Linux Format forums

VicB · Joined: Fri Jul 17, 2009 9:21 pm Posts: 9

New to Linux, I have looked at many Linux OS programs, liked Ubuntu, BUT, how do I get my printer to work, seems I have to punch in 'codes', totally ignorant about this, how to do it etc. Why cant I just get printer to work by just plugging it in like I do with Windows?

johnhudson · LXF regular Joined: Wed Aug 03, 2005 2:37 pm Posts: 767

What distribution are you using and what printer? Most printers are supported out of the box in Linux but different distros have different ways of registering the printer's identity and ensuring the appropriate files are available.

wyliecoyoteuk · Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2012 10:07 am Post subject:

Not sure what "codes" you are talking about.
Actually, you can just plug it in, and it should be recognised and just work.
In fact some printers are even easier to connect in Linux than in Windows (you don't need a driver disk).
Unless of course, your printer manufacturer chooses not to provide Linux support.
As stated above, your make and model of printer and how it is connected might help.
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VicB · Joined: Fri Jul 17, 2009 9:21 pm Posts: 9

Info as requested:

Printer: Canon Pixma MP270

Ubuntu 11.10

Thanks.

wyliecoyoteuk · Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2012 1:50 pm Post subject:

The bad news is, Canon don't support Linux very well, so you will have to use the command line.
This is Canon's fault, not Linux.
The good news is that you can cut and paste from a webpage to a terminal screen in Linux, highlight the text, rightclick>copy.
then click in the terminal and rightclick>paste.

Follow the instructions in the third post in this thread:
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1474824

good luck!
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VicB · Joined: Fri Jul 17, 2009 9:21 pm Posts: 9

OK, have done and this is what I end up with, what now??

guidemp270series-pd-3.20-1_en.tar.gz

wyliecoyoteuk · Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2012 5:20 pm Post subject:

That is the user guide, you need to download the drivers, as stated in the thread.
here is the link:
http://software.canon-europe.com/software/0037268.asp?model=

MP270_debian_driver_pack.tar

the package is a .tar file (like a .zip file in windows) you will need to extract it, then run the 2 commands in the thread.

VicB · Joined: Fri Jul 17, 2009 9:21 pm Posts: 9

Ok, tried extracting but it repeats itself, I am going round in circles. I have 7zip on the pc, is this the right one or is there another I should be using?

wyliecoyoteuk · Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2012 8:49 pm Post subject:

Sorry, I just tried to download it myself and it would seem that the canon site is broken. (it worked this afternoon)
Are you trying to extract it in Windows or Linux?
It should contain these files:

cnijfilter-common_3.20-1_i386.deb
cnijfilter-mp270series_3.20-1_i386.deb

When you have extracted them (if the canon packages are not totally screwed up) double-clicking on them in ubuntu ask you if you want to install them.

Unless you are running 64 bit Ubuntu, in which case you need the commands above
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ajgreeny · Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2012 9:14 pm Post subject:

Wyliecyoteuk is more or less correct, but when I installed the similar .deb packages in my ubuntu 10.04 for an mp250, each .deb package was dependent upon the other.

If you get error messages suggesting the same problem, just put the two .deb driver packages into the MP270_debian_driver_pack folder, if they aren't already (they should be extracted to there by the system automatically), then in terminal run the command

VicB · Joined: Fri Jul 17, 2009 9:21 pm Posts: 9

Am using Linux Ubuntu and you could be right, because I don't appear to be getting those you show me, I still get one labelled tar and it wont open. Will try another day when Cannon site working properly.

wyliecoyoteuk · Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2012 9:44 pm Post subject:

Hi sorted it now.

Canon for some reason put archives inside archives.

The downloaded package should be called

MP270_debian_driver_pack.tar

right click and select "extract herer"
that should open it and show 4 files,
one is called
cnijfilter-mp270series-3.20-1-i386-deb.tar.gz
right-click on this and select "extract here"
you should then have a folder called
cnijfilter-mp270series-3.20-1-i386-deb
Phew!

open the folder and double click the install.sh file, and select "run in terminal"
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VicB · Joined: Fri Jul 17, 2009 9:21 pm Posts: 9

OK followed instructions and now I get this when try to install:

There was a problem opening the file /home/vic/.cache/.fr-mbv….20-1-i386-deb/install.sh.
The file you opened has some invalid characters. If you continue editing this file you could corrupt this document.
You can also choose another character encoding and try again.

Any clues/

wyliecoyoteuk · Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2012 2:31 pm Post subject:

when you double-click, is it offering you the "run in terminal" option?
It sounds like it is trying to open the file instead of running it.
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VicB · Joined: Fri Jul 17, 2009 9:21 pm Posts: 9

When I double clicked it automatically went into terminal but then gave me the above message.