Linux and Canon ImageRunner 2520

I just lost two or three hours trying to make this printer work! The problem was that I used wrong drivers. There are several drivers out there, but this one worked! The symptom with the other drivers was that the data went to printer but nothing happened, just like it ended in /dev/null! And, in logs (/var/cups/error_log and /var/log/messages) there was nothing at all! This was unbelievably frustrating.

Additionally, what confused me was the selection of supported printing languages, i.e. PostScript, PCL and PXL (or something similar). I didn't have a slightest clue which one is supported by the printer I have. Naturally that I tried to look if it is written somewhere on the printer. But no luck! I also tried to find a model number, again, no luck. Then I tried to find out that information through Web interface, again, no luck! Is it so hard to write somewhere that information if you already offer different PPD files?!

Especially interesting was driver package CQue 2.0-3 (that was one that didn't work!) that has a GUI to setup a printer. But half of this GUI isn't functional, e.g. you can select only Queue tab (which is actually selected by default). Clicking on Next button nothing happens, still, from the main menu you can select next tab Ports. After that, you can not select anything anymore. I was so impressed with this application that I had a strong feeling that I want to beat the guy who wrote it!

So, after downloading archive of a working driver, and unpacking it, you'll find RPM directory with two files:

cndrvcups-common-2.40-1.x86_64.rpm
cndrvcups-ufr2-uk-2.40-1.x86_64.rpm

Just install them. Then, open URL localhost:631 in Web browser. Start adding printer as usual. I selected AppDirect for communication with a printer (probably LDP should work too). During model selection note that there are PPD files for this exact model (look for Canon iR2520 UFRII LT ver.2.2 (en)), but they are listed after the old drivers for ImageRUNNER printer series (i.e. the original ones that came with CUPS, which, BTW, don't have support for this exact model). Probably, this whole setup process you can do also using GNOME's application for managing printers, but I didn't try. What's more, after all this annoyance, I didn't won't to try anything else!

So, that's it, this nightmare is finally finished for me. Note also that because I need only printing functionality I didn't try to set that up scanner embedded into the printer, but the first impression from a quick look that I had using google is that it isn't going to be easy, if possible at all.

And one more digression for the end. Why it isn't possible to open console in Web interface of a printer and just download printer driver? And when you go to Canon's Web site and select a printer to download driver, you are presented with a HUGE number of options to download. This is madness for me who, supposedly, knows how to administer computers! I won't imagine what a nightmare it is for some person that knows a lot less...