Linux Printing and Internet help in Ubuntu

So I got screwed by the entire "Windows Activation Story". So I have now installed Ubuntu 6.06 on the family PC. Now, I need to make it perform all the things it did before: connect to the Internet and print. So far, none of these two functions have been completed successfully.

I have installed my HP OfficeJet G85 on the system, but it won't print. The error given under the printer's properties is: "Printing: open print channel failed; will retry in 30 seconds..."

Then, Ubuntu won't recognise my modem. Both are internal. I don't know whether it is drivers or what.

I am completely new to Linux and so I really need to learn. I am fed up with Windows and their crap.


Windows Activation Story - by Sputnik

Once upon a time, Sputnik bought a legitimate OEM Windows XP Professional CD. He happily installed Windows XP Pro and activated it. All was well, until he added and removed various hardware. Now he cannot activate Windows and he couldn't give a crap about Windows anymore. The End.


Sputnik

 

CUPS is great for printing, and so is HP...

And you are lucky, the HPIJS package seems to offer support (openprinting.org)

What type/model is it?

Tried calling MS? They usually don't make a problem of an activation.

 

good job picking ubuntu! i'm just getting into it too. (used nothing but for months now)

You'll find you can do anything in linux that you can in windows. it just takes a little(lot) of searching. but it's very satisfying after you get it working. lol.

as far as your printers, i've never printed anything with my computer because my printer is connected to another comp upstairs and we're too lazy to network it.

and as far as your modems, like Glider said, what kind are they?

 

Seen as the issue of connecting to the internet's been mentioned, has anybody had any issues, when in Firefox, you can look at 3 pages, and then it just stops the whole system?

I used to, but then I went back to Windows, as I knew what I was doing there...

Joe

 

No problem with firefox at all... Runs very smooth, only the memory bug still isn't plugged...

 

Well, I've temporarily backed up my files to my housemate's pc, so I'm gonna burn them to DVD before I actually go installing ubuntu 6.10.... but with any luck tonight I'll have a nice working Ubuntu laptop. Failing that I can always get one of my Windows install cd's and put XP back on my lappy. (Boo hiss)

Joe

 

Putting Windows on is never an option... Linux is a choice... And with that choice comes consequences... What I'm trying to say is, Linux might be hard to start with, but once you get used to it you'll never want to come back again... Trust me...

 

same could be said from going from linux to windows

 

i love my linux but there are some things it just cant quite satisfy. thats why i like a taste of windows on the side.