HOWTO: Install Brother MFC210C

[Jasman]

Thanks for this thread. If anyone cares, I just managed to install my Brother HL-2040 printer to work through my Asus WL-500G Deluxe Access Point with print server using instructions from this thread/script (modified, of course, for my printer, and using the two files readily available from Brother - the cups wrapper and LPR driver) and then installing as a network printer in Gnome System Printers using the basic IP for my router (in this case 192.168.1.1). The kicker, however, was choosing HP JetDirect to send print jobs through port 9100. Works like a charm, and I never even connected my printer directly to my laptop (it's connected via USB to the AP).

[BobSongs]

Thanks for the post. I'll add it to the list of success noted at the bottom of the tutorial.

[Boelcke]

I'm following your tutorial (thanks!) for a Brother HL-2040, directly connected to a ubuntu 5.10 PC via USB. All was sailing smoothly until step four.

mike@ubuntu2:~$ sudo ln -s /etc/init.d/cupsys /etc/init.d/cups
mike@ubuntu2:~$ sudo dpkg -i /home/mike/downloads/brotherHL-2040/cupswrapperhl2040_1.0.0-1_i386.deb
Selecting previously deselected package cupswrapperhl2040.
(Reading database ... 82093 files and directories currently installed.)
Unpacking cupswrapperhl2040 (from .../cupswrapperhl2040_1.0.0-1_i386.deb) ...
Setting up cupswrapperhl2040 (1.0.0-1) ...
rm -f /usr/lib/cups/filter/brlpdwrapperHL2040
 * Restarting Common Unix Printing System: cupsd                         [ ok ]
lpadmin: Unable to connect to server: Connection refused

What's happening with this Unable to connect to server stuff? Everything worked well up until then. I've tried restarting the printer, and trying running the command again (which didn't work well). Nothing has appeared in the System, Administration,Printers window.

WAIT! STOP THE PRESSES! While typing this message, perhaps 10 minutes since what I described above happened, things suddenly started working. I went into System, Administration, Printers to check something, cycled the power again on the printer, and WHAMO! The printer now appears there! Whats more, it works pretty well too.

You've just made my ubuntu weekend. Thanks. I wonder what made it take so long. Whatever it is, the advice is to wait a seriously long time!

(Now, onto investigate why KMyMoney imports my old Quicken file and shows I've got $334,000 in my checking account...)

[BobSongs]

I'm following your tutorial (thanks!) for a Brother HL-2040, directly connected to a ubuntu 5.10 PC via USB. All was sailing smoothly until step four.

...

WAIT! STOP THE PRESSES! While typing this message, perhaps 10 minutes since what I described above happened, things suddenly started working. I went into System, Administration, Printers to check something, cycled the power again on the printer, and WHAMO! The printer now appears there! Whats more, it works pretty well too.

You've just made my ubuntu weekend. Thanks. I wonder what made it take so long. Whatever it is, the advice is to wait a seriously long time!

Well, you've found it. I think patience is the most important part of working with a Brother device. You waited and boom: it worked.

My own script for the MFC-210C only works correctly if the printer is turned off, on, off, on at the right times.

I'm pleased that the tutorial has proven helpful. Brother's drivers for Debian work fairly well in Ubuntu, just a minor modification here and there and we're printing.

[timsch75]

I used this tutorial to install my DCP110C with Breezy with immediate success. I upgraded to Dapper this weekend and the printer would no longer work. I've reinstalled with the same directions assuming I'd have to tweak based on error messages, but I didn't get any.


EDIT
tim@ubuntu:~/printer/dcp110c$ sudo dpkg -i dcp110clpr-1.0.2-1.i386.deb
(Reading database ... 106367 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to replace dcp110clpr 1.0.2-1 (using dcp110clpr-1.0.2-1.i386.deb) ...
Unpacking replacement dcp110clpr ...
Setting up dcp110clpr (1.0.2-1) ...
ln: creating symbolic link `/usr/lib/libbrcompij2.so.1.0' to `/usr/lib/libbrcompij2.so.1.0.2': File exists
ln: creating symbolic link `/usr/lib/libbrcompij2.so.1' to `/usr/lib/libbrcompij2.so.1.0.2': File exists
ln: creating symbolic link `/usr/lib/libbrcompij2.so' to `/usr/lib/libbrcompij2.so.1.0.2': File exists

tim@ubuntu:~/printer/dcp110c$ sudo dpkg -i cupswrapperdcp110c_1.0.0-1_i386.deb
(Reading database ... 106367 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to replace cupswrapperdcp110c 1.0.0-1 (using cupswrapperdcp110c_1.0.0-1_i386.deb) ...
lpadmin: The printer or class was not found. [THIS LINE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN A RUN I DID JUST BEFORE. THE PRINTER WAS PROBABLY OFF WHEN i RAN THE LINE AS THE DIRECTIONS SAY]
* Restarting Common Unix Printing System: cupsd [ ok ]
Unpacking replacement cupswrapperdcp110c ...
Setting up cupswrapperdcp110c (1.0.0-1) ...
rm -f /usr/lib/cups/filter/brlpdwrapperDCP110C
* Restarting Common Unix Printing System: cupsd



The printer is recognized under SYSTEM>ADMIN.>PRINT and when I send a test page nothing happens. The printer icon changes from "printing" to "paused". The output of dmesg is:

*
[4392132.204000] usb 3-2.4: new full speed USB device using ehci_hcd and address 5
[4392132.254000] scsi1 : SCSI emulation for USB Mass Storage devices
[4392132.254000] usb-storage: device found at 5
[4392132.254000] usb-storage: waiting for device to settle before scanning
[4392137.264000] Vendor: Brother Model: DCP-110C Rev: 1.00
[4392137.264000] Type: Direct-Access ANSI SCSI revision: 02
[4392137.265000] usb-storage: device scan complete
[4392191.454000] ppdev0: registered pardevice
[4392191.496000] ppdev0: unregistered pardevice
[4392191.496000] ppdev1: claim the port first
[4392191.496000] ppdev2: claim the port first
[4392196.259000] ppdev0: registered pardevice
[4392196.349000] ppdev0: unregistered pardevice
[4392196.349000] ppdev1: claim the port first
[4392196.349000] ppdev2: claim the port first
[4392322.601000] ppdev0: registered pardevice
[4392322.642000] ppdev0: unregistered pardevice
[4392322.662000] ppdev1: claim the port first
[4392322.662000] ppdev2: claim the port first
*

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

[BobSongs]

A. Two failed attempts to upgrade my Breezy to Dapper have left me a "Breezy user" and not a "Dapper tester". Perhaps by the time I finally upgrade to Dapper there will be a superior tutorial created by someone else. Unless that happens my fellow forum friends will have to wait for a revised version of the tutorial.

B. The forum has expanded somewhat to include, indirectly, other Brother products. Since I'm only a home user and I don't have a laboratory of MFCs with a variety of different systems to test them on you're very much at the mercy of the little I've gleaned from my experience with the inexpensive MFC-210C on a 32-Bit PC running Breezy Badger.

Since I've not been invited to work for printer development (I'd gladly join the payroll!) you're stuck having to get help from the Dapper Drake development team. Now you may wish to ensure you've got the latest drivers from Brother. Perhaps re-installing them and carefully determining what goes wrong. The command line will show you this. If working with the command line is not something you consider fun then you may have to wait for other assistance.

[BobSongs]

tim@ubuntu:~/printer/dcp110c$ sudo dpkg -i cupswrapperdcp110c_1.0.0-1_i386.deb
(Reading database ... 106367 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to replace cupswrapperdcp110c 1.0.0-1 (using cupswrapperdcp110c_1.0.0-1_i386.deb) ...
lpadmin: The printer or class was not found. [THIS LINE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN A RUN I DID JUST BEFORE. THE PRINTER WAS PROBABLY OFF WHEN i RAN THE LINE AS THE DIRECTIONS SAY]
* Restarting Common Unix Printing System: cupsd [ ok ]
Unpacking replacement cupswrapperdcp110c ...
Setting up cupswrapperdcp110c (1.0.0-1) ...
rm -f /usr/lib/cups/filter/brlpdwrapperDCP110C
* Restarting Common Unix Printing System: cupsd [/I]

The printer is recognized under SYSTEM>ADMIN.>PRINT and when I send a test page nothing happens. The printer icon changes from "printing" to "paused". The output of dmesg is:

Just to let you know. My tutorial requires the printer be off during this phase of the installation. So I doubt this is the problem.

Have you verified if Dapper Drake has added your Brother printer in its list of native printers?

[timsch75]

I've not seen the list of Dapper's native printers....

The command line is fine. However, I just downloaded and installed the .deb files about a month ago at most, so those should be current. It looks like i'm just in the same ol' boat as most other Dapper dudes. If it weren't going to be such a hassle, I'd go back to Breezy....

[BobSongs]

Keep an eye on the Dapper threads. If many things appear broken it might be a good idea to dig in for a while and let the cutting-edge folks work out the bugs. I'm all for helping but my problem is the need for a PC that's ready to work for the family. I've got that with Breezy. It'll be available in Dapper. I just can't tell when.

[nixt]

I concur with timsch75's findings - a fresh dapper install, followed instructions to the letter and got the exact same error messages. DCP115C here.

EDIT: I actually got my printer to work with dapper! No debs to install too. Just go through the normal Add Printer process, it will detect your attached printer automatically (switch it on before you start the wizard), press Next and select MFC210C... and print a test page. I was quite surprised when the page printed.

EDIT: Not true!! Read on the next few replies..