Printer Drivers for Ubuntu 20.04

Question

I just upgraded from Ubuntu 18.04 to Ubuntu 20.04. I am unable to install the printer driver for my Canon Pixma MX850. I have tried the following:

1. Click on upper-right power icon.
2. Select Settings.
3. Select Printers.
4. In Printers - localhost window. select down arrow next to Add.
5. In New Printer window select Network Printer. That displays Canon-MX850-series_00-00-85-D1-BE-6E (Canon.local).
6. Select Forward.
7. In New Printer window. select gutenprint and Free software.
8. Select Forward.
9. In New Printer window select Select printer from database and Canon.
10. Select Forward.
11. In the New Printer window. there is a Choose Driver/Models list. It does not list MX850.

Solution 1

After a quite a bit of research, I have finally installed device drivers for my Canon Pixma MX922 all-in-one printer. I'm just thrilled to learn that I will not need to purchase another printer.

There are two methods I found to find and install the device drivers (one for the printer, and one for the scanner). I'll document the easiest one for Ubuntu users in the hopes that we can all learn something from this.

(1) Select the Dash in the lower-left screen, and bring up the Synaptic Package Manager. (2) Select the Reload button to refresh your package lists. (3) Select cnijfilter-mx920series and scangearmp-mx920series. Right-click to mark for installation. (4) Select Apply.

This will download, install, upgrade the selected device drivers for you. Any sufficiently advanced technology, e.g., Ubuntu, is indistinguishable from magic.

Solution 2

Research confirms widely experienced problem with new install of 20.04. e.g. "Could not start your Printer" despite previously working.

This problem was difficult for me to solve initially as the driver database in Ubuntu printer settings did not include the correct drivers.

Solved for Canon Pixma MX885 on usb.

Download Canon driver from https://www.canon.co.uk/support/consumer_products/product_ranges/printers/pixma/

Note: possibly poor User interface on that web page - it is easy to miss large selection of other printer types in horizontal scrolling blue bar in middle of page. I think that is why I missed this simple solution the first time (doh!).

Download driver and extract.

Go to Ubuntu Settings/ Printers / (then select your printer and click on settings wheel for it). Click on button "search for drivers" and in my case it was found automatically.

Solution 3

Prepare the multiarch-support

1. download the package wget http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/pool/main/g/glibc/multiarch-support_2.27-3ubuntu1.2_amd64.deb

2. install the package sudo dpkg -i multiarch-support_2.27-3ubuntu1.2_amd64.deb

Prepare the libtiff4 (note: please be aware, you have to install libtiff4 not libtiff4-dev)

1. download appropriate libtiff4 from http://old-releases.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/pool/universe/t/tiff3/ (mine was: http://old-releases.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/pool/universe/t/tiff3/libtiff4_3.9.7-0ubuntu1_amd64.deb)
2. install the package sudo dpkg -i libtiff4_3.9.7-0ubuntu1_amd64.deb (replace with yours)

Prepare the libpng

1. add the repository: sudo add-apt-repository ppa:linuxuprising/libpng12
2. update: sudo apt-get update
3. install the libpng12-0 sudo apt-get install libpng12-0

Install the MP237 driver

1. download driver from https://id.canon/en/support/0100469302/1?model=6220B, the file should be a tar.gz format
2. unpack the driver (replace the cnijfilter-mp230series-3.80-1-deb.tar.gz with your downloaded file) tar -zxvf cnijfilter-mp230series-3.80-1-deb.tar.gz
3. go to the directory cd cnijfilter-mp230series-3.80-1-deb.tar.gz
4. run the install file sudo ./install

I found this after some jumping around some articles, and it works for me

Comments

[Admin]

Thanks, Nmath. I was beginning to think that I needed to purchase a new printer.

[Admin]

@BlindStevie Sometimes printer drivers are more generic so installing one for the canon pixma might help (not MX850 but another model if its listed)

[BlindStevie]

I have two Canon printers, an MX850 and an MX922. I saw Canon's statement regarding the device driver for the MX850 that Nmath mentioned above. There is a similar statement on the Canon website regarding the MX922. The above solution using the Synaptic Package Manager gets around that problem.

[Admin]

Is there (ahem!) any chance that a Linux driver may be found for the MP180 series ? I have one of these and have been unable to use it since I got a new Windows 11 laptop - then it remains unusable after migrating to Ubuntu . . . I would dearly love to retain this most faithful of servants.