Supporting printer portion of MF-4270, was:[Re: Document Scanners that work with F9]

Todd Denniston Todd.Denniston at ssa.crane.navy.mil
Fri Nov 7 02:06:03 UTC 2008


Sam Varshavchik wrote, On 11/06/2008 06:29 PM:
> Todd Denniston writes:
<SNIP>
>> The actual printer _device_ driver for CUPS is often gutenprint[1].
> 
> I already have gutenprint installed. I'm not sure how gutenprint is 
> supposed to interface with CUPS, but when I try to select the printer, 
> this Canon model is not listed.
> 

Often times the driver is supported by a similar models driver so you could 
either pick one that seems similar and try it, or you could ask on the list
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/gimp-print-devel

<SNIP>
> 
> Well, I still don't see this Canon model listed as supported in the 
> documentation in the latest, a fairly recent, release.
Although you are correct in that gutenprint does not seem to support the 
device... <go rummaging for Linux printer information> ...
http://www.linuxfoundation.org/en/OpenPrinting
indicates:
http://www.openprinting.org/show_printer.cgi?recnum=Canon-MF4270
there is a binary driver for it on one of canon's websites

Sorry to confuse you, by trying to lead you towards getting an Open Source 
driver going.

> 
> The only reason I could hack sane is because its supported for the 
> scanner was already there, it just had some bugs. A complete absence of 
> support for the entire printer is quite a different beast.
again, printer families often use the same or similar control protocol, and a 
similar driver might at least 'work' but not give nice results, and knowing 
that would help the devs know what they would need to change. however for this 
device there is a working (closed source) solution from the manufacturer, at 
least until Fedora upgrades to a point where it can't find a old library.

It is too bad so few folks know about the nice databases that have been put 
together for devices that work with Unix:
http://www.linuxfoundation.org/en/OpenPrinting/Database/DatabaseIntro
http://www.openprinting.org/printer_list.cgi
http://www.sane-project.org/sane-supported-devices.html
http://www.sane-project.org/cgi-bin/driver.pl

-- 
Todd Denniston
Crane Division, Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC Crane)
Harnessing the Power of Technology for the Warfighter




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