Slow Printing on Linux?

sciguy125 asks: "I switched to Linux a few months ago and the biggest problem that I've had is with my printer. I've got a Canon S520 and Red Hat 9. It prints painfully slow. If I want to print word documents that are more than 5 pages, it's faster to reboot into Windows and print from there. I've scoured the Internet and found that many people are having this problem, but nobody has a satisfactory solution. The most common suggestion is to get a faster computer, thinking that GhostScript is running slow. I'm fairly sure that isn't my problem because the processor is only at about half load when printing. I'm not exactly sure how wide spread this problem is, but I do know that there is at least a decent sized handful of people struggling with it. At first, I was considering dropping Linux because this printing problem is a serious issue with me, but now I just leave a good chunk of my printing until after 2am." Has anyone run into the problem before? What could make a print job spool at unusually slow rates to the printer?

Comments

POSTSCRIPT

[MBCook]

A quick scan of comments didn't see this, so I'll put it out there. Everyone, BUY POSTSCRIPT PRINTERS. I've had problems like the one described, but never with my PostScript LaserJet printer. Yeah, it cost more, but it's worth it.

With a PS printer, there is no complex setup involving filters and GhostScript and other stuff. You just send the PS documents straight to the printer. They print as fast as the computer can send the data, because the printer does all the rendering. It doesn't matter if you have a 386 or a P4 3.6, printing is at top speed.

Better yet, upgrade the printer with a print server and things get even easier. It looks just like a little computer on the LAN, it accepts jobs from others perfectly because it's running LPD (or something else). All your computers print!

I have fussed and fussed with printers over the years. It wasn't untill my brother got a Mac and we had to get a PostScript cartridge for my printer that I realized the wonders of PS. All my computers were printing faster because they weren't doing the rendering any more. And you should see how fast PDF files print in Windows because they are just passed on to the printer (since they are basically PS).

People complain about WinModems, where the CPU is forced to do all the labor. Why don't people complain about those $50 printers? They have no brains, it's up to your computer to do all the thinking, either with GhostScript or the driver in Windows. Get a REAL printer. Get a SMART printer. Get a PS printer and save yourself all the headaches.

Sorry if this sounds like an ad, I'm just a college student. But setting up my PS printer under Linux was a walk in the park. I've never gotten another printer set up well (with the exception of an old dot matrix, which didn't do graphics or anythign) because they are a pain. A printer with a brain (PS) is what we need.

PS: If there was another standard that worked like PS, I'd be fine with that. PCL is nice, but Linux prints using PS so with a PCL printer you still have to run GhostScript.