer drivers for the above printer. Intrepid
> recognises my printer
> >> as a raw printer but can't print from OO.o nor
> a test page. CUPS
> >> doesn't have a driver for my model yet. Since
> the list convinced me
> >> of the dangers of using the --force-* dpkg option,
> I wondering if
> >> there is any alternative to the procedures listed
> on the Brother
> >> site. If not, I don't see any choice to using
> the --force option. 
> >> Anyone know if the deb driver is proceeding
> downstream for inclusion
> >> in Intrepid or even if Brother plans to do so. Any
> info welcomed.
> > 
> > Did the list really scare you from that?  I mean, I
> think most of us
> > agree (or, at least, will publicly say we agree) that
> it's poor
> > packaging practice, but in the case of the brother
> drivers, I know of
> > no reason you should avoid them per say.
> 
> And my argument with Leonard was all over the idea that
> Brother's 
> support could be considered that great, when they recommend
> hazardous 
> install practices.  People who actually _have_ the Brother
> printers seem 
> to think that there's no danger _in this particular
> case_ so go with it.  
> I just don't want to see vendors doing this as a matter
> of course, 
> because it makes users who know no better think that
> it's safe to use 
> the force options whenever they have a problem.
> 
As I commented to Mario this morning about this thread, my use of the word great with Brother support was solely based on their prompt reply to user requests, offering useful help and solutions to them. And trying to get the same help from Cannon, Epson and HP.  That point, comment, had nothing to do with use of the dangerous --force option which I wasn't evern aware of at the time the original thread started. If you had mentioned that in your above comment, I wouldn't evern have replied.
Also, I think it's fair to say that by now many people have used the dangerous --force-* option because for many models that's the only way their printer will work in Linux. I've seen related comments of the forum. I also regret that Brother hasn't supplied the necessary info to generate the required deb drivers, but that's the way it is so far. I will mention the issue again to Brother as NoOP has also done. The more who do so, the better chance Brother will do the right thing.
You might consider doing it also if you haven't. Again, You, Mario and most of the list know way more than I'll ever learn in my lifetime about Linux and I agree with you about the dangers of using the --force option.
As I mentioned in my post to Mario's comments, my point in this thread was to find out if there is any alternative to using the --force option to install 32 bit drivers in a 64 bit system. I'm talking about something like ndiswrapper or nspluginwrapper(If the spelling is not correct, I think you know what I mean) to use ipo the --force option. I'd certainly use it if there was an alternative.
BTW, I apologise for my remark about you coming down to Texas, etc. It was done in anger, yes, you did upset me greatly, but now we seem to have a more adult, friendly relationship and I'd like to keep it that way.  Hope you do too. 
Leonard Chatagnier
lenc5570 at sbcglobal.net