How to Use Your Printer: Install Canon Drivers on Ubuntu

Getting your printer to work on Ubuntu can sometimes feel tricky, especially if you’re new to Linux. This guide simplifies the process of installing Canon printer drivers on Ubuntu, drawing from community experiences to provide a clear path. We’ll focus on ensuring you can successfully set up your printer, addressing common issues along the way, so you can get back to using your printer without hassle.

Step-by-step Installation Guide

To start, we need to add software sources that Ubuntu can use to find the necessary driver components. This involves a couple of steps using both the graphical interface and the command line.

1. Add Software Sources via GUI:

   • Open “Software & Updates”.
   • Navigate to the “Software for Ubuntu” tab and ensure “Source code” is checked.
   • Go to the “Other Software” tab and click “Add”.
   • In the pop-up window, paste the following line and click “Add Source”:

     deb [http://jp.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/](http://jp.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/) xenial-proposed main restricted universe multiverse

   • Repeat the “Add Source” process with this line as well:

     deb-src [http://jp.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/](http://jp.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/) xenial-proposed main restricted universe multiverse

   • Close the “Software & Updates” window. You might be prompted to reload software sources; if so, allow it.

2. Update Package Lists:
   Open a terminal window. You can usually do this by pressing Ctrl+Alt+T. Type the following command and press Enter. This command updates your system’s package lists to include the newly added sources.

   sudo apt update

   You might be asked to enter your password. Type it in and press Enter (you won’t see the characters as you type).

3. Install Build Dependencies:
   Next, we need to install some tools required for building and installing drivers. Run this command in the terminal:

   sudo apt-get build-dep cups-common gimp-gutenprint libgutenprint-dev

4. Install Essential Build Tools:
   Finally, install essential tools for compiling software. This is a common step for many driver installations on Linux.

   sudo apt-get install build-essential

Troubleshooting ‘sources.list’ Errors

Sometimes, during the sudo apt-get build-dep command, you might encounter an error message indicating an issue with “source URIs in the sources.list file.” This usually means that the system can’t find the source addresses to download the necessary components. Here’s how to fix it:

1. Check and Edit sources.list:
   The sources.list file is a crucial configuration file that tells your system where to download software packages from. We need to check if it’s correctly configured.

   • Open the sources.list file with a text editor using the terminal. A user-friendly editor for the terminal is mousepad. You can use others like gedit as well. Use this command:

     sudo mousepad /etc/apt/sources.list

   • The file will open in the text editor. Look for lines starting with deb-src http://.... These lines are for source code repositories.
   • Identify and Uncomment deb-src lines: If you see a # character at the beginning of any deb-src lines, it means these lines are “commented out” and inactive. To enable them, simply remove the # character.
   • Save the File: After making changes, save the sources.list file and close the text editor.

2. Retry Build Dependencies Command:
   Now that you’ve ensured the deb-src lines are active in your sources.list file, try running the build dependencies command again:

   sudo apt-get build-dep cups-common gimp-gutenprint libgutenprint-dev

   This time, it should proceed without the “source URIs” error.

After completing these steps, you should have the necessary components installed to proceed with installing your Canon G1500 printer drivers. You can now search for the specific driver package for your Canon G1500 model on the Canon website or through Ubuntu’s printer settings to finalize the installation and start using your printer. If you encounter further issues, consulting Canon’s support resources or Ubuntu community forums can provide additional assistance for your specific printer model and Ubuntu version.