This open source driver package should have HL-12xx drivers it shows it at the source:
Your linked page installation instructions tell me…
Look for a package named printer-driver-brlaser or brother-brlaser.
Which I did…
[ion@ion-desk ~]$ yay -S printer-driver-brlaser
-> No AUR package found for printer-driver-brlaser
-> no package found for targets
[ion@ion-desk ~]$ yay -S brother-brlaser
-> No AUR package found for brother-brlaser
-> no package found for targets
[ion@ion-desk ~]$
yay -Ss brlaser
[ion@ion-desk ~]$ yay -Ss brlaser
aur/brlaser-git 6.2.7.r3.gbffa87a-1 (+3 0.00) [508d5h]
Brother laser printer driver, git version
aur/brlaser 6.2.8-1 (+30 1.77) [288d16h]
Brother laser printer driver
[ion@ion-desk ~]$
Nothing changed.
these are the two AUR versions .. -git is using latest sources.. second is the last released version
I executed…
[ion@ion-desk ~]$ yay -S brlaser 6.2.8-1
It completed. Nothing changed. Writer flashes an error and nothing prints.
Simply as a test I installed Linux Mint and after logging in I was printing in three minutes. It recognized the connected model and recommended the 1210 driver, and installed it.
So my question is how can I get to the source code that Mint uses to compile the 1210 driver?
I tried the earlier version as well.
I’m confused so far. The 1212 driver is not seen by Add Printer/Printer Settings? It’s not there in the list for you to choose? Or add manually?
Sometimes you have you lead the OS to the printer driver.
Also in the same Add Printer dialogue I’ve had Brother success adding a model just above or below my model # in the driver list.
I’m confused too. What printer model is it? It seems there have been a number of them mentioned.
Edit: If you look at the web page it does say that this package works with the hl-l1212w printer.
Read all the comments on the bottom of the page.
Edit: More info
it would be yay -S brlaser
to install .. no version added with yay
question is too if you even have printing system enabled at all.
systemctl status cups
Mint has printer-driver-brlaser – Open-Source-Treiber für viele Brother-Laserdrucker.
Source is this repo:
Last release there is from 2019
The AUR builds are using different sources:
Last release 3 month ago..
Executed yay -S brlaser…no change.
[ion@ion-desk ~]$ systemctl status cups
● cups.service - CUPS Scheduler
Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/system/cups.service; enabled; preset: disabled)
Active: active (running) since Sat 2026-08-22 07:30:27 CST; 57min ago
Invocation: 39e18f8b95b0462eae0fac26d94c82a0
TriggeredBy: ● cups.path
● cups.socket
Docs: man:cupsd(8)
Main PID: 581 (cupsd)
Status: "Scheduler is running..."
Tasks: 1 (limit: 9342)
Memory: 4.8M (peak: 5.3M)
CPU: 61ms
CGroup: /system.slice/system-cups.slice/cups.service
└─581 /usr/bin/cupsd -l
Aug 22 07:30:27 ion-desk systemd[1]: Starting CUPS Scheduler...
Aug 22 07:30:27 ion-desk systemd[1]: Started CUPS Scheduler.
[ion@ion-desk ~]$
not really good info 
It builded and installed the package without error?
Rebooted OS after this? or restarted cups?
you will at least remove your current printer from cups and add a a new profile choosing the correct driver in the process. You have done that?
May show a screenshot of the driver chosen in printer setup ?
This series of printer has usb and or wireless printing? If using usb then should be easy to set up and work on cups. If using wireless it’s not setup correctly?
It builded and installed the package without error?
Rebooted OS after this? or restarted cups?
you will at least remove your current printer from cups and add a a new profile choosing the correct driver in the process. You have done that?
Yes to all the above.
May show a screenshot of the driver chosen in printer setup ?
okay i can see now.
Is the Brother driver still installed or only brlaser?
yay -Qs brother
As I keep repeating Writer reports an error that flashes off instantly. Now as I see it any OS that doesn’t keep the error report long enough to read is not doing its job. If I could see the error perhaps I might find a solution. In what log file might I find it?
I have a brother hl-l2320D. It is usb only. It requires the following files for it to work. Not sure if the hll1212w is the same? Can you check if you have this installed?
Edit: I have to install this separately from the AUR package or the printer doesn’t work.
lib32-glibc
logs from cups ore there stored for a very long time on arch/based
journalctl -u cups --since "20 min ago" | eos-sendlog
would create pastebin from printservice over last 20 minutes. you can posz outputting shorturl.