Ubuntu – Canon MB2320: Scangear works, but simplescan and xsane don’t find scanner

I just delved into the packages, they do provide a sane module for canon multi-function scanners. And the second package does contain the right files.

Firs thing though, cd dpkg -i is complete rubbish, that's not a valid command and would never work no matter what. I'm editing it out of the other answer so other people aren't confused by it.

I would get you to list the sane backends, but sane is very poorly designed and can't be bothered to include diagnostic functionality. The only thing to try is redownload the scanner package from canon, extract the files and double click on the common i386 package followed by the mg i386 package and install them via the software center.

Use scanimage from the command line to confirm if it's now working scanimage -L and if not, restart the computer and check again.

Download and install drivers from the Brother website.

Select 'Driver Install Tool' download and install. This will install the lpr, CUPSwrapper and scanner drivers. Make sure you get the right ones for your operating system (i.e. 64-bit or 32-bit). I did this step over and over again and so I can't remember whether the package installed the right ones first time or not. The brother website has instructions for installing the drivers, make sure you follow them.

Open terminal and enter

brsaneconfig4

This should come up with something like this

    USAGE: brsaneconfig4 [-OPTION]   OPTION:
   -a name=FRIENDLY-NAME model=MODEL-NAME ip=xx.xx.xx.xx    
   -a name=FRIENDLY-NAME model=MODEL-NAME nodename=BRN_xxxxx 
               : Add network scanner
   -r FRIENDLY-NAME [FRIENDLY-NAME ...]
               : Remove network scanner
   -q          : Query supported models and available network scanners
   -d          : Diagnosis
   -p          : Ping (for network scanners)  
   -s:[LABEL]  : Save current configuration
   -l:[LABEL]  : Load saved configuration

Find the IP address by plugging in and turning on the printer and then hitting the menu button until you get 'Network' press the down arrow button to select 'TCP/IP' then 'IP Address'. Alternatively you can do this by using brsaneconfig4

    brsaneconfig4 -p

Then you'll have to create your scanner for the scanner programs to see by entering this in terminal

    brsaneconfig4 name=put the name you want to call your printer here model=DCP7065DN ip=xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx

where x's are the numbers from the IP address you've just discovered. Then RESTART YOUR COMPUTER!!

    sudo reboot

To get the scan button to work you need to run the scan key (this bit is apparently 64bit or 32bit specific) so there may be some issues here if you don't have the right one.

    brscan-skey

then test if it sees your scanner

    brscan-skey -l

this should show you the name you just entered for the scanner.

Edit Apparently you need to run brscan-skey command once every session that you want to use the scan key. Open Startup Applications and enter

brscan-skey

as a command to get it to run automatically.

Apparently you need to have gimp installed to use the printer/scanner scan button. It is certainly the program that opens the scans on my computer.

You need to have installed sane-utils, but brother mention this in their instructions.

All done! Good luck!

p.s The printer stopped working over the network for only my ubuntu computers after an update. I found that it was not accepting full length ip addresses (that is 3digits.3digits.3digits.3digits). It started working again after I took out any zeroes at the start of any 3digit sequence, so .066 became .66 in the device url section of the printer properties under printers in the general settings e.g

socket://192.168.001.066

became

socket://192.168.1.66