OS X Mac driver for USB to Parallel Samsung ML-4500

esmonde

I’m trying to get a driver for my old Samsung ML-4500 parallel port printer that will get it working with OS X Sierra.  I’m using a USB to Parallel Prolific chipset cable that says it’s USB rev. 1.1 and 1284 compatible. I put my Samsung away many years ago when I moved from Windows to Mac.  

 

Now my inkjet printer has died on me and I was hoping to get the old Samsung up and running again.  The printer is in good condition and the ‘Demo’ print button produces an excellent printout. Samsung never provided Mac drivers for this laser printer.

 

 

I searched on the web and found these two articles that seemed to suggest drivers that might do the trick with OS X. 

 

https://ianlotinsky.wordpress.com/2010/06/29/old-parallel-lpt-printers-and-mac-os-x/

 

https://wiki.linuxfoundation.org/openprinting/macosx/samsung-gdi

 

However the articles are old and point to drivers for much older versions of OS X.

 

I first tried this one which needed ‘USBTB’ but it didn’t complete the installation.  However afterwards I could see my Samsung ML-4500 listed in the ‘Add Printers’ section of System Preferences.  Unfortunately in the ‘Use Software’ option there was no CUPS Gutenprint driver for the ML-4500 and the Samsung ones that were a close model number didn’t work.

 

I then uninstalled the previous software and tried the suggestions to go to this website - https://wiki.linuxfoundation.org/openprinting/macosx/samsung-gdi.  This did include my ML-4500 among the Samsung printers.  It suggested I had to install three separate pieces of software.  The Samsung-GDI installed fine.   It prompted me to install Ghostscript at the end of its install process.  But Ghostscript failed at the end saying the software installation failed because ‘there was no software found to install’.  

 

I then tried the Foomatic-RIP install and it worked fine.  So I again tried Ghostscript, but got the same. ‘The Installation Failed’ message again.

 

I’m not a techie so it may all be a waste of time, and I’m also worried that these driver installations might adversely affect my Mac’s printing setup for when I do get a replacement printer.  But I’d appreciate some information on what is and isn’t possible in the OS X USB to Parallel driver area.  Apologies if this is not the correct area, but I couldn't find anything dealing specifically with OS X.

 

Thanks!