you can never go back...

[bigvoo]

wow... I had some stuff I needed to print, and the ( cheap ) little printer I have isn't suppoerted yet for linux, so I broke out the note book, which still has ( gulp ) vista on it, and began to setup the printer. this notebook is less than a year old, middle of the line power, 2 gigs ram. after a 4 minute boot, which included warning pop-ups from both microsooft and zone alarm-- " your computer is in DANGER" stuff, i started the print driver install from disc...18 minutes...then when finished, there were 2 windows on the screen, to the left " the printer driver in stalled failed" to the right " the printer install was successfull" I had to reboot, becuase, the windows about doing a survey for cannon, would not close. the printer works, but I realized it's been 2 months since i even booted the vista machine, and I really think, I can never go back. I think I'm ging to install ubuntu studio on it, even if it means a loss of money for all the software I installed on it...

[elija]

Congratulations on your independence day

[MikeTbob]

Sounds like a love story to me, not with the printer of course.
Glad to see you are finding your way around, Once you really start using Linux, it doesn't take that long to lose sight of what "made windows so good".

[oz]

I realized it's been 2 months since i even booted the vista machine, and I really think, I can never go back. I think I'm ging to install ubuntu studio on it, even if it means a loss of money for all the software I installed on it...

Yeah, I had to do a fresh install/tweak of Windows XP on a machine about 7 months ago and it was a total nightmare. I can only imagine what Vista must be like, as I've never tried it.

Regarding losing your Windows OS and software, the first thing I do with any machine that comes with Windows preloaded is a complete wipe of the drive. For me, that's the first step toward highly improving any computer.

As always, I'm exceedingly glad that Windows is out there for those that like it, though!

[D-cat]

Of course I focus on the first problem: The printer driver. I have to ask, what printer do you have? I've yet to see a Canon not work in Linux.

[bigvoo]

Of course I focus on the first problem: The printer driver. I have to ask, what printer do you have? I've yet to see a Canon not work in Linux.

It's a cannon mp-140 D-cat, the one they give away for free, when you buy a computer, I could never get it to work with ubuntu, it shows up in the Q, like ubuntu knows it's there, but just won't send the job to the printer...any advise on that much appreciated.

[Freston]

Can't help you with your printer. But I had to buy a new one to be able to make the switch 100%. That's years back now, and I still like my 'new' printer. It was a lot of money back then at €130,- but I never regretted it. And I safe quite some money on the cartridges too.

Also, I now know a store where they take a little extra step when dealing with a Linux customer. There work real geeks and not salesmen, and thats what you want in a computer store

[D-cat]

The Pixma class of printers is well supported in Linux (I have a MX300), though they are relatively new and require a recent distro (or at least recent CUPS with gutenprint drivers). However, the lowest common denominator driver that comes with gutenprint is the MP150. Earlier Pixmas require a set of manufacturer downloads. Follow the instructions I found in the Ubuntu forums:

1. I followed the lead to the Canon site (Canon)
2. I downloaded all four Debian packages
3. I installed the two common packages first by simply double-clicking them in the desktop
4. I then installed the actual drivers (also by double-clicking)
5. I did a reboot (I guess I can't shake off the MS Zombie thinking that a reboot never harms...)


The only thing I then had to watch out for was that the printer manager didn't find the driver by default, and it's listed under MP140, not PIXMA MP140 like the rest of the PIXMA series, so I nearly missed it.

I hope this helps you out.