Before installing a Canon printer driver on Linux, confirm that CUPS can see the connection and Canon lists a package for the exact model, because Canon publishes separate Linux packages for PIXMA inkjet, imageCLASS, and i-SENSYS laser devices.
Start with CUPS, not a driver download
CUPS, the Common Unix Printing System, manages printer queues on most Linux distributions. Confirm that its scheduler starts before searching for a model-specific package.
sudo apt update
sudo apt install cups cups-client
These commands apply to Debian, Ubuntu, Linux Mint, and other distributions that use APT, while Fedora uses dnf and openSUSE uses zypper for their equivalent packages.
Check whether Linux can see the printer
Connect a USB printer directly or put a network printer on the same network before running the checks below. The scheduler check establishes that CUPS is available, and the device list reports connection methods that CUPS can use.
lpstat -r
lpinfo -v
In the tested Debian environment, lpstat returned “scheduler is running”, and a result that says the scheduler is not running requires you to start and enable the cups service through your distribution’s service manager.
Choose the Canon driver family from the model support page
Find the model name on the printer label, then search that exact name on Canon’s regional support site. Select Linux in the operating-system filter and read the package description before downloading it.
- PIXMA inkjet models may have an IJ Printer Driver package.
- Many imageCLASS and i-SENSYS laser models use Canon’s UFR II or UFRII LT package for CUPS.
- Some LBP laser models use Canon Advanced Printing Technology, commonly called CAPT.
Canon’s current UFR II and CAPT support pages describe CUPS-based drivers whose supported-device lists and PPD files remain model specific.
Install the package format Canon provides for your distribution
Canon commonly supplies Debian packages for Debian-based distributions and RPM packages for Fedora, RHEL, and openSUSE families. Open the archive’s documentation and follow its model-specific installation path rather than copying an install.sh command from a different printer.
Review the downloaded file before giving it administrator access and use a package published on Canon’s support site.
Add the printer queue after the driver is installed
Open your desktop’s Printers settings and add the detected USB or network printer. After installation, the chooser should show the Canon model or its selected driver family rather than a generic fallback.
Send a small test page and inspect the queue before printing a larger job, using the CUPS administration page at http://localhost:631 when the queue pauses or filters fail.
When you do not need Canon’s driver
A recent network printer may work through driverless IPP or AirPrint support in CUPS. When your model documentation supports that route, add it as an IPP printer and print a test page before installing a proprietary package.
Older hardware and feature-specific jobs can still need Canon’s package, so use the support page for your exact model to establish compatibility.
Verify the queue before relying on it
Use CUPS to establish that Linux can see and queue the printer. Use Canon’s model support page only when the model needs its package, then inspect the resulting queue through lpstat and your desktop printer settings.
For command-line printing after the queue works, see the lp command reference.