How To: Install Canon PIXMA MX870 drivers on i368 and 64bit ubuntu

[gilf]

Hey Glif, I understand what you are saying but have no idea how to check if what you fear is true. Can you elaborate? I don't see any printer settings for such things - is it supposed to be automatic?
K

Hey, thewump, it's possible that the printer itself is somehow able to make the mental switch between B&W text and RGB graphics/photos, I'm not familiar with the internal operation of the MX870 firmware. I suppose it could.

But generally in the past on most printers, this exists as a user controlled setting you can alter in a dialog through the Print function in any particular application, Like Open Office Write, for instance.

Also in some cases you would like to print a B&W version of a color photo or color document to save color ink. So the ability to specify is usually present in most printer drivers. These get passed on to CUPS, and to applications. I'm afraid that this choice is not present in the Canon driver for this printer.

One way to check it out is to open CUPS by typing localhost:631 in your browser. Then go to the manage printers section and click on the MX870's printer's Options (or "Configure Printer) depending on your version of CUPS (not Modify printer). This will show you what options are available.

I don't see much there on mine. When I click on the drop down for "Color Model" there is only "RGB" and for resolution, there is only "600DPI".

By contrast most other brand printers drivers include grayscale, B&W, various resolution modes and possibly a number of other printer color adjustment controls.

I guess one other way of telling if text uses a mixed ink black from the small tanks, or real pigment black from the main tank is to see how fast the color ink tanks are used up vs. the black ink tank.

Do remember, all tanks are used for head cleaning (a major usage of ink) so even if black is not being used on text printout, some black will be used up by normal printer operation. It wouldn't appear as no usage of the black therefore.

If you are performing many color ink changes and just a few black tank changes, this might be what is happening. You are just using up the black for head cleaning.

On the other hand if you are changing all tanks at roughly the similar interval (for everyday mixed text use), then I guess the printer is able to distinguish and to use pigment black for text automatically.

It still would be important to be able to specify B&W as a default, even for photos, and color only when asked for, unless you do a lot of color work. Pigment black is much cheaper. Color should last a long time that way unless you do a lot of color printing.

Thanks for this thread BTW, this has nothing to do with the assistance you've given in getting the MX870 to print at all in Linux. Very helpful. This problem, if it exists, is part of the Canon driver itself.

[thewump]

Interesting.. Port 631 is VERY interesting.. thanks for that snippet of info.

So I don't have enough data locally to work this out. I have two color printers configured, and the other Xerox has:

Output Color: Color or Grayscale.

and then our lovely MX870 doesn't have this field, but has

Color Mode: RGB
Resolution: 600dpi

like you say.. So, I concur with you that nothing is really clear. I'm not at home but tonight I'll look at the printer settings through it's UI screen and see what is there that might be missing, or fire up a windows VM and see what that driver offers.. ugh!

Can't find a decent manual online. There is only a light "getting started" pdf, and the manual is either an exe or dmg.

Good times

K

[LeeBruce]

Hi,
I have exactly the same annoying problem, the CUPS web interface (and evince print options as well, for example) shows only 600dpi and RGB. It's incredible there's no option to print grayscale.
However, there is a workaround, even if it is quite ugly (I do not know how this affects ink consumption):
Ubuntu menu: system - admin - print
right click on the printer, properties
job properties

At the very end, you can add custom options. Add 'CNGrayscale' and set it to TRUE.
Unfortunately, this does not add an option you can choose when you print something, but will just force your MX870 to print in grayscale.
You can then duplicate the printer changing the name (say, adding 'color') and setting the same option to false, to have a "new" printer that prints with colors.

So the grayscale printing it is actually available, it is just that for some damn reason this is not reachable from the existing cups interface.

If somebody knows a better solution to this problem, please let us know.
Thanks

[teddyp]

Maxlite. Before going through all the effort of uninstalling, I've had a quick scan of what this contains. It's great that there is an installable DEB file here, but looking at the source I think this is exactly the same stuff that we've been downloading from asia. Same install.sh with the same version.

This deb file is therefore great for anyone who has 32bit 386 version but for 64bit this thread is still valid.

Next person who comes along though:

Download from:

http://software.canon-europe.com/software/0038683.asp

32bit? Click the DEB file.

64bit?
sudo dpkg --force-architecture -i <filename>.deb

and report back please.

Thanks

K

I really want to thank you for this. I found this post a few months ago and tried the solution from the OP and never got it to work for some reason. Nothing ever happened when I printed. I just saw this today, grabbed the file, installed it and I'm printing again. Seriously, thanks.

Oh yeah... forgot this- Linux The-MAN 2.6.35-25-generic #44-Ubuntu SMP Fri Jan 21 17:40:44 UTC 2011 x86_64 GNU/Linux
running mint 10

[awr]

Next person who comes along though:

Download from:

http://software.canon-europe.com/software/0038683.asp

32bit? Click the DEB file.

64bit?
sudo dpkg --force-architecture -i <filename>.deb

and report back please.
K

Ok, so downloaded the software and installed the deb packages with the line above. All seemed to work ok, although there wasn't anything to indicate success. Checked Ubuntu Software Centre but couldn't find the packages either. Despite this, opened up System/Administration/Printers, selected Add and selected Canon-MX870. Drivers were automatically found (presumably because I installed them). Printing works fine although the printer properties only allow 600dpi and Ink/Toner levels are not reported.

Ubuntu 10.10 64bit

[khschulz]

How can I install the PIXMA MX870 with 11.04 64bit?

I tried the instruction but get the following errors:


==================================================

Canon Inkjet Printer Driver Ver.3.30-1 for Linux
Copyright CANON INC. 2001-2010
All Rights Reserved.

==================================================
Command executed = sudo dpkg --force-architecture -iG ./packages/cnijfilter-common_3.30-1_i386.deb
dpkg: warning: overriding problem because --force enabled:
package architecture (i386) does not match system (amd64)
(Reading database ... 198459 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to replace cnijfilter-common:i386 3.30-1 (using .../cnijfilter-common_3.30-1_i386.deb) ...
Unpacking replacement cnijfilter-common:i386 ...
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of cnijfilter-common:i386:
cnijfilter-common:i386 depends on libc6 (>= 2.3.4-1).
cnijfilter-common:i386 depends on libcupsys2 (>= 1.2.1) | libcups2.
cnijfilter-common:i386 depends on libpopt0 (>= 1.7).
dpkg: error processing cnijfilter-common:i386 (--install):
dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
Processing triggers for libc-bin ...
ldconfig deferred processing now taking place
Errors were encountered while processing:
cnijfilter-common:i386

[noteviljoe]

I was thinking about getting the Canon PIXMA MX885 (which just seems to be a slightly updated version of the MX870)

The companies page seems to suggest that there are drivers http://software.canon-europe.com/products/0011008.asp

Would I have to follow the same instructions as at the beginning of this thread to install these?

It looks like a nice printer but reluctant to shell out all that dosh till I've got confirmation that it works with ubuntu.

P.s: Also I was planning to upgrade to 11.04 when it comes out,is it likely that the drivers will work just as well with that?

[Statik]

I have the same trouble as khschulz. I just upgraded to 11.04 and I get the same error.

Any help greatly appreciated.

Statik

[m0r]

+1
I'm currently experimenting with --ignore-depends=libc6,libcupsys2,libpopt0, but I don't seem to be able to get it to work. Going to sleep now. I will update this post in case of success. (unlikely)

[Obnoticus]

I'm having the same problem with the installation process as well. It worked perfectly in Maverick, but after the clean reinstall to Natty this error pops up when I run the modified install.sh