Printing with Ubuntu

Insights for a quick and easy Ubuntu printer installation

Mark Rais
2006-06-02
User space | Easy
0 Up Down

Ubuntu makes printing reasonably easy and straightforward. This brief article is for those who need a specific and encouraging step-by-step guide. I hope that this article will not only ensure that you print with ease, but that you have every reason to enjoy a productive GNU/Linux desktop.

Before you begin the installation steps below, connect your printer/s. You need to do this prior to turning your system on. This helps to ensure Ubuntu recognizes how the printer is connected to the system, and it allows Ubuntu to identify the specific printer port.

Please don’t be dismayed if you plug in your printer and it’s not immediately recognized. I assure you that Ubuntu recognizes the printer. However, you will first need to configure the printer as an available device so other programs can use it.

The Ubuntu Printing Configuration Tool is used to accomplish this. For my example I will use an HP Deskjet printer connected to the Ubuntu system via a USB cable. However, these steps will also apply to printers that connect via a direct or Parallel cable.

STEP 1. Starting Ubuntu’s printer tool

From your Ubuntu main menu, select System, then choose Administration. Under the Administration menu, you will find an icon labeled Printing. Select this tool and within several seconds the Printer Configuration Tool will open.

: Figure 1: Configuration tool

STEP 2. Configuring a printer connection

Now, double click on the New Printer icon. This will bring up the Add a Printer wizard.

: Figure 2: Add a printer

Notice that in my example, two printers are detected. However, I only have one HP Deskjet connected to this computer. Worry not! This sometimes happens, depending on the printer and the USB settings. If you see a second detected printer, ignore it and simply highlight the first that best describes your printer.

Now press the Forward button to complete the process.

STEP 3. Choosing a printer driver

In this second window, you need to click on the Manufacturer option and choose the one that fits your printer. In my case, I use an HP printer. From the Model list, be sure to select the exact model you have.

Don’t worry if your printer model isn’t there. I offer some more details below in the Troubleshooting section.

: Figure 3: Select model and driver

In nearly every case, Ubuntu comes ready with a driver to support your selected model. This is specified in the box beside Driver. For my example, I use the driver named hpijs, which is the suggested driver for this printer.

You can also click the Install Driver button, if you have a CD from the manufacturer and wish to add a new driver. But, this is rarely helpful, since the latest Ubuntu comes prepackaged with nearly every driver that already exists for GNU/Linux. However, it does offer the option for future upgrades and updates to your existing drivers.

When you’re ready, press the Apply button. After several seconds your new printer will appear in the Printing Configuration Tool window.

STEP 4. Testing the printer

Highlight your new printer icon and press the right mouse button.

: Figure 4: New printer icon

Now choose the Properties option.

This takes you to your specific printer’s properties control. The properties control allows you to not only print a test page, but also to make changes to your printer paper, resolution, color options and ink usage.

: Figure 5: Printer properties

For now, press the Print a Test Page button. In a minute you will see a page print out that includes the Ubuntu logo and eight color bars. If this worked, you can press the Close button.

Congratulations! Your printer is now ready for use with any application.

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Copyright information

Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no Invariant Sections, no Front-Cover Texts, and no Back-Cover Texts. A copy of the license is available at http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html.

Biography

Mark Rais: Mark Rais dedicates his time and energy to promoting free software technology, especially among the poor and where a technology divide exists. He serves as senior editor for reallylinux.com. You can contact him at "markr" followed by the "at" symbol and then "reallylinux.com".

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121462 reads
Printer friendly version (unavailable!)

I don't see this menu option(s), and what if my printer is not supported (epson c45) ?

Thanks..
KHaled.

HP printers support Linux

Followed the above. In step 2 of 2, it sees my printer on the parallel port, and identifies the needed driver, but when I continued to the next step 3 (there is no "Apply" function in ver 6.0.6, and there is an additional step 3) it failed to install the printer.
Then I went to a Linux help site and downloaded the HP720c driver, and in step 2, I did the "Install Driver" and navigated to the driver, and I received an error message saying that I did not have permissions to write the driver to the path where it was to be installed.

when i install my printer, i found out that there is no selection found in the manufacturer's box so thus with model, my printer is epson lx 300+II which compatible with ibm proprinter II

Hi! I just installed Ubuntu 6.10 on a Celeron with an Epson LX-300+ printer. I used Parallel Port (Epson) and selected the 9-pin series printer driver. Worked well! Now I'm printing fine!

Hope this helps!

How do I share out from my Ubuntu 6.06 to another PC with Sled10 (novel suse)

Hi,
I have a Canon MPC600F. Its a windows GDI printer :(
I am able to print to it from Linux (Ubuntu 6.06) when it was connected to a windows pc via ethernet using the Canon s800 drivers. when I connect it directly to Linux pc usb, lsusb show its being detected. How can I get usb port to show up in the 'Add a printer' dialog. I'd like to see if I can use the GDI driver to print to it. Also I dont see and usb related file/directory under /dev

HI,
I have found that printing with Ubuntu and most linux distros is a huge problem. The first problem is that it is no use telling people not to worry that their printer will be recognised and then not explaining how to configure it , or at least not pointing out that the following steps are the configuration, which will not work in my experience on at least 50% of the machines you try it on. Thats all just local machine work, wait till they ask you to do it on a virtual server.

Here is the answer, fist check that your computer is built from A class parts, no dodgy cheap ram either, connect a HP printer to it USB if possible. Get round to your nearest PC World or equivalent, no shadey back street shops, and buy a copy of a program called Windows XP Professional and install it, the printer will be recognised no problem, it will print immediately. Download all the updates make sure the firewall is activated, and then install a wireless router, connect the router to the computer using the ethernet connection on the motherboard of your computer or install an ethernet card. Then download and install a program called OpenOffice, its free and works really well, it opens Word and Excel files as well. If you want a backup program get Acronis True Image,full backup once a month and incrementals every night.

fred_scotland

You made a good point in your comment, MAKE SURE THE FIREWALL IS ACTIVATED. Since you're using winblows you're machine will crawl to a halt due to spyware, viruses, a bunch of other crap that we linux user's rarely ever have to worry about. also, if you could simply google 'ubuntu printer setup', you can read from all the threads that tell you how to setup a printer with linux. and setting up my printer to print from a winxp box over samba was a piece of cake and I am a newbie. been on linux for only about 3 months, if you know how to read than you'll do fine. there are plenty of forums of people who have already suffered so that people like you and I don't have to. ps, the only reason I still have winxp is because my gf won't take the time to learn linux!!! come back to linux and be patient and you'll be on your way!

Amen friend! Been on Ubuntu Feisty for only a few weeks and in spite of the fact that the majority of the learning curve is still in front of me, I am glad to finally be rid of Microsoft. There is life after Windows! M

Today I had to use my windows because I don't know how to make g++ compile for wxApps, my school work, and I needed mingw. Half the time I was updating a firewall, or waiting on firefox, it runs slower on windows, or I was telling my computer to not restart because it had an update. Point is working on linux is just more productive. If windows required less babysitting I would use it. When I need to get work done half of that should not be maintaining a computer.

Sorry but when i was configure a manual port USB for a PHOTOSMART c3810, in the menu dont appear the option USB.
My apologizes, my english sucks!!!

I've gotten the same issue, the ports labeled USB #1 etc.. don't show up. I get something called LPT #1 instead, can I use that? If I figure it out, I'll be sure to post my solution.
(I'm trying to install a HP Deskjet F4100)

Click the up/down arrows next to LPT #1 and on my machine it showed my Epson printer plus a cannon printer that I do not have.

I have successfully installed the driver for a network (Windows) printer(Samsung ML-2010) on my Ubuntu laptop. The printer shows up in the Printer box, but when I print to it, the print jobs just go in a queue with a status "Job-stopped". How do I start these jobs printing?

I too have this problem, with an epson d88, on ubuntu 6.06, everything is installed and I can print go photo images, but when it comes to text I get a job stopped message, has anyone any Ideas, as I cannnot find a setting to change.

bob

I don't have alot of time right now and this is exactly what I needed. Thanks a bunch.

I've installed 6.10 and am trying to use my Canon Pixma ip1000 with it.

I'm able to add the printer i.e the printer is recognized and I've used the suggested driver also for it.

However when I print the test page what happens is that the printer light blinks but the test page is not printed. The job makes it to the print queue. The printer as such works since I have no problems from my Windows XP system.

Any suggestions?

have you checked the paper size?
Could be the old Letter/A4 difference that is causing the problem.

I had the same problem, with my ip 1600. If your printer is not on the manufacterer list when you add a printer, it probably means ubuntu has no driver for that printer.
The only solution i found is to install turboprint for linux but if you install the free version you will have to print at lowest quality or it will print their logo on your page too.

I have installed the Laserjet1018 on Ubuntu Dapper, but it doesn't print. I have tried the troubleshooting-tips, but it still doesn't work.

I have an Epson stylus color 600 and went to the process to add a printer, choose a drive. All appeared to work; the printer was recognized but when I tried to print the test page it printed a few random characters in the upper left corner of a page and then moved on to the next page doing the same thing page after page. Thus I don't seem to be able to print. Any suggestions about what to do next.
Thanks.
William

Hi All,
I, like William am having the same problem- multi garbage pages. I'm able to print a test, but when I try to print from gimp it goes wacko. I can't pause, delete, all i can do is shut down the box by hand........what to do, what to do?

Hi,
I recently got a HP printer and wanted to use it with my Dapper 6.06 installation. All went fine, except it does not print!

/var/log/cups/error_log says:
E [22/Jan/2007:12:57:20 +0100] [Job 4] No %%BoundingBox: comment in header!
E [22/Jan/2007:12:57:26 +0100] PID 16137 (/usr/lib/cups/filter/foomatic-rip) stopped with status 3!

What can I do?

Thanxalot!
Tom

Hey man ,

I've got the same problem with my LaserJet 2100 trying to print on Ubuntu . Status is always Stopped: job-stopped and the error.log looks exactly the same.
Did you find a solution to make the printer sun? I'd appreciate it if you could share.

Ready: No %%BoundingBox: comment in header!

error with page pro 1350W that works fine when connected via USB (error occurs when running through USrobotics unit with a server capability)

prior to this had ran terminal with information from http://www.kdedevelopers.org/node/2138
to get rid of /backend/http failed error

How do I configure Ubuntu to see and connect to a printer on a wireless network?
Thanks
edturner54@yahoo.com

I have installed a CANON MP360 on UBUNTU 6.06, and it works fine if I print to it from a connected Windows XP machine. The problem occurs when I try to print anything from the Ubuntu computer, regardless of whether I set the page size to A4, everything from Open Office documents to prints of web pages print in a shrunken format that takes up about half the normal size. Any ideas anyone ? I am using the MultiPass2500 printer driver.

Hi,

I have the same problem - printing from my mac results in an image 25% of the original - have you found a solution?

I tried to install Samsung ML-2510 by following some instructions found from a few websites. In GNOME, it didn't work at all. Samsung unified drivers supplied with its CD is useless. After downloading its current driver at samsung site, it also failed.
It worked out of the box when I switched to KDE using its wizard.

i don't understand what problems others face. Yet from these simple instructions, i was able to have my HP office jet 4200 work with no problem at all. Just follow instruction and if you encounter any step you don't understand, i suggest you make sure you DO understand before continuing.

this guide does not even mention the command line!

ANYONE can set their printer up on Ubuntu -- its so easy that you dont even need instructions.

What newcomers wont know however is how to print from the command line.

I added a Lexmark X1185 printer; the closest match listed in the setup wizard appeared to be the Lexmark X125(?).

When I print, there is the usual "How do you want to print?" box, and then a progress status bar, and then the status bar goes away, with the following in /var/log/cups/error_log:

E [27/Apr/2007:19:17:45 -0400] PID 11256 (/usr/lib/cups/filter/foomatic-rip) stopped with status 1!

What can I do? Is there a driver I need to download? Is the Lexmark 1185 supported?

Greetings, I had written this article long enough ago that since then the Ubuntu Forums have done some outstanding documenting on the subject.

For an example among many try this:
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=49714

Hope this helps encourage and get your concern addressed.
-mark

I tried two different printers, a Panasonic KXP-7100 and a Cannon BJC-3000, plugged into the USB port. Neither one was dectected at all. My Cannon 670U scanner (USB)is detected but won't start. Could there be something wrong with the USB setup? These devices work fine with win2000 on the same computer.

I have two pc's. One on Ubuntu and the other on W2K... and I'm trying to share the W2K's USB hp deskjet 2360 from Ubuntu with this method. So It don't work ! The question is :
Is it possible to share via LAN a USB printer on another machine ?

Thanks very easy

Very easy to follow. Helped a lot to get the printer setup on Ubuntu 7.0

Kubuntu's easy too. Alt-F2, type in kprinter. Click the wizard button, and from then on it's basically the same thing as what you say.

--
Andrew Min

The printer part of the MP360 appears to work fine with the driver recommended at the following site. It is not difficult to install either

http://www.linuxprinting.org/show_printer.cgi?recnum=Canon-MP360

Cheers and good luck
Colin

Not strictly ubuntu, but I have had issues printing to an HP Officejet network printer from a debian machine. I configured CUPS, but the print job status was always "JOB STOPPED". After a lot of interweb trawling, I did apt-get install foomatic*, and now it works.

Try it!

Can anyone help,I have an Epson C84 printer connected to my BT home Hub via the hubs usb connection it works great with 4 PCs using windows.I recently installed Ubuntu on one but cannot get it to print at all,Thanks in advance.
Cheers Garry

^Garry:

You might like to install the Samba share browser smb4k to see if you can see the IP address of the BT HomeHub's Samba Server. Install smb4k by typing the following into a Terminal window:

sudo apt-get install smb4k

When installation has completed, an icon should appear under Applications > Accessories. You can lauch smb4k using that or via the command line in a Terminal window:

smb4k

----------

I'm running Ubuntu 6.06 on a laptop with a CardBus wireless card networked to a BT HomeHub. I have plugged an HP PSC-2110 multifunction printer into the USB-A port of the BT HomeHub and managed to print to the printer, but it is unreliable: I have to unplug and plug in again the USB cable after each print job otherwise subsequent jobs do not print, so this is not a practical solution. Anyway, this is how I configured Ubuntu 6.06 to print to the printer via the BT HomeHub:

1. System > Administration > Printing

2. Double-click on 'New Printer'

3. Select 'Network Printer' and 'Unix Printer (LPD)'

4. In the 'Host' field enter the IP address of the BT HomeHub Samba Server, which is, by default on my BT HomeHub, 192.168.1.253

5. In the 'Queue' field enter "LPT1" (without the quotes)

6. Click 'Forward'

7. Select the printer Manufacturer and Model (HP and PSC 2110 in my case)

8. In my case the recommended Driver was "hpijs (recommended) - HPLIP 0.9.7 (Suggested)".

9. Click on 'Forward'

10. Enter whatever you want in the 'Name' field (no spaces allowed). I decided to call my printer "PSC-2110-BT-HomeHub" (without the quotes). Enter whatever you want in the 'Description' and 'Location' fields.

11. Click on 'Apply'

12. An icon for the printer should now be visible in the 'Printers' window. Right-click on this and select 'Properties'. Click on 'Print a Test Page' and the printer should print a test page.

Warning: You may find that you can only print the test page, and any other subsequent job you send to the printer does not print. The only solution I have found for this so far is to cancel the print job in Printers and on the printer itself, unplug the USB lead then plug it in again, and then resend the job, which is unsatisfactory. Maybe you'll have more luck.

^Sorry, I missed the "sudo" in my previous post. I should have typed:

sudo apt-get install smb4k

Thanks for the great comment

Just wanted to let you all know that the HP Deskjet 3930 is not in the list (Ubuntu Feisty Fawn 7.04 release April 2007), but you can use the HP Deskjet 3920 and it should work fine.

For others here who also seem to have same issue with drivers.

I note that page 2 is troubleshooting and includes much information for how to deal with no driver.

I could not find it at first either, then noticed a second full page of info on the article. I wish page 2 was just included in page 1 or made more clear that page 2 had troubleshooting.

Basically, HP provide fantastic support for their printers, and it's very easy to get them all up and running.

Canon could not be more different.

Unless your printer is from the ark, there are basically no drivers that alow you any functionality from your shiny new Canon.

Unless, allegedly, you use a utility called 'Turboprint', which is commercial paid-for (paid-for before you know if it works, as well).

So my recommendation to anyone buying a printer, is to buy HP. And if, like me, you happen to have a Canon, then buy a HP. Or continue bouncing files to a Windows machine (or partition), which is so much fun. And efficient.

Canon have really dropped the ball on this, and moreover they don't seem to care one little bit. Just try looking for any support for Linux on their site - none.

You actually have an option to specify Linux as your OS - and then it brings up nothing compatible! It's almost contemptuous.

HP all the way, I'm afraid.

Hi All I have a similar problem to the one mentioned in this thread. I am running Ubuntu 7.04 Feisty Fox, and my HP Officejet K60 appears to install fine in the print menu, but will not print even a test page. I have tried installing HPOJ as well as the Foomatic software's along with the free version of the Turbo Print utility. Nothing seems to Help Anybody have any suggestions?