Cant get Canon Pixma mx882 to work, even after installing drivers

[Nick_Djinn]

Hello. I am new here, switching to PCLOS from another distro/Mint/Pinguy. It looks like a pretty nice distro......However, I am going to end up using the first distro that will allow me to use my printer, and put it on the rest of my computers.

I actually was able to install the drivers in another distro, but it still would not recognize it when I tied to "add printer". I read something about changing file ownership or using some kind of file that identifies the hardware and sets the settings for it....I dont know where that is.

I did get the drivers that are only on the European site for Canon.....But I dont know how to isntall them in PCLOS. You dont have Add-Remove software or Gdebi, so how exactly do I run these files and get them installed properly?

Also, you are using the same printer management as Ubunty that didnt recognize the printer when I plugged it in.....interestingly I had gotten it to work on Back Box, based on another distro alot, but I had changed a bunch of settings and downloaded alternative printer management, and I dont remember what I did to get lucky.


This is incredibly frustrating. Could anyone help me trouble shoot?

[menotu]

Hi - welcome to the forum.

I have a Pixma and on my system the install routine begins as soon as I plug the printer into the usb port.

Have you run Synaptic and done a full update?

Which version of PCLinuxOS are you using?  If it's KDE have you tried running

Kickoff Launcher Menu > More Applications > Configuration >  Configure Your Printer

That should start the install routine which is easy to follow - might need to give it a minute or so to identify the printer and usb port etc.

[Nick_Djinn]

This printer is newer and is NOT supported out of the box. The drivers are not built into the kernel yet. I had to download them off site, and they are only available on the European site.

How can I install them? Synaptic isnt doing a good job with it. Gdebi and Add-Remove worked better. I cant seem to run the drivers at all.

The printer does NOT show up when I try to add it under Printing. I dont know what to do.

Somebody told me there might be a way to use it more easily as a network printer?



People got it working in another distro alot and after, but its not being recognized anywhere now, including in another distro alot. What do I do now?

[djohnston]

I had to download them off site, and they are only available on the European site.

How can I install them?

How about providing the link to where you got the drivers and what files you downloaded? Right now, no one knows.

[Nick_Djinn]

Thank you for the quick reply. This is a great community, especially for its size.

Here are the instructions I was following with another distro. The link has both .deb as well as rpm drivers. I have both extracted on my Desktop.

http://blog.kenweiner.com/2011/04/using-canon-pixma-mx882-all-in-one-with.html


In another distro alot I installed the drivers, but couldnt complete the instructions because it didnt show up when I tried to add a printer.

In PCLOS you appear to be using the same printer GUI and possibly similar libraries (Though Mandriva tends toward having even better hardware support than another distro).


In PCLOS I cant seem to install the rpm files. I am less familiar with RPM CLI tools, but double clicking the drivers did nothing in PCLOS......So in PCLOS that is where I am stuck. Just installing those drivers.

Next I have to find out how to get my printer added and recognized.

[jimwilk]

I too will be interested to find the outcome for this type of printer. In a magazine subscription competition, I recently learned that I have won a PIXMA MG5150 printer. It has yet to arrive, but when it does, I would need to be able to use it with PCLinuxOS 2011.06 KDE.

Jim

[djohnston]

Well, your link points to "Ken's Blog". From there, I followed the link to the Linux IJ Printer Driver page. From there I downloaded the tar files and unpacked them. They contain no rpms, just install.sh files that are meant to be run from the command line, probably requiring root access.

If this isn't what you got, you need to point me to the page where you downloaded from.

[Nick_Djinn]

Ken's blog gives all the instructions needed. They DO contain rpm drivers. You just have to extract the right tarball, then open the right folder.

http://software.canon-europe.com/software/0040867.asp

Oh, and at least in another distro I was advised NOT to use the .sh install. It crashes.....maybe it will work in PCLOS, but Im not sure how to run it. Double clicking worked in another distro.

Instead, Kens blog says to install the individual .deb files, so that is what i am trying to do in PCLOS with the .rpm files.

Its all in the instructions. I appreciate any help you can give me.

[djohnston]

Okay, I finally found the rpms buiried in the tarball. Sorry about that. According to Ken's Blog, install them in this order: cnijfilter-common_3.50-1_i386.rpm, then cnijfilter-mx880series_3.50-1_i386.rpm. If you can use your file browser to open a terminal, browse to the directory containing the rpms. Then use the file manager to open a terminal. Otherwise, open a terminal, then cd to the directory containing the rpms. In the terminal:

su
rpm -ivh cnijfilter-common_3.50-1_i386.rpm
rpm -ivh cnijfilter-mx880series_3.50-1_i386.rpm
exit
exit

The first exit command will end your root session. The second one will close the terminal. You will need to do the same with the scanner rpms, installing the common one first, then the mx880series one. Post back if you receive any errors.

[Nick_Djinn]

Im pretty sure I navigated properly as root
cd Desktop

I copied and pasted the code and it gave an error, no such file or directory.....Maybe Im just doing something wrong, but I am fairly sure I navigated properly with CD after moving the files outside of their folder into the main desktop then running that command.

These were already extracted .rpm files.


Is there something like Gdebi that will just install them? Any ideas what I did wrong in the command line?


And that might not be the only issue as people are saying it worked in another distro alot but not alot.....I guess one step at a time though.



Do you think I could use my printer by running XP in Virtualbox?

[djohnston]

I copied and pasted the code and it gave an error, no such file or directory.....Maybe Im just doing something wrong, but I am fairly sure I navigated properly with CD after moving the files outside of their folder into the main desktop then running that command.

Open a terminal. Enter

ls ~/Desktop/

Post the exact output from the terminal.

Do you think I could use my printer by running XP in Virtualbox?

How is the printer connected? Is it USB?

[Nick_Djinn]

Oh.....lol

I forgot to tell you, Im using the Beta4 x64bit version. That probably has something to do with it. haha.

[Nick_Djinn]

Drivers are installed now. Thanks. I am not as familiar with RPM tools.


Only problem is that now I cannot detect the printer to add it. I eventually got it to work in Debian (Mint Debian) on my desktop, but I have PCLOS on my laptop.

One odd thing is that to get it working in Debian I had to plug it into my router then add it as a network printer....couldnt use USB.

No such luck in PCLOS yet.....This is new hardware. I bet this time next year it will work out of the box.

[Nick_Djinn]

Any tips on how to add the printer? Is there some kind of file I can use to identify my printer?

[djohnston]

Can you set it up in CUPS? Open your internet browser and enter http://localhost:631/ in the address bar. Click the Administration tab.