I let Codex take a shot at my printer

Our office has a Lenovo M7450F that my MacBook couldn’t use. I tried adding it through macOS Printers & Scanners without getting it to work. The printer was fine: it printed normally from the Windows computer it was connected to.

I used ToDesk to connect to that computer, transferred the file, then opened it there to print. It worked, but it was annoying. The file was already on my Mac, yet I had to use another computer to get it onto paper. Eventually I got used to doing it that way and stopped looking for a better option.

Then I read an article about using AI to get an old printer working on a Mac. The author had also shared an open-source project. That was what made me think of asking Codex to try.

I’d been using Codex to write code and change pages. It hadn’t occurred to me to let it work on a printer driver. With hardware like this, I still tended to look for an official driver and put up with the workaround if I couldn’t find one. The project was for an HP printer, so I couldn’t reuse its solution for my Lenovo, but I could ask Codex to look into my setup.

I explained the problem and made one concern clear: I use this Mac every day, and I didn’t want a printer fix to break it. Codex needed to research the options first, explain the risks and how to uninstall, then wait for my approval. If it needed more information, it should ask me.

It checked the Mac’s environment and the printer connection, found an existing open-source driver called brlaser, and adapted it. It tested the file conversion offline before touching the printer, then installed a separate print queue. The existing configuration stayed in place, and it provided uninstall instructions.

For the physical tests in August, I entered the Windows print-share password in a system dialog and checked the printed sheets myself. We printed one English page, which came out correctly, then one page from a Chinese PDF. That worked too. Once I confirmed I could print, I stopped testing.

Now I can open a file and choose the printer in the Mac’s normal Print dialog. I no longer have to connect remotely or transfer files. The job still goes through the Windows computer, though, so that computer needs to stay online.

My part was mostly to supply the device information, approve the approach, and check whether the pages printed correctly. I didn’t have to work out every driver detail myself. I did need to agree on what Codex could change and when it should stop, and be there for the physical tests.

It also made me think of HerdPrint. Collecting invoices, arranging them, and printing them involves repeated steps that I want it to reduce. This was a separate fix for connecting my Mac to the printer. The driver isn’t integrated into HerdPrint; it works through the system Print dialog.

I used to focus on finding a way around this problem. Next time, I’d be more willing to ask AI to research it and suggest an approach. I can describe what I need and check the result without already knowing how to write a driver. If I hadn’t read that article, I’d probably still be printing through ToDesk.

A prompt to copy into Codex

If you have a similar problem, you can start with this prompt. Have Codex ask about your printer model and connection, then research the options before making a plan. Getting my printer to work doesn’t mean the same approach will work for yours.

My Mac cannot add or use our office printer through Printers & Scanners. I currently have to transfer files to a Windows computer remotely and print there. Help me safely print from the Mac's normal Print dialog.

Start with read-only inspection of my Mac. Ask me for the printer model, connection method, and sharing details, then check official documentation and reliable open-source options. Do not assume that a driver must be written from scratch.

Explain the approach, risks, verification, and rollback before making changes, and wait for my approval. Do not disable SIP, install kernel extensions, overwrite existing queues, or put passwords in commands or logs.

Validate offline first. Physical tests require my authorization: send only one low-coverage page at a time and wait for me to inspect it. I will enter credentials in system dialogs myself.

Stop and ask when information is missing or there is a risk. Provide usage and uninstall instructions, clearly separating physical verification from anything that remains untested.