How to install copier drivers on Ubuntu Linux without losing your weekend
Office MFP setup on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS is straightforward once you know which protocol to choose and how CUPS handles vendor drivers. Three setup paths, the troubleshooting that solves 90 percent of issues, and the vendor support reality.
Most office MFPs work on Ubuntu Linux today. The CUPS print system handles network discovery, IPP Everywhere supplies a driverless path for modern devices, and major manufacturers maintain Linux driver packages with varying degrees of polish. The friction is not in capability; it is in knowing which of three setup paths fits a given situation and which vendor pages actually point at usable downloads. This walkthrough covers Ubuntu 24.04 LTS specifically but the steps apply to derivatives (Kubuntu, Xubuntu, Linux Mint) and to recent Debian releases.
The CUPS factor
CUPS (Common Unix Printing System) is the print subsystem underlying Ubuntu printing. Every printer added on Ubuntu becomes a CUPS queue. Vendor drivers ship as PPD files (PostScript Printer Description) that tell CUPS how to render output for the specific device. The good news: most office MFPs work without any vendor PPD file thanks to IPP Everywhere.
Three setup paths on Ubuntu
Path 1: IPP Everywhere (driverless)
The easiest path. Modern office MFPs (manufactured after roughly 2017) support IPP Everywhere, allowing Ubuntu to print without any vendor driver. CUPS discovers the printer via Bonjour, negotiates capabilities, and prints using the device's built-in IPP support.
Open Settings → Printers
Or run gnome-control-center printers from the terminal. Click "Add Printer" at the top.
Wait for the local network scan
Ubuntu lists available printers as it discovers them. The scan typically takes 5-20 seconds.
Select the MFP from the list
Driverless printers show with the model name. Click "Add" to confirm. CUPS configures the queue using IPP Everywhere.
Print a test page
Open any application, choose Print, select the new printer, click Print. A successful test confirms the setup is working end-to-end.
Path 2: Vendor PPD via vendor installer
The full-feature path when IPP Everywhere does not expose finishing or other advanced capabilities. Major vendors ship .deb packages for Ubuntu that install the PPD files into CUPS.
Download the vendor .deb package
HP: hplip already in the Ubuntu repos. Konica Minolta: kmbs.konicaminolta.es Linux driver section. Canon: canon.es Linux drivers. Ricoh: support.ricoh.com Linux PPDs. Most ship as compressed archives containing the .deb installer.
Install the package
Run sudo dpkg -i <package>.deb in a terminal. If dependencies are missing, follow up with sudo apt --fix-broken install to resolve them.
Add the printer via Settings or system-config-printer
The vendor driver now appears in the driver selection list when adding the printer. Choose the model-specific driver instead of the generic option.
Configure installed options
Open the printer properties → Installable Options. Enable accessories the device actually has (extra trays, finisher, hole punch). Without this step the driver assumes a base configuration without finishing.
$ sudo apt install printer-driver-hpcups hplip
# For HP devices — installs HPLIP and HP CUPS driver
$ sudo dpkg -i konica-driver-3.0.deb
$ sudo apt --fix-broken install
# For Konica Minolta — vendor .deb plus dependency resolution
Path 3: Generic PostScript driver
Fallback when neither IPP Everywhere nor a vendor driver is available. Adds the printer as a "Generic PostScript Printer" with basic functionality and limited feature exposure. Suitable for occasional printing but not for production daily use.
Vendor Linux support status
| Vendor | Ubuntu support | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| HP | Excellent | HPLIP package in Ubuntu repos; finishing fully supported |
| Brother | Good | Vendor .deb packages; reliable driver releases |
| Konica Minolta | Good | Vendor .deb packages; some finishing options need PPD edit |
| Canon | Variable | Vendor driver works but installer can be fragile on 24.04 |
| Ricoh | Variable | PPD files work; full driver package occasionally has issues |
| Xerox | Good | Vendor packages reliable; advanced features need configuration |
| Kyocera | Good | Linux KX driver maintained; finishing supported with config |
| Epson | Limited | Basic printing works; scanning needs separate Image Scan! package |
For new office deployments expecting Linux compatibility, HP and Brother lead the field for vendor-provided Linux drivers. Konica Minolta, Ricoh, Xerox, and Kyocera all work well but with somewhat more configuration friction. Canon is the wildcard — sometimes works flawlessly, sometimes requires manual PPD installation depending on the model and Ubuntu version.
The CUPS web interface — your friend during troubleshooting
CUPS exposes a web administration interface at http://localhost:631 that GNOME Settings hides. The web interface lets you: view all configured queues, inspect job history, see error messages CUPS encountered, modify PPD options, and manage queues directly. When the GUI claims "Failed to add printer" without explanation, the CUPS web interface usually shows the actual error.
Access requires the user be a member of the lpadmin group. If you receive an authentication prompt that does not accept your password, run sudo usermod -a -G lpadmin $USER and log out/in to apply group membership.
Common Ubuntu printing issues
Print queue stops with "stopped" status
CUPS queues stop when too many consecutive failures occur. Resume the queue from Settings → Printers → click the printer → menu → Restart Queue, or from terminal: sudo cupsenable <printer_name>.
Discovery does not find the printer
The avahi-daemon may be inactive. Check status with systemctl status avahi-daemon and start if needed with sudo systemctl start avahi-daemon. Also verify the firewall allows mDNS (port 5353 UDP) and IPP (port 631 TCP).
Finishing options missing
The driver was installed but Installable Options were not configured. Open Settings → Printers → printer → Properties → Installable Options. Enable the accessories the device has. Some vendor PPDs require manual editing — open the PPD file in /etc/cups/ppd/<printer>.ppd and modify *DefaultInstalledOption entries.
Print job hangs as "processing"
The print filter may have crashed or the spool file may have a permission issue. Clear the queue: cancel -a <printer_name> then restart CUPS: sudo systemctl restart cups. If the issue recurs on every job, the driver may be incompatible with the PostScript output the application generates — try a different driver type (PCL vs PostScript).
Scanner not detected
Linux scanning runs through SANE (Scanner Access Now Easy) separately from CUPS. Install simple-scan and the vendor's SANE backend package (sane-airscan for AirScan-compatible devices works for most modern MFPs). Then verify with scanimage -L from terminal.
The IPP Everywhere recommendation
For most Ubuntu users in 2026, IPP Everywhere is the right answer. It works without vendor driver installation, supports most modern MFPs, exposes the common features (duplex, paper tray selection, color/mono), and avoids the package conflicts that vendor drivers occasionally cause. Reach for the vendor driver only when IPP Everywhere does not expose a feature you specifically need.
For multi-user Linux workstations
Add the printer once at the system level rather than per-user. From terminal: sudo lpadmin -p <printer_name> -E -v ipp://<ip>/ipp/print -m everywhere. The printer becomes available to every user on the workstation. For shared lab workstations and computer-room deployments this is significantly cleaner than each user adding their own.