Successfully got my Canon Pixma MX490 Scanner to Work in Linux Mint!

[mrjimphelps]

I purchased a new scanner -- a Canon Pixma MX490. I got it for $35.00 at walmart.com! It has an automatic document feeder and includes a fax machine! If your DSL internet service forces you to also have an analog phone line, then this is just the printer for you!

Ah, but will it scan directly from Linux Mint? The answer is, Yes, if you download and install the drivers.

I downloaded and installed both the printer driver and the scanner driver. However, the "add a printer" driver that Linux Mint provides is a better printer driver than the one you will download from Canon, so you might prefer staying with that one. But I have a feeling that you should at least go through the printer install process, just in case it installs something that is needed for the scanner to be able to work.

Anyway, here's what I did...

I went to my Downloads folder and created a folder called Canon.
I went to the Canon folder and created two folders: Printer and Scanner

When I download the printer and scanner drivers and user guides, I'll put them in these two folders.

The drivers are available from Canon Asia, so here's what I did:

I went to global.canon. I scrolled to the bottom of the page and clicked on "For Support Information".

I chose Asia from the map, then clicked Thailand (English), then Support.

I selected my printer from the drop down lists:
Inkjet Multifunction Printers
PIXMA MX Series
PIXMA MX497 --> Mine is the MX490, but the important thing is to match the first two digits of the number part.
Drivers & Software

I then clicked the red Find button.

There were 30 downloads shown, so I clicked the Linux link, so that it would show only the six Linux downloads.

I downloaded the following two drivers:

IJ Printer Driver Ver. 5.10 for Linux (debian Packagearchive)
http://support-th.canon-asia.com/conten ... 66902.html

ScanGear MP Ver. 3.10 for Linux (debian Packagearchive)
http://support-th.canon-asia.com/conten ... 67202.html

I then clicked on the Manuals link, then clicked the Linux link, so that it would show only the two Linux documents.

I downloaded the following two documents:

IJ Printer Driver Ver. 5.10 for Linux (Operation guide)
http://support-th.canon-asia.com/conten ... 96602.html

ScanGear MP Ver. 3.10 for Linux (Operation guide)
http://support-th.canon-asia.com/conten ... 00302.html

I then closed my browser.

I first installed the printer driver.

I expanded the Operations guide. Once I did that, I found a very helpful HTML file in the user guide folder called guide_index.htm. I clicked on it and followed the instructions precisely to install the printer. This file was very helpful.

I repeated the process for the scanner driver, also clicking on guide_index.htm for the scanner.

The only thing I had to do to get the scanner driver to find the scanner was to turn the scanner off then on. It then was able to find it.

Simple Scan won't work; but the Canon scanning program works. To run it, you open a terminal session and type scangearmp2. Or, you can create a launcher (a shortcut) on your desktop to run scangearmp2. Scangearmp2 is a simple but functional program. Best of all, IT WORKS!

If you follow the Canon instructions to a T, you should be able to scan directly from Linux Mint using the scangearmp2 program.

[pdc_2]

well done Jim; very nicely documented and pleased it is all working for you;

as you say, the open-source SANE does not support the MX490 series scanners; they would like some help as they record the 490 series as "untested": http://www.sane-project.org/sane-mfgs.html#Z-CANON

if you joined the mailing list here http://lists.alioth.debian.org/mailman/ ... sane-devel they have the expertise; you have the hardware; it would help the whole linux community if you could help them; let us know how it goes; they are very nice folks and keen to help

[russellbateman]

I guess the Canon website changed, but, because you posted the links, wow, it just worked. I didn't even have to pore through the documentation for it.

Printers and ink are a scam, I'm replacing an MX900-series printer in pristine shape that just won't print no matter how new the cartridges I offer it, but the software guys have really made life easy. I was skeptical of the driver installation, but gave it a shot anyway:

Code: Select all

$ ./install.sh

and it found everything. I remember back when installing a driver was a big deal and very challenging. Bravo to the software guys.

Thanks for the work, my friend.

[BaxtersDad]

Wow, thanks so much! I am now scanning to Ubuntu 16.04 from my Pixma MX492 with this driver. As another data point, I am running Ubuntu 16.04 under Crouton on an Asus Flip C302! Scanning was about the last thing that I was unable to do until I found your post!

Pat Anderson
AKA "BaxtersDad"