Some Linux redemption with the HP C6180

This morning I had a few more minutes to mess around with my Linux box.  I knew that I had imported photos to it before so I decided to give it another shot.  I probably should have searched my own blog for advice, but perhaps learning it the hard way will make the information stick this time.

After a few minutes of fiddling with things, all of sudden it hit me, I needed to download directly from the camera using PTP mode.  I dug around to find my cable, set my Nikon to PTP mode,  and booted the computer.

As soon as I was logged in as Linux user, I plugged the camera in to the computer.  In a few moments, I was downloading my photos. 

We took a break since the temperatures were in the seventies to go have lunch outside by the water at the Icehouse in Swansboro.  After being reinforced with a Grouper Grandwich, I decided to battle the printing issue once again.

Since I had failed to get my HP C6180 AIO to work as a network printer on Linux, I decided to try it using USB.  Ubuntu Linux immediately saw it.  I just guessed and picked the HP 8100 as the closest thing to it.  I did a successful test text print from OpenOffice.  Then I printed one of my photos to the 4X6 photo tray.  As far as I can tell the print looks as good as one coming from Mac OSX or Windows.  I decided to go for broke and try XSane to see if I could scan something.  It did not work.  For now, I'll be satisfied that I can use the HP AIO to print with USB if I need it.

While I had Linux running I decided to see if I could easily set up networking again with my Mac OSX box.  I tried a couple of ways to log in to my Mac but I could not seem to get the right login information.   I took the radical step of installing a demo of NFS manager on my Mac.  Once again I am sure I was missing a simple step, but I could not get that working right either.

Since I already had the Mac sharing folders to the Windows box, I set up Windows to share a folder for the Mac.  While logging in from the Mac, it dawned on me how I needed to handle the request for domain and password when logging in from Linux.  I rebooted into Linux and made the changes. Now I have a shared folder on the Mac which can be accessed from Linux or Windows.  I also have a folder on Windows which can be accessed from the Mac.  I am going to let that suffice for now.  Sometime when I have more time, I'll try to figure out how to share a folder from Ubuntu Linux.

Linux is a great value proposition, but perhaps just not for folks like me who keep changing things without being able to remember how they made it work the last time.

I find the updates on Ubuntu Linux some of the smoothest on any platform.  I am sure if I had a Linux buddy nearby, I could be a perfectly happy Linux user.

I am actually amazed that I have gotten this far.  It has been nearly two years since I first tried to load Linux on my Dell.  I recorded my battle of getting Linux to even see my hardware in "The Linux Saga Continues."

Now sometimes I think I have forgotten as much about Linux as I remember.  I have learned that it is pretty hard to be any kind of expert in three operating systems, but it certainly gives you some perspective on users that might be facing some challenges.

I look forward to seeing if the operating system wars will continue, and if we'll actually see some real progress instead of just bells and whistles.

___________________

Addendum

A while after this article was written, my Linux-expert son visited my office.  After a few minutes of looking at things, his diagnosis was that I needed to assign static IP addresses to my printers which seemed be grabbing new ones occasionally.  That has worked like a charm.  Even in 2010 when I have moved through Vista to Windows 7 and upgraded Ubuntu multiple times, my printers have continued to chug along meeting all my needs.  Later versions of Ubuntu have been much easier to network.

Comments

[Tom]

I got the C6180 working as a network printer with Ubuntu Edgy as follows (assuming the printer is on the network):
1) Point browser to printer IP (e.g. 192.168.0.7), on Networking tab give the printer a hostname (e.g. fred).
2) On Ubuntu machine, make sure that same hostname (fred) resolves to the right IP address (192.168.0.7). A line in /etc/hosts should do it.
3) System > Administration > Printing
4) Click on 'New Printer' to bring up wizard. Select 'Network printer' and 'Jet Direct', enter hostname of printer (fred), leave port as default 9100. Click Next.
5) Select Manufacturer/Model and Driver appropriately. (Ubuntu dapper doesn't seem to have the drivers for C6100 series, but Edgy does). Click Next.
6) Give the printer a description and location. Click Apply.

That worked for me.

I also had no problems with XSane when connected with USB.

[Paul]

I used Tom's steps and have the C6180 humming along under linux. I have not tried to use any fax functionality from my linux box to the C6180, but faxing pre-existing documents works like a charm.

I could not find a way to get sane to see the scanner in the C6180 through the network, so I also have to have the USB plugged in to scan. It would be nice to have a truly wireless solution for linux.

[David Woakes]

You should be able to use the scanner with a device string hpaio:/net/Photosmart_C6100_series?ip=x.x.x.x where x.x.x.x is the wireless/wired ip address.

Try scanimage -d hpaio:/net/Photosmart_C6100_series?ip=x.x.x.x --help

[Enrique Barreto]

Your instructions on how to install the HP C6180 worked flawlessly. Thanks for all your help!

- Enrique

[Richard]

I created a script, Just copy and past the following into a text file called HP-Scanner.

#!/bin/bash

# scans a single page from the HP Printer

filename="/home/$USER/Desktop/Newpage_Scanned_`date +%R-%d.%m.%Y`.ps"

#change the IP number in the next line to match what your printers settings ie ip=

scanimage --resolution 150 -d hpaio:/net/Photosmart_C6100_series?ip=192.168.0.2 > "$filename" && gwenview "$filename"

#END

Now save the file and make it executable with one of the following two methods.

1. GUI way in Kubuntu.

right click on file, Properties, click on the Permissions tab, check the Executable tick box.

2. Command Line method.

type, cd Desktop (or /home/user_name/path/to/file)

chmod a+x HP-Scanner

You can either leave it on the desktop and just click on the file when you want it to scan a page or copy it to /usr/local/bin and create a link on your desktop to it.

PS. make sure a page is loaded in the printer before hand.

[ocracokewaves]

Wow neat.