Hello Mark, yes I’ve done that previously as per your instructions, they’re in the menu but don’t detect the scanner.
what happens if you tun:
scangearmp
?
When the dialogue box pops up with select scanner I get canon MG3200 series (libusb:003:003) already at the top, clicking on update scanners list scans away then gives me a second option (Canon MG 3200 series 18-OC-AC-F8-5F-B8) I click on and another box pops up with the last number at the top and then I get the option to scan or print and generally mooch around but simple scan and xsane still don’t detect the scanner? Can/should I just use that scangear instead or is there still good odds for getting xsane to work?
Well scangear used to get added to the menus, but now it doesn’t so Id assumed that it now worked through the normal scanning utils … obviously not.
Would you like to create/add a “Canon ScanGear” menu item to use for your scanning ? ?
What happens if you run:
scangearmp
now ? … do you still have to choose a scanner ? … if so, does a GUI open for you to choose it, or do you need to choose it in the terminal ?
What I’m trying to discover is … when you run the command “scangearmp” does a GUI immediately open, or do you need to answer some questions in the terminal first ?
The small dialogue box pops up and it has both choices as detailed above, the second one, Canon MG 3200 series 18-OC-AC-F8-5F-B8 is now first in the list, if i just OK that, the scangear util’s open up . . .
Would you like to create/add a "Canon ScanGear" menu item to use for your scanning ? ?
Yes if the other two are defunct . . .
Open a terminal and run:
sudo gedit /usr/share/applications/scangearmp.desktop
when a blank file opens, make it read:-
[Desktop Entry]
Name=Canon ScanGear
Comment=Scan Documents
Exec=scangearmp
Icon=scanner
Terminal=false
Type=Application
StartupNotify=true
Categories=GNOME;GTK;Graphics;Scanning;
X-GNOME-Gettext-Domain=scangearmp
SAVE the file.
Is there now a menu item in the same place as Simple Scan called “Canon ScanGear” … and does it do what you expect ?
Perfect . . . opens the dialogue up without the need to go via the terminal, I actually created one with a launcher but deleted it as that new one comes with an icon in the menu and looks better !
OK well if that is as good in your opinion as simple scan or xsane can I safely get rid of the other two via synaptic? No point in them being there really is there . . .
It may be that updating the sane backend might make it work with Simple Scan and Xsane … just a guess though.
Do you want me to look into it … or are you happy with what you have ?
I don’t know what the differences in features are? Do you? Is it worth looking into, I suppose I’d leave that up to you if you have the time and want to know yourself, I’d probably use it a reasonable amount in general but keep threatening to get a load of old pictures and slides down out of the loft and have my own scanfest one week and catalogue/upload them online for preservations sake, so it may get some hammer eventually - I’ve never used xsane before, used simple scan on my old HP and that was functional enough - if you want to have a look at it I’ll go along with trying to update it with you, I’m just curious as to the differences if any. . .
Can’t answer if Xsane or Simple Scan are “better” than ScanGear
I’ve never had a Canon scanner … so I have no idea what the front end is like.
That said, after looking through the latest sane-backends it doesn’t look like yours is supported … so at least for now you’re stuck with ScanGear.
You can uninstall Xsane if you wish:
sudo apt-get remove xsane
but I wouldn’t get rid of Simple Scan … that may take some stuff with it that Scangear needs.
Ifr you wish, we can hide Simple Scan from the menu’s though ?
Just to be 100% sure … run these 4 commands and tell me if any of them discover a scanner.
sane-find-scanner
scanimage -L
sudo sane-find-scanner
sudo scanimage -L
[EDIT]
You can ignore this posting if you wish … the more I search, the more Google suggests the MG series aren’t supported by the sane-backends … so looks like ScanGear is your only option 
Next time, buy an HP 
I can leave simple scan for now, don’t want to fudge anything up after all your head scratching for me ! Thank you for all your help by the way much appreciated
I ran the first command then got ahead of myself reading the output and changed to su - I expect it didn’t affect anything by the rest of the output, I’ll just remove xsane for now until such a time as it’s supporting my printer.
dave@dave ~ $ sane-find-scanner
# sane-find-scanner will now attempt to detect your scanner. If the
# result is different from what you expected, first make sure your
# scanner is powered up and properly connected to your computer.
# No SCSI scanners found. If you expected something different, make sure that
# you have loaded a kernel SCSI driver for your SCSI adapter.
could not open USB device 0x8087/0x8000 at 002:002: Access denied (insufficient permissions)
could not open USB device 0x1d6b/0x0002 at 002:001: Access denied (insufficient permissions)
could not open USB device 0x8087/0x8008 at 001:002: Access denied (insufficient permissions)
could not open USB device 0x1d6b/0x0002 at 001:001: Access denied (insufficient permissions)
could not open USB device 0x1d6b/0x0003 at 004:001: Access denied (insufficient permissions)
could not open USB device 0x0ac8/0x3450 at 003:005: Access denied (insufficient permissions)
could not open USB device 0x1058/0x1042 at 003:004: Access denied (insufficient permissions)
could not open USB device 0x046d/0xc517 at 003:002: Access denied (insufficient permissions)
could not open USB device 0x059f/0x0351 at 003:006: Access denied (insufficient permissions)
could not open USB device 0x1d6b/0x0002 at 003:001: Access denied (insufficient permissions)
# No USB scanners found. If you expected something different, make sure that
# you have loaded a kernel driver for your USB host controller and have setup
# the USB system correctly. See man sane-usb for details.
# Not checking for parallel port scanners.
# Most Scanners connected to the parallel port or other proprietary ports
# can't be detected by this program.
# You may want to run this program as root to find all devices. Once you
# found the scanner devices, be sure to adjust access permissions as
# necessary.
dave@dave ~ $ su
Password:
dave dave # sane-find-scanner
# sane-find-scanner will now attempt to detect your scanner. If the
# result is different from what you expected, first make sure your
# scanner is powered up and properly connected to your computer.
# No SCSI scanners found. If you expected something different, make sure that
# you have loaded a kernel SCSI driver for your SCSI adapter.
# No USB scanners found. If you expected something different, make sure that
# you have loaded a kernel driver for your USB host controller and have setup
# the USB system correctly. See man sane-usb for details.
# Not checking for parallel port scanners.
# Most Scanners connected to the parallel port or other proprietary ports
# can't be detected by this program.
dave dave #
dave dave # scanimage -L
No scanners were identified. If you were expecting something different,
check that the scanner is plugged in, turned on and detected by the
sane-find-scanner tool (if appropriate). Please read the documentation
which came with this software (README, FAQ, manpages).
dave dave # sudo sane-find-scanner
# sane-find-scanner will now attempt to detect your scanner. If the
# result is different from what you expected, first make sure your
# scanner is powered up and properly connected to your computer.
# No SCSI scanners found. If you expected something different, make sure that
# you have loaded a kernel SCSI driver for your SCSI adapter.
# No USB scanners found. If you expected something different, make sure that
# you have loaded a kernel driver for your USB host controller and have setup
# the USB system correctly. See man sane-usb for details.
# Not checking for parallel port scanners.
# Most Scanners connected to the parallel port or other proprietary ports
# can't be detected by this program.
dave dave # sudo scanimage -L
No scanners were identified. If you were expecting something different,
check that the scanner is plugged in, turned on and detected by the
sane-find-scanner tool (if appropriate). Please read the documentation
which came with this software (README, FAQ, manpages).
dave dave #
Like I said … ScanGear is your only option.
Have you uninstalled Xsane ?
and do you want to hide Simple Scan from the menu ?
Yes just uninstalled xsane, simple scan I’ll leave where it is, if it gets on my nerves I know how to remove it
Next time, buy an HP ;)
Hahaha well I’ve had HP’s for years but the ink prices always put me off so I normally just recommended them at work lol, I do like this printer though I have to say . . . I’m not normally one for being excited about a printer but DAMN this thing is quick lol . . . . it’s really impressive, I’m ordering some re-manufactured inks now
HP ink cartridges are expensive … but I find they last longer than others … so it balances out.
Pain when you have to buy them though.
Quick update: yes I see the time but i’m back from a late evenings river fishing and having a beer before hitting the sack lol . . .
Printer is running great, just had some inks delivered too, £21 inc postage for a black and a tri-color, dearer than the ‘grab em anywhere’ Epson copies but being genuine, hopefully more reliable :o - one question that always confuses me is this:
Printers: - leave them turned on all the time or turn them off and/or on standby ??
Some say never turn them off at any cost, other logic says they need to be turned off to be ‘charged’ again when turned on which in turn, keeps the print heads cleaner and stops problems with blockages that leaving them on ALL the time creates ??? Having had 2 epson printers that I never turned off through reading the first theory, go pear-shaped with not much use, I’d like to take the right ‘action’ with this canon that I’ve taken a shine to . . . . . . . ???
So what’s a man to do when you buy a shiny new printer that you know you will only use occasionally?
Never thought about it, and doubt if it makes a great deal of difference … the print heads are part of the cartridge, so in a worst case scenario replacing the cartridges should unblock.
Epson’s on the other hand have their print heads as part of the printer.
Well I just gave away an Epson for that reasoning . . . even with a new set of inks and several attempts to run maintenance it wouldn’t unblock, I even removed the ribboned cartridge cradle and attempted to clean it - I looked up the cost of a couple of parts and decided it was time to upgrade and go wireless rather than spend a fortune on bits. . . . . . At work we’d always gone through more Epons than HP’s, and as much as I liked how cheap the Epson compatibles were, the machines just don’t seem to last.
This Canon’s set up similar to HP’s inks wise with just 2 cartridges so I’m banking on it being more reliable. . . . . . … he says, fingers crossed :
hi Mark
i have been trying to install canon pixma printer but couldnt all these days. i found this forum today and managed to install my printer which i am able to use to print and scan. thanks a lot.
Hi Murthy - and welcome to the Forum.
I am pleased that you have succeeded with your printer.
I am sorry to tell you that Mark died some years ago, but it is nice to see that his advice is still helping people.
Keith