Canon LBP800 driver for linux

Canon LBP 800 linux drivers.
Tested on Ubuntu 10.10, 12.04, 13.04, 13.10. Also should works with newer Ubuntu (14.04, 15.04, 15.10, 16.04, etc.).

Version 0.1.10

What is this

This is driver for Canon LBP800 printer (with CAPT protocol via parallel port).

How to install on Ubuntu

I write this manual after I spend a whole day to setup this printer on Ubuntu :)
If you want to make bug report or contribution — please open an issue or PR in this repo. Also, fill free to drop me a line to mail@oleksiileonov.com.

0. Check BIOS settings

Your parallel port settings should be:

• Parallel port must be enabled.
• Mode: EPP — very important.

Also, I have next options and it works for me (but other options, like I/O 278 or IRQ 5 should also work fine):

• I/O Address: 378
• IRQ: 7

1. Download and unpack driver sources

cd ~
mkdir lbp800 && cd lbp800
wget https://github.com/aleksejleonov/lbp800_linux/archive/0.1.10.tar.gz
tar zxf 0.1.10.tar.gz && cd lbp800_linux-0.1.10

2. Install packages that will be needed to compile driver

sudo apt-get install build-essential
sudo apt-get install libcups2-dev

3. Remove libsane-hpaio package

libsane-hpaio package can try to use parallel port (/dev/lp0) and this can lead to conflicts.

sudo apt-get purge libsane-hpaio

4. Make & Install driver

cd ~/lbp800/lbp800_linux-0.1.10
make
sudo make install

5. Check parallel port modules

You need to check that lp, ppdev, parport_pc modules are loaded and works.

lsmod | grep lp
################################
# You have get something like: #
################################
#
# lp                     13299  0
# parport                40753  3 lp,ppdev,parport_pc

lsmod | grep ppdev
################################
# You have get something like: #
################################
#
# ppdev                  12817  0
# parport                40753  3 lp,ppdev,parport_pc

lsmod | grep parport_pc
################################
# You have get something like: #
################################
#
# parport_pc             27504  1
# parport                40753  3 lp,ppdev,parport_pc

If some of this modules missed in output, you need to add this module to /etc/modules.
Example (if parport_pc module is missed):

lsmod | grep parport_pc
# You have no output -- module missed

sudo nano /etc/modules
#####################################################
# Add "parport_pc" as new string at the end of file #
#####################################################

6. Add users to "lp" group

You should add all users that will print on LBP800 to lp linux group.

##
# Change username1, username2 to real account names
##
sudo usermod -a -G lp username1
sudo usermod -a -G lp username2

7. Reboot

Don't forget to turn on printer before PC!

sudo reboot

8. Check printer

Check that linux can see your printer:

sudo cat /proc/sys/dev/parport/parport*/autoprobe*
##
# You should get:
##
# CLASS:PRINTER;
# MODEL:LBP-800;
# MANUFACTURER:Canon;
# DESCRIPTION:Canon LBP-800;
# COMMAND SET:CAPT;

sudo /usr/lib/cups/backend/parallel
##
# You should get:
##
# direct parallel:/dev/lp0 "Canon LBP-800" "Canon LBP-800 LPT #1"
# "MFG:Canon;MDL:LBP-800;CMD:CAPT;VER:1.0;CLS:PRINTER;DES:Canon LBP-800" ""

9. Add printer

Open System settings → Printers. If Canon LBP800 appears in list, add it.

Else, if you can't find Canon LBP800 in list:

• Choose "Add by URI" option and set URI: parcapt:/dev/parport0 (parcapt:, not parallel:).
• When you will be asked about driver, find "Canon" in printers list, then choose LBP800 model. (Also, you can choose PPD file from ppd folder in ~/lbp800/lbp800_linux-0.1.10).

Try to print test page. Everything should works :)

Debugging

If printer still doesn't works — try to check all steps.

Also you can obtain useful info from kernel log:

dmesg | grep lp
dmesg | grep parport

If you have ubuntu with Apparmor (it can blocks cupsd) you should make next:

sudo aa-complain cupsd

Other printers

If you have Canon printer with USB (like LBP810, LBP1120, etc.) try to install official Canon CAPT Drivers for linux.

• Detailed instructions for Ubuntu 10.04, 11.10, 12.04: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/CanonCaptDrv190.
• Last version of Canon CAPT Drivers from official site (as on September 2013, ver. 2.6): http://support-au.canon.com.au/contents/AU/EN/0100459602.html.
• Automated script to install Canon CAPT Drivers ver. 2.20 https://github.com/raducotescu/CanonCAPTdriver.

Thanks

• Teythoon (https://github.com/teythoon) for contributing to this repo.
• Iamlolive, Fabux and other people from http://doc.ubuntu-fr.org/imprimante_canon_lbp800. They write great wiki (in french :), and give link to 0.1.8.b0 version of this driver.
• Sidorov Anonymous (find this name in old Readme file for 0.1.8.b0 version, canon_lbp800driver_0.1.8.b0_linux 20101119; Some page checks are improved).
• Massimo Del Fedele (max@veneto.com), who actually created driver for LBP800. Also he is owner of http://www.veneto.com/lbp800/lbp800.html for 0.1.2 version. (Now this site isn't available).
• Rildo Pragana (http://pragana.net), for his driver for another GDI winprinter (Samsung ML-85G).
• Nicolas Boichat (nicolas@boichat.ch), for his driver for canon LBP-810 USB GDI printer.