Unable to install Canon printers

Hardware Librem 14
1

I am unable to install either a Canon IR ADV C2020 or a Canon MF 280 Series printer on my Librem 14. Mistal AI tells me this. Is this the correct way to install a Canon printer? If so, how do I enter the URI? If not, what should I do?

Connecting via Network (Ethernet/Wi-Fi)

If the printer is connected to your local network (Ethernet or Wi-Fi):

Steps:

Find the printer’s IP address:

On the printer’s display, go to Menu → Network → TCP/IP Settings.

Note the IP address (e.g., 192.168.1.100).

Add the printer via CUPS:

Open a web browser and go to:

http://localhost:631

Go to Administration → Add Printer.

Select “Network Device” and enter the URI:

lpd://192.168.1.100/queue

(or ipp://192.168.1.100/ipp if the printer supports IPP).

Choose the driver:

Select “Canon imageRUNNER C2020” or a generic driver such as PCL6 or PostScript.

Test the print:

2

Do you get an error message?

I have exactly no Canon printers so probably can’t help much but …

the first thing I would be asking about any network printer is … is it actually correctly on the network? (do you know its IP address? is it getting an IP address at all? can you ping it?) - generally speaking you want a printer always to have the same IP address, either by using a static IP address configuration on the printer itself or by configuring your DHCP server to hand out the same IP address to that printer every time

and the second thing I would be asking is … from the printer itself can you view and/or change and/or print out comprehensively what its settings are. If this isn’t viable then you may need to download the manual for the printer model that you have and see whether it tells you what the default settings are.

There are a range of network printing protocols and each of them on a typical printer can be independently enabled or disabled. You only need one protocol in common between what is enabled on the printer and what is supported by the host computer.

Some typical network protocols are:

  • raw (usually on port 9100)
  • lpd (sometimes called lpq)
  • IPP
  • Microsoft file sharing protocol but also for printing (sometimes called SMB)

and the third thing is what “language(s)” does the printer want to speak? Again, the manual should tell you what options there are - but probably the printer’s specification sheet will also tell you that. PostScript and PCL are potential answers. Again, you only need one language in common between the printer and the host computer.

3

Yes, when I clic to print, the Canon IR ADV and the Canon MF280 say to me an error message. And CUPS find the good IP adress for the both printers.

4

I am a noob. I don’t understand anything in all you said in this quote. Sorry… :confused:

5

What does the error message say?

Does either of these printers have a control panel from which you can print the settings? Then you can scan the settings and post here.

I made an attempt to scrounge a specification sheet for the Canon MF 280 on the web and it says, in part

Print Language UFR II, PCL 6
Print TCP/IP (LPD, RAW, IPP, IPPS, WSD)
TCP/IP Application Services Bonjour (mDNS), DHCP

which means that, if all that is enabled by default on the printer, it should work automatically. When your computer boots up, it will broadcast on the local network to find printers and create the printers for you automatically - assuming that “Bonjour” is enabled on your computer (official name DNS-SD, implemented as “avahi” on Ubuntu). That’s the way I have my HP printers set up anyway.

If it won’t work automatically then “raw” (sometimes called JetDirect) is probably the simplest. Try the shell command

telnet IP-address-of-printer 9100

If it connects then the printer is OK with “raw” and the URI should be (not tested)

socket://IP-address-of-printer:9100

where in both cases IP-address-of-printer is replaced with the IP address of your printer.