Updating Printer Firmware Where Firmware Installer is Windows Only

I figured this out after trying to update the firmware on my HP Color LaserJet Pro M177fw so I could make it work with HP Web Services (being able to print to email and such). While printing and scanning worked with the HPLIP Toolbox and the wonderful tutorial that @wolfman has created a firmware update was required to activate HP Webservices. The options as I saw them:

1)Borrow a friend’s laptop with Windows and load it full of HP software to update my machine - not optimal

2)Connect to a VM.

I chose #2 and with a little tweaking on VirtualBox (making sure the network was set to “Bridge Adapter” so I would have an address on the host LAN), installing all the Windows updates, then using the HP software to connect the printer and update the firmware; we are up and running.

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