Setting Up a Canon Network Printer on Linux

Setting Up a Canon Network Printer on Linux (Debian) - Intro

Whilst I am in love with the idea of a free OS, and a bundle of apps to go with it, I do require an OS to function fully. I have found that if you have Canon printers, you can spend hours (8 or 9 hours) trying to get the printers configured, with no success.

This is no doubt the fault of Canon, but in short if you intend to use Linux with a Canon Network Printer you are in for a battle. Particularly if you are new to linux.

I have tried to get things to work using Lubuntu (Ubuntu light)  & Puppy Linux (Slacko). I found the OS's to be feature rich, and snappy (especially puppy), but I will be reverting to windows owing to lack of print ability.

Linux Versions Tried

• Puppy Linux - Slacko
• Lubuntu - Version 14

Printers

• LBP6300n
• LBP7100n

Setting Up a Canon Network Printer on Linux (Debian) -What is Involved

I did not get my printer to work. Here is a list of the things I tried. In order to start the install process you will need the IP address of the printer, which is hopefully static. You can get this by logging in to your router and looking under attached devices or similar.

• Installing a large variety of "generic" print drivers included in the driver data base included within each OS.
• Downloading Drivers from HP and try both auto and manual install procedures.
• Adding in numerous services / packages at the console (similar to command prompt in windows).
• Copy and paste missing files in to root directory using root privileges at command prompt.

So in short you are looking at copy and paste of quite a bit of code, hours of web research, and likely no success.

Like I say most things I can do computer wise but I have fallen flat on this one.

Setting Up a Canon Network Printer on Linux - Process as Tested

So first download and extract (right click on downloaded driver file), and put the files in a new directory to keep things tidy. Then you can look for ppd files, which are buried 7 levels down in a single folder. Or search from within console (Ctrl+Alt+T).


Press "/" and enter to get the ">" sign up and then type or copy in:

locate *.ppd

You can then use this ppd, when prompted for in the printer install utility. After you have done this, in may case I was told I needed to find a missing file:

"Printer 'Canon-LBP6300-CAPT' requires the '/usr/lib/cups/filter/pstocapt3' program but it is not currently installed.  Please install it before using this printer."

So back in console. . .  .

locate pstocapt3

it will tell you where the file is and the copy it in too the director that the printer package tells you to

for example:

Idle - File "/usr/lib/cups/filter/pstocapt3" not available: No such file or directory.





You can not just paste a file in to the OS section, you will need "root" privalages, so you need to type.

sudo pcmanfm 





In order to open the file manager with root privileges to copy files over. In Ubuntu (rather than Lubuntu) I believe Nautilus is the file manager.

So then the problem persists and nothing prints still, and this was where I bowed out.

I hope you have better luck, or Canon make things easier somehow, I have heard that HP printers set up a lot easier.






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