i386 Printers - Brother HL-1110

Sector11 · 2026-10-20 22:57:26

A 64 bit system but you need an i386 printer driver!
GRRRRR!

You're told you have to add i386 architecture to your system.
I hate searching for something and seeing things like:

name1
name1:i386
name2
name2:i386
name3
name3:i386
name4
name4:i386

BUT:

dpkg --add-architecture i386

because I needed my printer NOW.

I get a nervous thinking that someday I'm going to add a wrong program. But I lived with it for a long time then a couple of years ago I found I didn't need to add i386 architecture. And my printer ran for years, but I forgot the process.

So here we are, the important papers (.pdf) downloaded, used GIMP to fill in the blanks with a few 100 "merge layer"s and printed out.

I'm getting on in years, printing in block letters in tiny boxes isn't as easy as it use to be. Printing is easy, printing neatly insides the tiny boxes is the problem. Anyway done now to get rid of the :i363 architecture.

Today I found my Note, and I in did my thing:
1st remove the printer drivers
2nd

dpkg --remove-architecture i386

and then the fun stuff. Installing i386 printer drivers without adding i386 architecture:

   $ cd /media/10/Brother_HL1110/

   $ sudo su
[sudo] password for sector11: 
root@SoxDog:/media/10/Brother_HL1110# bash linux-brprinter-installer-2.2.6-0 HL1110
You are going to install following packages.
   hl1110lpr-3.0.1-1.i386.deb
   hl1110cupswrapper-3.0.1-1.i386.deb
   brscan4-0.4.11-1.amd64.deb
   brscan-skey-0.3.4-0.amd64.deb
OK? [y/N]-> y

and a bunch of text about a licence and agreements ... DUH I want the printer to work, YES I agree

Do you agree? [Y/n]->enter

an even bigger bunch of text to agree to - no of course I'm not going to agree, I just bought the printer to look at.

Do you agree? [Y/n]->enter

and the process starts ..... it flashes by - scroll back and I see:

dpkg -b ./brother_driver_packdir hl1110cupswrapper-3.0.1-1a.i386.deb
dpkg -i --force-all hl1110lpr-3.0.1-1a.i386.deb
dpkg: warning: overriding problem because --force enabled:
dpkg: warning: package architecture (i386) does not match system (amd64)
(Reading database ... 200975 files and directories currently installed.)

and at the end

hl1110lpr
Will you specify the Device URI? [Y/n] ->n

Test Print? [y/N] ->enter
You are going to install following packages.
   brscan4-0.4.11-1.amd64.deb

licence stuff

Do you agree? [Y/n] ->enter
You are going to install following packages.
   brscan-skey-0.3.4-0.amd64.deb

more licence stuff

Do you agree? [Y/n] ->enter
blah
blah
dpkg -i --force-all brscan-skey-0.3.4-0.amd64.deb
(Reading database ... 200979 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack brscan-skey-0.3.4-0.amd64.deb ...
Unpacking brscan-skey (0.3.4-0) over (0.3.4-0) ...
Setting up brscan-skey (0.3.4-0) ...
root@soxdog:/media/10/Brother_HL1110#

and we are done. I have printer

hhh · 2026-10-20 23:58:10

Nice. You didn't mention your sausage fingers, king of the typos.

Brother printer? Good choice.

kozimodo · Yesterday 00:21:42

Br-laser is a reverse engineered driver that supports the HL-1110. Many Linux flavors install it by default.

johnraff · Yesterday 00:51:05

I have a friend with a Brother printer, in the same situation. In the past I helped him add i386 architecture etc etc.
But @Sector11 you've shown that the i386 Brother driver can be installed on an amd64 system, if you --force it...
Something to remember.

@kozimodo thanks for that reminder too. I see that I already have printer-driver-brlaser installed:

Package: printer-driver-brlaser
Status: install ok installed
Priority: optional
Section: text
Installed-Size: 86
Maintainer: Debian Printing Team <debian-printing@lists.debian.org>
Architecture: amd64
Source: brlaser
Version: 6.2.7-1
Depends: libc6 (>= 2.34), libcups2t64 (>= 2.3~b6), libgcc-s1 (>= 3.0), libstdc++6 (>= 13.1)
Description: printer driver for (some) Brother laser printers
 CUPS filter driver supporting (some) Brother laser printer.
 .
 This driver has been reported to work with these printers:
 .
  * Brother DCP-1510
  * Brother DCP-1602
  * Brother DCP-7030
  * Brother DCP-7040
  * Brother DCP-7055
  * Brother DCP-7055W
  * Brother DCP-7060D
  * Brother DCP-7065DN
  * Brother DCP-7080
  * Brother DCP-L2500D
  * Brother DCP-L2540DW
  * Brother HL-1110 series
  * Brother HL-1200 series
  * Brother HL-L2300D series
  * Brother HL-L2320D series
  * Brother HL-L2340D series
  * Brother HL-L2360D series
  * Brother MFC-1910W
  * Brother MFC-7240
  * Brother MFC-7360N
  * Brother MFC-7365DN
  * Brother MFC-7840W
  * Brother MFC-L2710DW
  * Lenovo M7605D
 This package contains the CUPS filter driver for the supported laser printers.
Homepage: https://github.com/Owl-Maintain/brlaser

It seems to include the HL1110 series, but @Sector11 it didn't help you?

Sector11 · Yesterday 22:45:28

kozimodo wrote:

Br-laser is a reverse engineered driver that supports the HL-1110. Many Linux flavors install it by default.

Not in my Debian 13 repos:

 2026·10·21 @ 19:40:58 ~
   $ ser br-laser
                                         
 2026·10·21 @ 19:41:11 ~
   $ ser brother
p   brother-ql                        - Utility to interface with Brother QL label p
 
 2026·10·21 @ 19:42:27 ~
   $

OOPS!!!! Wait one:

 2026·10·21 @ 19:42:27 ~
   $ ser laser
p   laserboy                          - Laser show software for soundcard operation 
p   laserboy-indep                    - Laser show software for soundcard operation 
p   liblaser-geometry-dev             - Robot OS laser geometry package - developmen
p   liblaser-geometry0d               - Robot OS laser geometry package             
p   printer-driver-brlaser            - printer driver for (some) Brother laser prin
p   python3-laser-geometry            - Robot OS laser geometry package - Python 3 b
 
 2026·10·21 @ 19:43:25 ~
   $

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU
Time to check that beast out!

EDIT = = = = =

 2026·10·21 @ 19:43:25 ~
   $ sho printer-driver-brlaser
alias = aptitude show filename
Package: printer-driver-brlaser   
Version: 6.2.7-1
State: not installed
Priority: optional
Section: text
Maintainer: Debian Printing Team <debian-printing@lists.debian.org>
Architecture: amd64
Uncompressed Size: 88.1 k
Depends: libc6 (>= 2.34), libcups2t64 (>= 2.3~b6), libgcc-s1 (>= 3.0), libstdc++6
         (>= 13.1)
Description: printer driver for (some) Brother laser printers
 CUPS filter driver supporting (some) Brother laser printer. 
 
 This driver has been reported to work with these printers: 
 
 * Brother DCP-1510 
 * Brother DCP-1602 
 * Brother DCP-7030 
 * Brother DCP-7040 
 * Brother DCP-7055 
 * Brother DCP-7055W 
 * Brother DCP-7060D 
 * Brother DCP-7065DN 
 * Brother DCP-7080 
 * Brother DCP-L2500D 
 * Brother DCP-L2540DW 
 * Brother HL-1110 series 
 * Brother HL-1200 series 
 * Brother HL-L2300D series 
 * Brother HL-L2320D series 
 * Brother HL-L2340D series 
 * Brother HL-L2360D series 
 * Brother MFC-1910W 
 * Brother MFC-7240 
 * Brother MFC-7360N 
 * Brother MFC-7365DN 
 * Brother MFC-7840W 
 * Brother MFC-L2710DW 
 * Lenovo M7605D 
 This package contains the CUPS filter driver for the supported laser printers.
Homepage: https://github.com/Owl-Maintain/brlaser

Something is ringing a bell. I actyally have an HL-1112 not on list. Think I tried it once.

BUT: will uninstall what I have an give it a go.

Stay tuned for an update!

Sector11 · Yesterday 22:52:22

hhh wrote:

Nice. You didn't mention your sausage fingers, king of the typos.
Brother printer? Good choice.

TYPO? What typo? Not me

Sector11 · Yesterday 23:13:58

kozimodo wrote:

Br-laser is a reverse engineered driver that supports the HL-1110. Many Linux flavors install it by default.

Yeah, that didn't work for my HL-1112

 2026·10·21 @ 19:55:49 ~
   $ aremv hl1110cupswrapper hl1110lpr
[sudo] password for sector11: 
REMOVING:                       
  hl1110cupswrapper:i386*  hl1110lpr:i386*

Summary:
  Upgrading: 0, Installing: 0, Removing: 2, Not Upgrading: 1
  Freed space: 340 kB

Continue? [Y/n] 
(Reading database ... 200979 files and directories currently installed.)
Removing hl1110cupswrapper:i386 (3.0.1-1) ...
Removing hl1110lpr:i386 (3.0.1-1) ...
Stopping printer spooler: lpd.
Starting printer spooler: lpd.
(Reading database ... 200958 files and directories currently installed.)
Purging configuration files for hl1110lpr:i386 (3.0.1-1) ...
Stopping printer spooler: lpd.
Starting printer spooler: lpd.
Purging configuration files for hl1110cupswrapper:i386 (3.0.1-1) ...
 
 2026·10·21 @ 19:57:34 ~
   $ get printer-driver-brlaser
Installing:                     
  printer-driver-brlaser

Summary:
  Upgrading: 0, Installing: 1, Removing: 0, Not Upgrading: 1
  Download size: 24.4 kB
  Space needed: 88.1 kB / 24.2 GB available

Get:1 http://deb.debian.org/debian trixie/main amd64 printer-driver-brlaser amd64 6.2.7-1 [24.4 kB]
Fetched 24.4 kB in 0s (686 kB/s)            
Retrieving bug reports... Done
Parsing Found/Fixed information... Done
Selecting previously unselected package printer-driver-brlaser.
(Reading database ... 200958 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack .../printer-driver-brlaser_6.2.7-1_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking printer-driver-brlaser (6.2.7-1) ...
Setting up printer-driver-brlaser (6.2.7-1) ...
Processing triggers for cups (2.4.10-3+deb13u2) ...
Updating PPD files for brlaser ...

Geany:

Re-did my little HOW TO above and:
Geany:

I'm

------------------------
EDIT: @johnraff Yeah, I like it. BUT soon i386 will be in the bin and Brother will have to make a 64 bit driver OR I'll have to but a new printer.

Hate the thought of a new printer - most are wireless! My desktop is "wire" only!
Wireless = another way to hack in.

Last edited by Sector11 (Yesterday 23:19:54)

#1 2026-10-20 22:57:26

i386 Printers - Brother HL-1110

#2 2026-10-20 23:58:10

Re: i386 Printers - Brother HL-1110

#3 Yesterday 00:21:42

Re: i386 Printers - Brother HL-1110

#4 Yesterday 00:51:05

Re: i386 Printers - Brother HL-1110

#5 Yesterday 22:45:28

Re: i386 Printers - Brother HL-1110

#6 Yesterday 22:52:22

Re: i386 Printers - Brother HL-1110

#7 Yesterday 23:13:58

Re: i386 Printers - Brother HL-1110

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