brother printer driver for linux

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Introduction: Seamless Printing with Brother and Linux

Brother printers have long been recognized for their robust support and compatibility with the Linux operating system, making them a popular choice among Linux users. Unlike some other brands that offer limited or no official Linux drivers, Brother consistently provides comprehensive driver packages and installation tools, ensuring that users can achieve reliable printing, scanning, and even faxing functionalities on their preferred Linux distributions.

This article serves as your ultimate guide to installing, configuring, and troubleshooting Brother printer drivers for Linux. Whether you’re using Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, or another distribution, we’ll walk you through the process of getting your Brother device up and running efficiently.

Why Use Official Brother Printer Drivers for Linux?

While many Linux distributions offer generic or open-source drivers through CUPS (Common Unix Printing System), using the official Brother drivers provides several significant advantages:

• Full Functionality: Official drivers unlock all features of your Brother printer, including advanced print settings, high-resolution scanning, and specific multi-function capabilities that generic drivers might not support.
• Optimal Performance: Tailored for Brother hardware, these drivers often result in better print quality, faster speeds, and more consistent performance.
• Reliability and Stability: Official drivers are developed and tested by Brother, leading to greater stability and fewer compatibility issues.
• Regular Updates: Brother regularly updates its Linux drivers to support newer kernel versions and distributions, addressing potential bugs and improving compatibility.

Locating and Downloading Brother Printer Drivers for Linux

The first step to getting your Brother printer working on Linux is to obtain the correct drivers from the official Brother support website.

Step-by-Step Driver Download:

1. Identify Your Printer Model: Ensure you know the exact model number of your Brother printer (e.g., MFC-L2700DW, DCP-T520W).
2. Visit the Official Brother Support Website: Navigate to Brother’s Support & Downloads page.
3. Search for Your Model: Enter your printer’s model number into the search bar.
4. Select Your Operating System: On your product’s support page, select “Linux” as your operating system. You will typically have options like “Linux (deb)” for Debian/Ubuntu-based systems and “Linux (rpm)” for Fedora/Red Hat-based systems.
5. Choose Your Driver: Brother often provides a “Driver Install Tool” which is highly recommended as it automates the installation of all necessary drivers (LPR, CUPSwrapper, and scanner drivers). Alternatively, you can download individual LPR, CUPSwrapper, and scanner drivers.

Installing Brother Printer Drivers on Linux

The installation process varies slightly depending on whether you use the Driver Install Tool or individual driver packages. The Driver Install Tool is generally the easiest method.

Method 1: Using the Driver Install Tool (Recommended)

The Driver Install Tool simplifies the installation process significantly.

1. Download the Tool: Download the linux-brprinter-installer-*.gz file from the Brother support website for your specific model.
2. Open a Terminal: Navigate to the directory where you downloaded the file (e.g., cd Downloads).
3. Uncompress the File: Use the gunzip command to extract the installer script:

   gunzip linux-brprinter-installer-*.*.*-*.gz

4. Run the Installer Script: Execute the script with sudo, replacing Brother machine name with your printer’s exact model (e.g., MFC-J880DW):

   sudo bash linux-brprinter-installer-*.*.*-* "Brother machine name"

5. Follow On-Screen Prompts: The tool will guide you through the installation, download dependencies, and ask for your printer’s connection type (USB or Network) and IP address if it’s a network printer.
6. Test Print: The installer will typically offer to print a test page to confirm successful installation.

Method 2: Manual Installation of .deb or .rpm Packages

If you choose to install individual .deb or .rpm packages, you’ll need to install both the LPR driver and the CUPSwrapper driver, and potentially scanner drivers separately.

For Debian/Ubuntu (.deb packages):

1. Download Drivers: Download the LPR driver (*.lpr.deb) and CUPSwrapper driver (*.cupswrapper.deb) for your model. For scanner functionality, also download the scanner driver (e.g., brscan*.deb).
2. Install 32-bit Libraries (for 64-bit systems): If you are on a 64-bit Linux distribution, you might need to install 32-bit compatibility libraries. For Debian/Ubuntu, this could involve:

   sudo apt-get update
   sudo apt-get install lib32stdc++6 libc6-i386

3. Install LPR Driver: Navigate to the download directory in your terminal and install the LPR driver:

   sudo dpkg -i --force-all [lpr-drivername].deb

4. Install CUPSwrapper Driver: Install the CUPSwrapper driver:

   sudo dpkg -i --force-all [cupswrapper-drivername].deb

5. Install Scanner Driver (if applicable):

   sudo dpkg -i brscan*.deb

For Fedora/Red Hat (.rpm packages):

1. Download Drivers: Download the LPR driver (*.lpr.rpm) and CUPSwrapper driver (*.cupswrapper.rpm) for your model.
2. Install 32-bit Libraries (for 64-bit systems): For Fedora, install necessary 32-bit libraries:

   sudo dnf install libstdc++.i686 nss-softokn-freebl.i686

3. Install LPR Driver: Navigate to the download directory in your terminal and install the LPR driver:

   sudo rpm -ihv --nodeps [lpr-drivername].rpm

4. Install CUPSwrapper Driver: Install the CUPSwrapper driver:

   sudo rpm -ihv --nodeps [cupswrapper-drivername].rpm

Configuring Your Printer with CUPS

After installing the drivers, you may need to configure the printer via the CUPS web interface.

1. Open CUPS in Browser: Open your web browser and go to http://localhost:631/printers.
2. Add/Modify Printer: Go to the “Administration” tab and click “Add Printer” or “Modify Printer” if it’s already listed. You might need to authenticate with your system username and password.
3. Select Your Printer: Choose your Brother printer from the list of detected local or network printers. For network printers, ensure you select the correct connection type (LPD is often recommended over IPP for some Brother models if issues arise).
4. Configure Settings: Adjust paper size, print quality, and other default settings. Print a test page to confirm functionality.

Troubleshooting Common Brother Printer Driver Issues on Linux

Even with official drivers, you might encounter issues. Here are some common problems and solutions:

1. Printer Not Printing / Offline Status

• Check Connections: Ensure USB or network cables are securely connected and the printer is powered on.
• Restart Devices: Restart your printer and computer.
• Verify Device URI: Sometimes the automatically detected Device URI (Uniform Resource Identifier) can be incorrect, especially for network printers. Go to CUPS (http://localhost:631/printers), select your printer, click “Modify Printer,” and ensure the URI is correct. For network printers, using lpd://[IP_Address]/BINARY_P1 or socket://[IP_Address] with a static IP address can resolve issues.
• Firewall Settings: Ensure your Linux firewall isn’t blocking communication with the printer, especially for network connections.

2. Scanner Not Working

• Scanner Driver: Ensure you have installed the correct scanner driver (e.g., brscan4, brscan5) for your model.
• Scanner Utilities: Install Brother’s scanner utilities like scan-key-tool and scanner-setting-file for full functionality.
• USB Permissions: For USB scanners, ensure your user has appropriate permissions to access the USB device. The scanner setting file package often helps with this.

3. Incompatible Library Error on 64-bit Systems

Brother drivers, particularly older ones, may have 32-bit dependencies even on 64-bit Linux. If you skipped the 32-bit library installation step, you might encounter errors. Install the required 32-bit libraries as mentioned in the manual installation section (e.g., lib32stdc++6, libc6-i386 for Debian/Ubuntu or glibc.i686, libstdc++.i686 for Fedora).

4. Installation Errors

• Dependencies: The Driver Install Tool usually handles dependencies, but if manually installing, ensure all prerequisites are met.
• Previous Installations: If you had a problematic previous installation, consider uninstalling existing Brother drivers before a fresh attempt.
• Superuser Privileges: Always run installation commands with sudo or as a root user.

Conclusion

Brother printers stand out for their robust and well-maintained Linux support. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can successfully install and configure your Brother printer drivers, enabling a smooth and efficient printing and scanning experience on your Linux system. Remember to always refer to the official Brother support website for the most up-to-date drivers and specific instructions for your printer model. Happy printing!