Thursday, May 28, 2009

Hablemos de Linux (Canon PIXMA MP190)

Hi everybody, some time ago I created my own blog account, I've never written anything before, so I've been thinking what to write about Linux and its many advantages but to be honest I was behind. Today I want to share with you (who will be interested on that) about to set up a Multifunctional Canon Pixma MP190. I'm a Slackware fan, so my comments will be oriented in that distro although of course it will work fine in Ubuntu, Fedora, Mandriva or another Linux distro. OK go ahead, Talk it about Linux!!

Set Up Canon PIXMA MP190
After that please visit the Europe Canon Site, they will provide the correct proprietary printer and scanner drivers http://software.canon-europe.com/ here you can find available software by product, next step you should select your Operating System {Linux of Course} and download the RPM or Debian Linux Printer & Scanner Drivers (Version) in my case I downloaded MP190_RPM_drivers.tar file corresponding to 3.0 version.

When you extract the content (I'm assuming you know how to do it, if not please locate ark under KDE or file-roller under Gnome or just type: tar -xvf in a terminal) it will give you 2 more compressed files: MP190_RPM_printer.tar & MP190_RPM_scangear.tar, eachone it's important if you want the multifunction works, because there are the Printer and Scanner drivers each one.

At this point you shouldn't have any trouble doing that. If you do just try to restart the process.

Extracted files - MP190_RPM_printer
OK before starting the process you should work as super user (root) using su.
the cnijfilter-common-3.00-1.i386.rpm file contains the common Canon filter and cnijfilter-mp190series-3.00-1.i386.rpm file contains the specific MP190 Series filter that after that you could set it using CUPS. But if you think come on! I don't wanna use rpm files because I use Slackware take it easy there are another file called cnijfilter-common-3.00-1.tar.gz that contains both of them, common and specific filter, just follow the instruccion inside, in each case just ./autogen.sh && make && make install (Please read the INSTALL file)

In my case I used the RPM files because they were fine to me just I typed:
rpm -i --nodeps *rpm (of course my slack 12.2 covered the dependency requirements according to ./cnijfilter-common-3.00-1/cnijfilter-common-3.00/cnijfilter/README)

to install those files under RPM based systems just type: rpm -ivh *rpm to install them or just double click over them to use the GUI Install App.

In case you are using a Debian system based you should download the deb files and type sudo dpkg -i localfile.deb or use sudo -i like su on others systems or double click over them to use the GUI Install App.

Now we have fresh drivers to install our Multifunctional Printer device using cups, I'll try to show you using the localhost:631/admin (For Slackware you should do that as root because if you do as common user when it ask for admin user to save settings it fails and doesn't matter you are typing root password correctly)

First at all select the Add Printer choice.












Next you need to write the identifier for your printer












To select the corresponding device it should appear as USB or something like that into your system, if you don't have USB access you should be part of the messagebus and plugdev groups to access USB port anytime.


Finally you could select the correct driver for your Canon PIXMA MP190












and Voilá you will have a nice printer to use.

What? what you mean? oh yes I didn't forget scanner yet, if you check now you have some new files onto /usr/local/bin {I'm asumming default install} there are two gui tools to use the Multifunctional: printuimp190 and scangearmp {the multifunction's copy option doesn't need to be connected to the pc to work} so the printuimp190 app will not be usable if we are using cups if not may be it will work.

the scangearmp app it will work in two modes, like a X App typing it or calling it from a .desktop file or my favorite from GIMP! if you ask What? I will say YES! it works fine from GIMP, as an adquire tool. Inmediatelly you select this menu it will appear the X scangear window where you can set settings in basic or advance mode to scan your own images.


















The next one image I'll show you a preview image that I took it with the Canon Scanner using the X scangear window, to give a nice picture just select scan and it will give you the image inside GIMP to work on there.

Is my pleasure to help people who is looking for this solution, In the hope to help people who needs this kind of information, if not I'm sorry, please write your comments I'll be glad to read it.
Geniusworld!
Que viva el Pingüino!