installing print drivers

[Rod Joyce]

On Monday 03 September 2007 05:51:13 D T wrote:
> Hello,
> I'm new to Linux but I know MS windows very well.  I have tried to go to
> Linux at least 5 times in the last 10 years.  It seems that I am cursed for
> not being able to do anything in Linux.  I've tried to install my printer,
> a Canon pixma IP3000 and failed. So then I tried my Nieces Dell 1110 Laser
> and failed again.  Then I went to the old shed to pull out the Brother MFC
> 3820-CN that my Brother-in-law kept stored, failed again.  I cannot
> remember all the new terms with Linux so I need to print out the sheets I
> find in Google.  So can anyone tell me a simple way to get a printer
> installed on Kububtu?  I have a
> file:///home/dt/Desktop/iP4200_Linux_260.tar.gz Canon japan driver
> IP4200??? that some say will work but I cant get it to install.  I can see
> it with the program that works like (Win-Rar, Win-Zip) but it wont install,
> It's actually the extension .RPM  (fedora Package)?  Then I found out I
> need to open it with a package installer but I dont have the one that
> Ubuntu guide has (the one under "system settings" -> "administration").
>
> I find it so hard to use this stuff the way it is.  Do I really have to
> find a Japanese driver then open it to view it, then get a separate package
> installer to install it?  Will it go in then?  Or is there more to do than
> this?  There has got to be one installer that does them all? right? Is
> there really no drivers (in America?) for a Canon IP 3000, a Dell 1110 and
> a Brother 3820CN?  These are all very common printers are they not? Canon
> has a driver for some of the printer but not mine and the are .tz
> extension.  I'm so frustrated, I hate MS with passion but ... 3 days and
> all I have is only the stuff that came on the original cd I downloaded and
> burned.  I even went back to my 4 year old computer (it ran the "live cd's)
> because I couldn't install most of the stuff (drivers) on a new system it
> would just lock up.  My 18 month old $2000.00 Dell 9400 ATI x1400, 17"
> ultra bright LCD, 2.0 gig dual core intel cpu, 2 gig ram, 100 gig 7200 rpm
> hd. wont even come up with the "live" CD (Ubuntu, Kubuntu, fedora,
> Dream-linux, Kororag, Puppy-linux, freespire, suse10.2.  Well at least this
> time I can get on the internet, first time that has happened so I must be
> getting better, trying to stay positive, I would love to leave MS.  Any
> help will be appreciated.  If not?  I'll wait another 2 years and try it
> again.
>
> Thank-you!
> _________________________________________________________________
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Unfortunately, Hewlett Packard seem to be the only printer manufacturer to 
take Linux seriously - most if not all distros, including Ubuntu and Kubuntu 
come with the HPLIP toolkit which is usually quicker and easier to use than 
fiddling around with the Windows driver CD for the same models. I have a PSC 
2115 and a Photosmart 320 connected to my machine and they've never given me 
any trouble. 
I also have a Canon Pixma i4200 which I couldn't find any useful drivers for 
until I discovered Turboprint for Linux. While I firmly believe in open 
source software, I'm prepared to sacrifice my principles when necessary, as 
long as it's not too expensive. You can get a commercial driver for the 
IP3000 at http://www.turboprint.de/english.html.  - there is a deb package 
available for Debian/Ubuntu, and the installation instructions are clearly 
explained on the website. You can download a free trial version (which will 
print an irritating banner at random across whatever you print), but this 
will (a) show you that it's really not that difficult to install a printer 
driver, and (b) can be converted to the full version by paying 29.95 euros 
(about 38 USD) for the keyfile. I'm afraid I can't help with the Dell or the 
Brother, have you tried googling?
BTW you won't have the installer mentioned in the Ubuntu guide as this Ubuntu 
uses the Gnome desktop. The installer in Kubuntu is Adept. You can install a 
tar.gz file with the console on either version. You CAN'T install a package 
ending in .rpm straight onto Ubuntu or Kubuntu as rpm packages are actually 
designed for use with Fedora, Suse Linux, and their derivatives. However, you 
can convert rpm packages  to deb packages (and vice versa) using a command 
line program called alien. But that's another story
Don't give up. I was driven insane by Windows 98, which crashed so often I was 
in danger of losing customers (I was a freelance translator at the time), and 
switched to Suse Linux in 2001, even though I didn't know much about 
computers. Since then I've learnt a lot, although I'm no expert. I use 
Kubuntu because I like KDE, and because for some reason I can't fathom, 
Kubuntu runs much better than either Fedora or SuSe Linux on my main 64-bit 
PC (a very old Dell and even older HP are running the latest 32-bit versions 
of Kubuntu and Suse respectively quite happily). 
Win XP stinks - I have to use it at work, and it crashes at least twice a 
day...
Rod