Re: hplip and use of the "driver plugin"

From	Jape Person <japers@comcast.net>
Newsgroups	linux.debian.user
Subject	Re: hplip and use of the "driver plugin"
Date	2016-12-03 01:30 +0100
Message-ID	<sK6ng-2sb-9@gated-at.bofh.it> (permalink)
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On 12/02/2016 06:25 PM, rhkramer@gmail.com wrote:
> On Saturday, December 03, 2016 12:19:09 AM Doug wrote:
>> On 11/30/2016 09:57 AM, doark@mail.com wrote:
>>> Beware of HP inkjets, HP recently had to change the code so that people
>>> could install ink cartridges that were not HP's and no, refilling the old
>>> ones did not work. So everyone had to have a firmware update.
>
> I heard something different lately, that HP changed the drivers (at least
> some), to, iirc, prevent people from using ink cartridges from other
> manufacturers and to prevent people from refilling and reusing their old ink
> cartridges.
>
> Understanding this, I've made a note to myself to carefully avoid accidentally
> updating the drivers in my HP 4 in 1 printer.  (I haven't yet emptied any
> cartridges, so I don't yet have first hand experience with trying to refill and
> reuse any...)
>
> Did I misunderstand?
>
>
I don't think you misunderstood.

https://www.wired.com/2016/09/hp-printer-drm/

http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2016/09/hps-drm-sabotages-off-brand-printer-ink-cartridges-with-self-destruct-date/

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/sep/20/hp-inkjet-printers-unofficial-cartridges-software-update

http://fossforce.com/2016/09/hp-retrofits-ink-cartridge-drm-printers/

https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20160920/07021035568/hp-launched-delayed-drm-time-bomb-to-disable-competing-printer-cartridges.shtml

This stuff in addition to the driver plugin decision makes me think that 
policy wrt HP's attitude toward users of their products has changed over 
recent years.

I'm hardly an expert, but the "DRM" retrofit strikes me as a pretty 
dirty trick. And what I, at least, perceive as the slightly sneaky 
introduction of the binary blob driver plugins while maintaining the 
guise of fully open-sourced driver software could be more of the same.

In one of my more paranoid moments while considering these factors I 
actually wondered if the driver plugins could also provide HP a means of 
preventing the use of alternative inks / toner / etc. That would be kind 
of nasty, wouldn't it? When I mentioned the idea to my right-wing-nut 
conspiracy theorist friend he suggested that the driver plugins might 
provide one of them there back doors" that the gov'ment is always 
puttin' in our computers. I have to admit I'm a bit bothered by the need 
to stick libraries and firmware for which we have no source code on the 
system drive. I might not be able to figure out a nasty hidden ploy in 
the source, but the fact that no one in the Open Source community has 
access to do so gives me pause.

Yet, its certainly true that HP has provided a wider range of drivers 
for its printers and scanners than practically any other common 
provider. I'm just annoyed by what appears to me to be a slightly 
"proprietary" (in the commercial and the more alarming social sense) 
trend. Hey, HP, I bought the printer. It's mine now. Hai capito?

Eh, different strokes for different folks. But HP won't be getting more 
business from me unless I see a change in the apparent policies like the 
ones that resulted in the aforementioned behaviors.

I'm more than a little tired of corporate behavior that smacks of the 
consumer being owned by corporations.

Regards,
JP

Thread

hplip and use of the "driver plugin" doark@mail.com - 2016-12-03 00:00 +0100
  Re: hplip and use of the "driver plugin" Doug <dmcgarrett@optonline.net> - 2016-12-03 00:20 +0100
    Re: hplip and use of the "driver plugin" rhkramer@gmail.com - 2016-12-03 00:30 +0100
      Re: hplip and use of the "driver plugin" Jape Person <japers@comcast.net> - 2016-12-03 01:30 +0100
        Re: hplip and use of the "driver plugin" Marc Shapiro <marcnshap@gmail.com> - 2016-12-03 08:30 +0100
  Re: hplip and use of the "driver plugin" Jape Person <japers@comcast.net> - 2016-12-03 00:40 +0100
    Re: hplip and use of the "driver plugin" Brian <ad44@cityscape.co.uk> - 2016-12-03 12:20 +0100
    Re: hplip and use of the "driver plugin" Brian <ad44@cityscape.co.uk> - 2016-12-03 20:10 +0100
  Re: hplip and use of the "driver plugin" Doug <dmcgarrett@optonline.net> - 2016-12-07 22:50 +0100

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