WiFi (wireless) connection to Canon MP 560 printer/scanner?

[br1anstorm]

I am trying to read up and prepare before making the change from XP to Linux Lite.  I plan to install Linux Lite on my (spare) old laptop, to see how it all works.

Can I set up this old laptop, once I have installed Linux Lite,  to connect wirelessly to my Canon MP 560 printer/scanner?  I understand I can download from the Canon website a driver for the MP 560 which works with Linux Debian OSs.  Will this be suitable for Linux Lite?  If so, what else do I need to do?

My printer is connected by wire to my Netgear router which is linked (wired or wireless) to my main daily computer still running WinXP.  The printer has wireless connectivity.  My wife can find it and access it directly wirelessly from her (ahem....) Windows 7 netbook.  I'd like to do the same from a Linux Lite laptop.  How do I make it happen?

[gold_finger]

I don't have a Canon printer and have never installed one of their drivers.  Did a quick search for you and found this article that sounds like the easiest way to do it:  http://www.ubuntubuzz.com/2011/06/downlo...river.html.

Article is a few years old, but I'm pretty sure the repository still works.  You'll know when executing command to add it.  If it doesn't work, you'll just get an error message.  So, from that article -- this is what you should try:

*  Open a terminal  (click its launcher icon along panel)

*  Copy/Paste this command to add the repository with Canon drivers:

Code:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:michael-gruz/canon-trunk

(Type your user password when asked -- it will not show-up on terminal as you type it.)

*  If then asked to confirm that you want to add repo, do that.

• If get an error message and you typed command instead of copy/pasting it, then look carefully to make sure it matches exactly with command above.  Spacing and upper/lowercase lettering, etc. must match exactly.  If everything matches above, then I guess repo no longer works -- just exit out of terminal and skip to end of this post.
  

*  Tell computer to update package sources

Code:

sudo apt-get update

*  Now install your driver

Code:

sudo apt-get install cnijfilter-mp560series

Hopefully that worked for you.  (If doesn't work right away, try restarting computer to see if that makes it take effect.  Don't think you'll need to do that, but it's possible.  When installing proprietary graphics drivers you have to restart, so maybe same will apply to proprietary printer too.)

If no luck adding repo, plug your printer model into this search engine and look at the results (that's how I found what I just typed):  Linux Beginner Search Engine.

[Valtam]

Updated ppa link in above tutorial to 14.04 supported series.

[br1anstorm]

Thanks for those replies - I've been away from this forum for a while, experimenting with other distros.  I have found that I can get my Canon printer to work with some other Linux flavours, using the (default?) CUPS package that is packaged with most Linux distros. The crucial thing (which it took me a while to learn) was that if connecting via wifi, it's essential that the printer, which is part of a network run via the router, has a fixed IP address.  Otherwise whenever the system is shut down and rebooted, the printer gets a different IP address and the connection is lost.

I also managed to get the scanner element of my all-in-one-machine working with some of the other Linux distros, but only after downloading the (official) scanner driver from the Canon site.

I have not yet installed Linux Lite, am currently running an extended live session of the recent (2.2) release, and am very impressed...  Once I have a proper install up and running, i shall probably be back on the forum again. 

[technomancer]

I have a Cannon Pixma MX430. It is on wifi, static IP (as printers should always be, I work for Xerox)
I had no issues using LL built in printer utility.
Works great. Scanning you have to get the software from cannon and follow simple instructions. 

[br1anstorm]

Yup - thanks technomancer, I completely agree. 

Since posting my recent comments, I have successfully added and run my Canon printer in a Linux Lite Live session, using the default software.  I think I'll wait until I install the OS before downloading the Canon scanner driver.  But it's all looking good.