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Rescuing old printers with an in-browser Linux VM bridged to WebUSB over USB/IP

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Re: Rescuing old printers with an in-browser Linux VM bridged to WebUSB over USB/IP

#91

Post by ValdikSS »

sublinear wrote: post #70
ValdikSS wrote: post #68

>Perhaps I could set them up a Raspberry Pi as a print server? But that would make it not so cheap. And anyway, I’m not convinced they’d go for the extra plugs and wires. $35 and it's yours, with tech support and CUPS/SANE development funding included, and all open source: https://printserver.ink Extra plugs could be eliminated with the help of "IEC320 3 pin C14 TO Male C13+2" cable: https://ae-pic-a1.aliexpress-medi…

> 1 GiB LPDDR4 Wouldn't this be a huge problem trying to print anything with images or more than a page or two (most PDFs for example)?

Huh? I don't have any PDF files larger than 150 MB (2500+ pages long).

It won't be a problem. 512 MB is more than enough. The previous revision had 256 MB (that's a bit tight), and the newer PCB does not have RAM less than 1 GB.

Printing stack supports streaming, either per-band (part of a single page) or per-page. Even 1200 DPI CMYK color page is less than 50 MB.

Re: Rescuing old printers with an in-browser Linux VM bridged to WebUSB over USB/IP

#92

Post by ComSubVie »

I do have an ancient Dr. Stika cutter plotter which works on an old WinXP with parallel port. I did try a few times to get it to work in a VM with an USB-Parallel adapter but haven't been successful so far.

"Fixed" it by replacing it with a new CriCut. But unfortunately there doesn't seem to be any open driver or software for CriCut - so I'm afraid I'll run into the same problem in a few years again :-/

Re: Rescuing old printers with an in-browser Linux VM bridged to WebUSB over USB/IP

#93

Post by ValdikSS »

mikepurvis wrote: post #78
ValdikSS wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>but it's one of those projects that feels like it's going to end up being a rabbit hole. I know your feelings. I've started https://printserver.ink because I wanted to buy a retail print server and could not find any. I was expecting half a year overall work for everything, but fixing all printer-related bugs for 3 years already.

Ah nice. If I supply my own raspi zero 2W, can I buy just a software license from you? Doing the software integration is the part I'm least looking forward to. :(

Unfortunately the firmware supports only Orange Pi Zero3. It's a hardware+software solution, because to make reliable print server, you have to control both and fix SoC/board specific bugs.

For example, USB 1.1 OHCI has too high latency to work with my old printer, and needs a kernel patch: https://lore.kernel.org/linux-usb/3fe845b9-1328-4b40-8b02-61...

Greg does not accept my patch and does not reply to me, presumably because I'm Russian and he doesn't want legal consequences.

Raspberry Pi unfortunately have quite list of USB hub bugs and Wi-Fi module bugs (according to their GitHub and reports all over the Internet), and I'm not familiar with it and don't know how to fix. That's why I don't make generic firmware or container images, and stick only to my board which I know from start to end.

Re: Rescuing old printers with an in-browser Linux VM bridged to WebUSB over USB/IP

#94

Post by RajT88 »

What I'd really like to know is how to rescue an old printer by making its rubber rollers sticky enough not to jam.

I have an old tank of a Brother laser printer whose only issue is feeding paper. 0 fuckery with DRM or spyware or subscriptions.

Re: Rescuing old printers with an in-browser Linux VM bridged to WebUSB over USB/IP

#95

Post by bcjdjsndon »

leptons wrote: post #73
Gigachad wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not about if the camera is a USB device or not, it's about what the capabilities being exposed is. Web browsers aren't just handing over the webcam as an arbitrary USB device, they are presenting a media stream from them. Which means they can't for example send arbitrary commands, flash firmware, or do any of the infinite things a USB device might present.

I don't care? I'm not giving any old website access to all of my USB devices. I'd expect to give a website I trust access to a specific USB device . I'm not sure why you think this has to be a willy-nilly free-access-to-everything feature. Yes, I want to give access to site XYZ to a product purchased from site XYZ to do amazing things over WebUSB. If that isn't the current spec, then change the spec so it's good. But…

Sounds like it's time for you to learn a proper programming language, little boy.

Re: Rescuing old printers with an in-browser Linux VM bridged to WebUSB over USB/IP

#96

Post by tosti »

amaccuish wrote: post #84
simoncion wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I just don’t think I fully understand what you’re suggesting. Sure, sure. Like I said, given your commercial (and closed-source) aspirations, I'm happy to consult on your project as a paid contractor. Doing work for free on a closed-source for-profit project is neither interesting nor in my interest.

I dont understand what you're suggesting either given the whole point was to avoid having separate hw). And if you're not going to spell it out due to your morals, don't comment.

You could bridge the ipp server of cups over webrtc to a native listener that talks to the usb port. Webrtc to localhost might raise some red flags, but could be a neat alternative to the chrome requirement. Use at the very least some hmac key pairing to ensure others can't easily piggyback on the listener. I just saved you a few bucks.

Re: Rescuing old printers with an in-browser Linux VM bridged to WebUSB over USB/IP

#97

Post by simoncion »

amaccuish wrote: post #84
simoncion wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I just don’t think I fully understand what you’re suggesting. Sure, sure. Like I said, given your commercial (and closed-source) aspirations, I'm happy to consult on your project as a paid contractor. Doing work for free on a closed-source for-profit project is neither interesting nor in my interest.

I dont understand what you're suggesting either given the whole point was to avoid having separate hw). And if you're not going to spell it out due to your morals, don't comment.

> And if you're not going to spell it out due to your morals...

Nah, this isn't a moral issue.

I'm willing to do free labor for an open-source project (whether or not it's a commercial project), as that labor benefits everyone. I'm unwilling to do free labor on a closed-source project, as that labor only benefits the entity that owns the code. This goes double for a commercial closed-source project, because in that case I don't see a cent of the money that the code owner gets from my labor. [0]

If you think that wanting to get a piece of the fruits of one's labor is a moral issue, you have a very strange relationship with work.

[0] "Exposure" also doesn't pay the bills.

Re: Rescuing old printers with an in-browser Linux VM bridged to WebUSB over USB/IP

#98

Post by Rohansi »

Gigachad wrote: post #82
leptons wrote: post #72

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>The user gets spammed with a million permissions popups a day and has no idea what they are actually accepting or what the risks are. "A million" is quite the hyperbole. So let's just not do anything anymore because it might cause a permission popup? Or because some idiot might trust a scam website? That's your argument? Sorry, it's not a good argument. >while the webusb spec is exposing you to potentially high risk…

That’s the source of the issue. Apple sells products that are safe for someone’s stupid grandfather. WebUSB is not safe for people who don’t understand the implications. Which is most people. The rest can choose a different browser.

> WebUSB is not safe for people who don’t understand the implications. Which is most people.

Why? What is the worst that could happen? The user needs to choose which device(s) to allow access to and browsers do not allow access to all of them.

Re: Rescuing old printers with an in-browser Linux VM bridged to WebUSB over USB/IP

#99

Post by leptons »

Gigachad wrote: post #89
leptons wrote: post #87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Apple sells products that are safe for someone’s stupid grandfather. Then then they should be selling it in "grandfather mode". The rest of the non-stupid people that have iPhones (there are non-stupid people with iPhones, aren't there?) should be able to do what they want with their devices. But they can't because Apple puts profit over progress. >The rest can choose a different browser. Except on iOS you can't cho…

On iOS you can’t use usb anyway. Even an actual app can’t use usb outside of the wrapper APIs for file access and stuff. So it doesn’t really matter what safari supports here. And on macOS you can use any browser you want.

I don't care about WebUSB on iOS, but I do care about Apple blocking WebBluetooth on iOS, as well as blocking every other browser engine.

Re: Rescuing old printers with an in-browser Linux VM bridged to WebUSB over USB/IP

#100

Post by leptons »

bcjdjsndon wrote: post #95
leptons wrote: post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't care? I'm not giving any old website access to all of my USB devices. I'd expect to give a website I trust access to a specific USB device . I'm not sure why you think this has to be a willy-nilly free-access-to-everything feature. Yes, I want to give access to site XYZ to a product purchased from site XYZ to do amazing things over WebUSB. If that isn't the current spec, then change the spec so it's good. But…

Sounds like it's time for you to learn a proper programming language, little boy.

You're a shitty troll. Not engaging with your level of shithead.
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