DEBBI
The Brother downloads are available in either DEB or RPM format, but you will use the DEB versions. To install the packages, you need the "Debian-Brother Installer". Download and install debbi-1.1.pet from the attachment below. It copies the file debbi to the folder /root/my-applications/bin.
This little program will extract the contents of a DEB package to your hard drive and run the post-install script. You will use it for both printer and scanner drivers.
Some older Brother models also require the "csh" shell instead of the "bash" shell used by Puppy. See the list here under Pre-required Procedure (6). If you have one of these printers, install the csh-6.16.00-i486.pet from below before continuing.
PRINTERS
Start the installation process with your printer turned ON.
Go to http://solutions.brother.com/linux/en_us and select Download Printer Driver.
Locate your printer. You will download two files - the LPR driver and the CUPS wrapper driver. Get the DEB versions. Select Save to Disk and store them in /root. As an example, let's assume that you downloaded the files mfc210clpr-1.0.2-1.i386.deb and cupswrapperMFC210C-1.0.2-3.i386.deb.
Go to your /root folder and press the ~ key. This opens a console window. To display a list of files, type:
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ls
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debbi mfc210clpr-1.0.2-1.i386.deb
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debbi cupswrapperMFC210C-1.0.2-3.i386.deb
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debbi <space> mfc <tab> <enter>
The post-install script creates a PPD file for your printer and stores it in the folder /usr/share/cups/model. And depending on your model, it may also add a printer in CUPS attached to a USB port, ready to use.
However, before launching the CUPS Wizard, there is another step. The Brother driver keeps its own printer configuration settings separate from CUPS. In these settings, the default paper size may be set to A4. So if you are using Letter size, you must manually change it.
Go to /usr/local/Brother/.../inf and locate the file brxxxrc, where xxx is the name of your printer. Open the file and change the PaperType from A4 to Letter.
Run the CUPS wizard and go to Manage Printers. Try printing a test page for the new printer. If it works, you're done! If not, you may need to delete the printer, restart CUPS, let it rediscover the printer and then add it again. You will find the new PPD file in the Brother category.
For your convenience, the drivers for several Brother models are attached below as ready-to-use PETs. These packages do not automatically install a printer, so you will need to run the CUPS Find New Printers option. There is a second page of drivers posted farther down this thread.
NETWORK PRINTERS
If you are using a Puppy with CUPS 1.3 and let CUPS auto-detect your printer, the device URI will look like
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socket://192.168.2.15
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lpd://BRN_B7DD77/BINARY_P1
To solve this problem, open the file /etc/hosts and add a line like
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192.168.2.15 BRN_B7DD77
For some reason my router changed the IP for the printer, so /etc/hosts went to the wrong place... and ping looked into the abiss! If I entered:
ping brw00242XXXXXXX, it responded with 192.168.1.25; what I told it!
In windows ping brw00242XXXXXXX, returned 192.168.1.44; so make sure your /etc/host is correct
All working now:
Gateway MX7120 and a Brother HL-2170W using Precise 5.4.3