Fix a Printer Issue on Linux

I have to print things. Sometimes it's a form. Sometimes it's just a flyer to take to a spirit night at school.
Spirit nights, for those who don't know, are basically when a restaurant partners with a school or sports team or PTA/PTO and that organization gets a cut of the money earned from the restaurant.

I have a Brother printer that I bought because I read that that brand works well with Linux An alternative to Windows or MacOS on computers. . I got it less than 3 years ago and it's stopped staying connected to the Wi-Fi. It prints with Zorin, Mint, and Ubuntu, but now I have to plug it in directly most of the time. I'm not a hardware person so I'm not going to even try to tell you how to fix that. I have a different issue to help you with today.

I have a Canon color printer that works well. It's at least a few years old, no more than six, and it stays connected to the Wi-Fi and doesn't give me trouble. I turn it on, then I can print.

I've run into one issue with the printer that's because of Linux An alternative to Windows or MacOS on computers. and I'll show you how to fix it here today. Scroll down to the troubleshoot header to see.

First, I want to tell you about how printing works in Linux An alternative to Windows or MacOS on computers. . Many distros Bundles the Linux kernel with other software components for a complete operating system use CUPS.

Linux An alternative to Windows or MacOS on computers. CUPS

There is a special printer service called CUPS that often comes with Linux An alternative to Windows or MacOS on computers. distros Bundles the Linux kernel with other software components for a complete operating system , like Zorin, Ubuntu, or Mint. It's a translator between your computer and the printer. You can access it by entering this in your browser Lets you visit pages on the internet, examples are Safari, Edge, Firefox, or Brave. :

http://localhost:631

You may be able to click on the above link also if you're on Linux An alternative to Windows or MacOS on computers. or know you use CUPS. It says localhost, which means I wouldn't see what you see. I would see my own info if I click that link. You see your own info if you click. It's safe.

From there, you can add or remove printers, change CUPS settings, and it may be all you need.

How to add a printer manually

Add printer in settings

In your settings, you can add or remove printers. It's likely

Settings > Printers

And then you click on "Unlock..." to enter your login name and password for your computer. That allows you to make changes, even if you're not in the sudoers group. sudo a command used in Linux for running a command as an administrator is a command in Linux An alternative to Windows or MacOS on computers. that you use on the terminal a text-based tool where you navigate your system and run commands by typing instead of clicking in a user interface , or you might call it the command line, to let the computer know you're doing an administrative action on purpose.

Add printer in CUPS

If the Settings menu isn't working, try the CUPS interface:

1. Open your web browser Lets you visit pages on the internet, examples are Safari, Edge, Firefox, or Brave.
2. Type localhost:631 in the address bar
3. Click "Administration" tab
4. Click "Add Printer"
5. You may need to enter your username and password (this is your regular computer login)
6. Select your printer from the list and follow the prompts. This gives you more control than the Settings app, but still doesn't require the terminal a text-based tool where you navigate your system and run commands by typing instead of clicking in a user interface .

The Troubleshoot: Printer shows up more than once or gets "rediscovered" everyday

CUPS is a great tool for automatically adding your printer. However, mine kept auto-adding every time I turned on the computer. This was a problem and really annoying. I went to the terminal a text-based tool where you navigate your system and run commands by typing instead of clicking in a user interface to fix it when it happened because that's fastest for me. But I'm going to show you how to actually fix it so it doesn't happen in the first place (without the terminal a text-based tool where you navigate your system and run commands by typing instead of clicking in a user interface ).

The option causing my problem was "auto-discovery."

In CUPS, this is called BrowseProtocols.

You can change this without using the terminal a text-based tool where you navigate your system and run commands by typing instead of clicking in a user interface .

Go to your file explorer app, mine is GNOME Files. Type /etc/cups/cups-browsed.conf in the search bar and you want to open that cups-browsed.conf file.

You go down to the BrowseProtocols option and you want it to say none like I show in the following image:

Don't worry about the red underlines. It's just spell check.

Remember to be on top of your back ups!: for your files and your system.

I'm going to go off of printers for a second, and talk about Timeshift, since we're going in to a config file. When you start getting into things like this, you want to be sure to have system restore points that can bring you back if you goof.

Timeshift: System restore snapshot

I recommend you install Timeshift and use it to set regular snapshots of your system settings. This is important for updates that go wrong or making a mistake when editing a config.

Think of it as a save point for your operating system The core software that manages a computer and lets applications run. This would be Windows or MacOS on computers, Android or iOS for phones, for example. . It's important for any operating system The core software that manages a computer and lets applications run. This would be Windows or MacOS on computers, Android or iOS for phones, for example. , not just Linux An alternative to Windows or MacOS on computers. . I especially had to use it with Windows often, but I haven't had any issues with Linux An alternative to Windows or MacOS on computers. . If you have an issue with your distro Bundles the Linux kernel with other software components for a complete operating system , you may be able to restore it to a previous working state.

Important note: It's not a file backup. It protects your system settings, but not personal files.

I recommend you back up your files!

How to print

There are a number of ways you can use your printer. There are two methods I mention here that are alternatives to using WPS, Wi-Fi password, and your router. If the connection between the router and your printer is the issue, this can help you know that. If the printer prints with these methods, but not with a connection to your router, that tells you it might not be Linux An alternative to Windows or MacOS on computers. .

Cable connect

Don't underestimate your physical printer cable. If you need to print and the printer isn't connecting to the wifi, or for some reason it's not printing, you can directly connect the printer to the computer. I have to do this with my Brother printer, because it just has an issue with its Wi-Fi.

Wi-Fi Direct

This is one I used with that Brother printer for a bit. Your printer can create its own little Wi-Fi hotspot that your device connects to directly, without needing your home router.

You'll see a network name (SSID) and a password printed on a sticker on the printer or displayed on its screen.

Enter it in your Wi-Fi settings just like you would connect to any other network. It's great if your home Wi-Fi is acting up or if you're printing from a guest device.

However, when you connect to the printer, you lose your regular internet connection. That means you should print to pdf or open in your browser Lets you visit pages on the internet, examples are Safari, Edge, Firefox, or Brave. before changing the connection when you want to print something.

Printers can work on Linux An alternative to Windows or MacOS on computers.

If your printer shows up multiple times in CUPS or keeps getting rediscovered after restarts, disabling BrowseProtocols should fix that for good. The nice thing about Linux An alternative to Windows or MacOS on computers. is it respects your settings, so an update shouldn't change this fix. It never has for me.

You also have options for how to print in case you're in a hurry. The tried and true direct connection with a cable is always there as a backup.

Why I rely on Linux every day