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Claude writing a macOS driver for my obscure HP printer built only for Windows

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Re: Claude writing a macOS driver for my obscure HP printer built only for Windows

#181

Unfortunately this is a very misleading article and headline. I don't doubt the end result - it's useful that it works, but it's not "natively" and, unlike what some people assume, Claude didn't write a driver. It basically used HP's existing proprietary driver in a Linux VM on macOS, and just bridged that to macOS. It also requires a root launcher that runs code from the user ~/.hp1008 dir, so security is weakened.

It runs natively... did you even read the post at all?

Re: Claude writing a macOS driver for my obscure HP printer built only for Windows

#182

Unfortunately this is a very misleading article and headline. I don't doubt the end result - it's useful that it works, but it's not "natively" and, unlike what some people assume, Claude didn't write a driver. It basically used HP's existing proprietary driver in a Linux VM on macOS, and just bridged that to macOS. It also requires a root launcher that runs code from the user ~/.hp1008 dir, so security is weakened.

This comment should be pinned, and the fact that a misleading post continues to be on the first page blows my mind.

Yeah except you and every other commenter failed to even read the post. It's native.

Re: Claude writing a macOS driver for my obscure HP printer built only for Windows

#183
post #144

Unfortunately this is a very misleading article and headline. I don't doubt the end result - it's useful that it works, but it's not "natively" and, unlike what some people assume, Claude didn't write a driver. It basically used HP's existing proprietary driver in a Linux VM on macOS, and just bridged that to macOS. It also requires a root launcher that runs code from the user ~/.hp1008 dir, so security is weakened.

He could have done this with 10-15 minutes of googling instead of spending 4 hours prompting a LLM.

yes, see guys this genius would have done it in 15 minutes, applaud him!

Re: Claude writing a macOS driver for my obscure HP printer built only for Windows

#184

Unfortunately this is a very misleading article and headline. I don't doubt the end result - it's useful that it works, but it's not "natively" and, unlike what some people assume, Claude didn't write a driver. It basically used HP's existing proprietary driver in a Linux VM on macOS, and just bridged that to macOS. It also requires a root launcher that runs code from the user ~/.hp1008 dir, so security is weakened.

UPDATE: Noted, shifted to a 100% native MacOS version now :D https://github.com/Kuberwastaken/hp-laser-1008a-macos Previous context I shared on X: "Also some clarification on the "he's just using the linux driver in the VM" - not quite This is one of the weirdest batch of printers HP made because it's a rebranded Samsung - it "comes" under HP's unified drivers system but specifically has Samsung's printer language so…

You didn't have what you needed; you asked an AI to help make what you needed.

Problem solved. New problem created.

New problem?

Justifying the use of AI to do something these people act like would magically get done if you were just slightly more patient. Or, if you put in 60+ hrs of time.

Re: Claude writing a macOS driver for my obscure HP printer built only for Windows

#186

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Redditors actually believe this

Also, they seem to care about wasting electricity but doesn’t bat an eye of discarding a perfectly fine printer.

I'm not GP but I assume the point they were making was that throwing away the old printer a buying a new one would consume less world resources than using Claude to build this driver.

Re: Claude writing a macOS driver for my obscure HP printer built only for Windows

#187
post #165

Unfortunately this is a very misleading article and headline. I don't doubt the end result - it's useful that it works, but it's not "natively" and, unlike what some people assume, Claude didn't write a driver. It basically used HP's existing proprietary driver in a Linux VM on macOS, and just bridged that to macOS. It also requires a root launcher that runs code from the user ~/.hp1008 dir, so security is weakened.

I do not want to call anyone names but the level of pedantry and gatekeeping in this comment and the replies is outstanding. I can hear Chuck McGill screaming "You're not a real driver!".

requiring a full blown VM (with a different OS) to implement a driver (normally that would work in ring-0 along with the original OS) is not pedantry.

for instance the 'windows' part is also entirely nonsensical as the printer works on a default mint installation w/o any issues. The "obscure" part is weird as you can just buy the printer online as well.

Re: Claude writing a macOS driver for my obscure HP printer built only for Windows

#189
post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Had a similar thought today - maybe we could finally get Linux drivers for more HW...

Well good news... er... the opposite actually.... >Additional Old Linux Drivers Face Removal Due To Noise From AI/LLM Coding Agents https://www.phoronix.com/news/Linux-Retiring-Moxa-Driver

They're being removed due to a lack of maintenance. If anyone cared about that hardware and fixed the bugs, surely they would be kept.

Re: Claude writing a macOS driver for my obscure HP printer built only for Windows

#190
post #79

I was able to (through heavy Claude use) successfully reverse engineer a golf cart motor controller that is programmable over USB, but only was supported by a Windows application. Claude walked me through using ILSpy on the .NET assembly, using Wireshark to capture the protocol over USB, and to completely map out all of the functionality in the Windows application. The output was a portable C library and CLI program…

Had a similar thought today - maybe we could finally get Linux drivers for more HW...

Maybe wiimotes will finally work on the Apple silicon bluetooth stack as they already do on Windows and Linus.
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