Ubuntu
simple-scan package

Xsane and simple scanner will not work with a Canon MX870 printer / scanner

Asked by Russell Booth

I have downloaded 2 drivers for the Canon MX870 printer ,1 for the printer itself which I've managed to be able to get working with the 32 bit driver on Ubuntu 10.04 , the other is for the scanner part of the unit which I've been able to get working with XSane or simple scan.

These drivers were downloaded off the Canon website and are specifically for Linux operating system , it says 32 bit but my operating system is 64 bit , but the printer still works.

Can somebody tell me why it these mentioned programs won't work with the scanner?

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Russell Booth
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marcus aurelius (adbiz) said : 		#1

they don't work because 32-bit drivers only work on 32-bit operating systems. it's like you trying to run mac software on linux machines. it doesn't work.

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Russell Booth (rbooth10) said : 		#2

What I can't work out is the printer works with the 32 bit driver but the scanner doesn't work with the separate scanner driver ,which is also 32 bit , is there something in that the scanner needs a 64 bit driver to work?

I think there is some way of getting the 32 bit driver to work in the 64 bit operating system so it works as a 64 bit driver,it involves making some mods to the driver or something , which I am yet to try , or is there a 64 bit version of this driver available ?

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marcus aurelius (adbiz) said : 		#3

i doubt strongly that it's the canon driver that's making your printer work. it's most likely cups.

anyways, you said you got the scanner to work via xsane and simple scan. if so, you don't need canon's driver for your scanner.

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Russell Booth (rbooth10) said : 		#4

I said I got the printer working but I can't get the scanner working , I'll try deleting the driver to make sure that's not what's causing the problem.

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Russell Booth (rbooth10) said : 		#5

I found out how to get this scanner working with Ubuntu , using the 32 bit driver, I had to right click on the mouse button to create a launcher, then in the name ,just type the name Canon MX870 scanner , then in the command ,type "scangearmp" ,then all I had to do was find an icon to suit ,so the scanner is now accessible on the desktop.

So I couldn't get those other 2 to work with this scanner.

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Russell Booth (rbooth10) said : 		#6

I was wondering how a 32 bit driver could work on a 64 bit operating system, I think it might have something to do with the CPU being "dual core" , so I'm thinking that despite having the 64 bit Ubuntu on there, the computer may only need to use one of its cores to run the printer.

I doubt the same would be true for a 64 bit single core CPU.