LPRINT & Dymo Label Software: Bridging The Gap

It's always exciting to hear from users who are not only finding value in a project but are also keen to push its boundaries and explore new possibilities! We're thrilled that you appreciate the clean, simple UI of LPRINT and are looking to integrate it further into your workflow. Your specific challenge involving Dymo label printers and the legacy Dymo Label Software (v8.5.4) is a fascinating one, and it highlights a common pain point for users invested in older hardware.

The Dymo Dilemma: Legacy Software vs. Modern Hardware

The core of your request revolves around enabling the use of your Dymo DUO and Dymo 4XL printers with either the older "Dymo Label" software or the newer "Dymo Connect" software on both Windows and Mac. This is a crucial issue because, as you rightly point out, many users, including your family, have a significant investment in labels created with the older software. The data migration from legacy systems can be a daunting task, and users often prefer to stick with what they know and what works for their existing label library. The sentiment echoed on forums like Reddit about the reliance on "Dymo Label" software is a testament to this. It shows that a substantial portion of the Dymo user base still finds the older software indispensable.

Dymo's strategy of phasing out support for older hardware and pushing users towards newer models that are restricted to proprietary, first-party labels is a common tactic in the tech world. This approach can alienate loyal customers who have invested in durable, high-capacity printers. The fact that Dymo seems to be increasing the price of older, compatible models (like the 450 series) while simultaneously making newer, incompatible models (like the 550 series) seem more affordable on the surface is a clear indicator of this push. This creates a sense of urgency for users to acquire and maintain these older printers before they become obsolete or prohibitively expensive. Furthermore, Dymo's decision to make "Dymo Connect" incompatible with printers older than the 450 series, while the "Dymo Label" software seems to have broader compatibility, adds another layer of complexity. This fragmentation forces users to navigate a confusing landscape to keep their existing hardware functional.

Your Ingenious CUPS Solution and its Limitations

Your attempt to build a CUPS server to network your Dymo DUO and 4XL printers is a brilliant and resourceful solution. It showcases a deep understanding of network printing and a determination to overcome hardware limitations. The success you've had in serving these printers to Windows 11 and Mac OSX Sonoma clients running "Dymo Label" is impressive! It demonstrates that a network-based solution is indeed feasible. However, as you've discovered, this setup is not without its challenges. The reliance on an old, unsupported RPI distro due to the need for SMB printing, which was phased out in Samba versions around v4.18, highlights a precarious dependency. This means your current working solution is built on a foundation that is no longer maintained and could pose security risks or break with future system updates. The eventual deprecation of support for older devices in CUPS itself is another looming threat, leaving users like yourself searching for sustainable alternatives.

This brings us to the core of why you're exploring LPRINT. You've identified that LPRINT offers a promising alternative, but the current method it uses to present printers isn't compatible with "Dymo Label." You correctly surmise that "Dymo Label" likely expects a locally installed, signed driver, which is a common requirement for many proprietary printing applications. Your observation from a previous issue, where it was noted that "the DYMO application is hardcoded for local printers..." supports this hypothesis. This is precisely the hurdle you're encountering.

Exploring LPRINT's Potential for SMB Sharing

Your proposal to implement a feature within LPRINT to serve devices over SMB is an excellent one. This would directly address the compatibility gap you've identified. By offering printers via SMB, LPRINT could effectively emulate the setup you've painstakingly built with your CUPS server, but in a more integrated and potentially more stable manner within the LPRINT ecosystem. This would allow "Dymo Label" software on client machines to 'see' and connect to the Dymo printers as if they were locally attached, thus bypassing the need for direct local driver installation for network-served printers.

Implementing SMB sharing within LPRINT would not only benefit your specific use case but could also empower a wider community of users who are trying to extend the life of their legacy Dymo hardware. The potential to provide another 5-10 years of service for these printers, which are built for such longevity, is a significant value proposition. It aligns with the growing trend of sustainability and reducing electronic waste. Many users are looking for ways to keep their reliable equipment running, rather than being forced into costly upgrades that may not even offer superior functionality for their specific needs. Your offer to test and provide detailed feedback is invaluable, and it's precisely this kind of user collaboration that can drive LPRINT forward and make it an even more robust and versatile solution for a broader audience. We believe your suggestion has the potential to be a "huge win for the community," and we are keen to explore its feasibility.

For more information on the challenges and potential solutions for legacy hardware, you can refer to discussions on sustainability in tech and the importance of open-source solutions in extending the lifespan of electronic devices.