mfp?

[overthere]

Hi
I was about to pick up a mfp for my box but decided to do some reading first.

At this point it appears that FAX is not going to work and I need to recompile the kernal to get a Scanner to work.

I already have a printer (cannon bjc 2000) that connected in a minute but the inks are half the price of a new mfp and I would like to scan and copy.

Is what I am reading true. some of the threads may have been old and not for this distro. hp? seems popular or epson?

what is the reality on vl5.9?

what packages do I need to install?

will I need to recompile the kernal?? holy, how would I do that

what is my best bet Model for purchase?

will I be able to scan a photo, enlarge and print it.with what expected quality.

My understanding is that print and copy will work regardless?

just do not want to waste any more money.
Thanks

[Dweeberkitty]

I would recommend starting with an HP as they have almost complete support for their printers and scanners under Linux. (That is why they are so popular) Also, VL5.9 includes HP's utility that should help you get connected to your HP printer/scanner and begin to use it. I have never actually tested this as I do not do any scanning but that would be where I would begin to look.

[overthere]

thanks....Hmm...hp...ok
I seen the hp item in the menu but it did nothing when clicked...guess either I have to have a unit pluged in or it was not added during install.
well here's hopeing








Note to self...never stop to think about what you are doing...you will instantly spontainiously combust into a wide puddle on the ground and end up seeping through stray cat stuff and used gum into a sewer drain and be licked by hidious creatures and not dry up for years.

[InTheWoods]

I have not yet read about anyone getting a mfp going in Linux. I think GrannyGeek got either the printer or the scanner going on one. It might be possible to setup the printer and scanner as two separate machines.

Here is how you get a scanner going.
There is no scanner support module in the 2.6 kernels. Instead Sane uses libusb which is part of Vec 5.8 and 5.9.

run:

Code:

scanimage -L

you should get something showing the scanner is present.

Go here and find the proper windows driver for your scanner. You should have a vendors disk that has several drivers on it. You may have to try a few to get the one that works. If you don't have the disk you should be able to download the required driver from the web.

copy the driver to
/usr/share/sane/snapscan/

and edit
/etc/sane.d/snapscan.conf
so that the firmware file reads
firmware /usr/share/sane/snapscan/<your driver>.bin

Xsane has been removed from the graphics menu in 5.9 so in a terminal run

Code:

xsane

This should bring up the GUI for your scanner. Accept the license and away you go. Xsane sometimes takes a while to find your scanner at first. But after that it works great and it supports faxing.

I will be watching to see how you make out.

[overthere]

Thanks..
perhaps a standalone scanner would be a better choice for this system.

I do have a working printer, although the ink is pricey and can get a seperate fax/phone/answer with copy function.

I would then have to print the doc and put it in the fax machine. or maby there is a print to fax for abi or something for sending.

I should do this one thing at a time

would hp still be the best choice in scanners?

I would like a new printer also which is what started my quest. I replaced the brother mfc w/message with a simple printer while decideing on a new one and have now moved to linux so it's all up in the air.

maby I should put a mfc on windows and just continue to play with linux.

regardless ,one way or another this system is going to print scan and copy

Transitions suck

[GrannyGeek]

I have a Canon Pixma MP160 that I got free after rebate when I bought my laptop in August. It prints (inkjet), scans, and makes copies. The copier works independenly of the computer, which doesn't even have to be on, so that part works no matter what. The printer was no problem. I used the Cups Gutenprint driver for the Pixma MP150.

The scanner actually has a proprietary Linux driver from Canon. Unless someone is interested, I won't go into details, but I installed the driver and its software. This Canon all-in-one does NOT use xsane. It uses its own software. It includes a plugin for the Gimp so you can scan directly into Gimp. It also can be run from the command line to scan to a graphical file (PNG, I think). I had to change the permissions for the device so that I could scan as user.

I'm not recommending this all-in-one, just giving an example of how you can get a seemingly unsupported scanner working in Linux sometimes. I also have a very cheap Lexmark all-in-one that does print in Linux with the z600 driver (as do many Lexmark inkjets). The Lexmark scanner is a lost cause, however. It has no support in Linux and I don't think anyone has ever gotten it to work. Fortunately, I have a Microtek SCSI scanner attached to the same computer and it works very well with Linux and xsane.

For faxing I'd have to scan to a file and then use fax software to send it. I don't have a modem in either of my desktop computers and the laptops have winmodems, which I've never attempted to use in Linux. So I have no experience at all with faxing.
--GrannyGeek

[overthere]

Thank you...I appreciate that detailed instruction would be for an actual hands on install of a unit. and I have not yet made a choice. I hope you may be so kind if I come across that unit.

I expected that copy and print were not an issue and I can live with out the fax but could make good use of a scanner and desire the mfp. will see what comes..thanks

any additional successes welcome
thanks again