# Epson AcuLaser C900

Everything deprecated:

See: http://sourceforge.net/projects/alc900-cups/forums/forum/423970/topic/3173254

For now use the cvs version, in future releases the open source project will support archlinux.

# Introduction

Finally this printer is working in Archlinux.

Epson officially provides Linux driver through their avasys.jp page. Although there's a nice Distribution chooser there are only .rpm packages. Nevertheless we need them all except for the src package (they are mirrored by the opensource project).

The epson driver seems to be GPL'ed so there's an open source project. Don't waste your time, the installscript does not work and seems to be complicated. We also need this driver. Oh AND we need the libstdc++-libc6.2-2.so.3 from there. Easy going, isn't it?

# Installation

## Files needed

Ok, let's start. You need:

1. Cups + foomatic
2. libstdc++-libc6.2-2.so.3
3. alc900-cups-1.0.i386.tar.gz
4. pipsplus-0.1b-1.i386.rpm
5. pipsplus-epson-laser-0.1b-1.i386.rpm
6. pipsplus-epson-alc900-0.1b-1.i386.rpm
7. pipsplus-gtk-0.1b-1.i386.rpm
8. rpmextract from extra.

## Installation

First copy libstdc++-libc6.2-2.so.3 to /usr/lib

Put all the .rpm files in one directory and do

    rpmextract.sh *.rpm

You should get a usr/ directory with some subfolders. You need these in your file System. As root:

    cp -r usr /

I did not figure out how to actually print with this setup so I had to use the open source driver. Extract your alc900-cups-1.0.i386.tar.gz

Search for the file called 'Epson-AcuLaser_C900-alc900.ppd' and copy it to /etc/cups/ppd/ (not sure if this is needed but so it will be found by plugging in the printer). Because the install.sh does not work on Archlinux we need to copy the files manually into the filesystem.

At first the foomatic filters. As root:

    cp -r foomatic /usr/share/

Next all the binaries. Copy all the .sh scripts and all the alc900.* files that do not end with .c plus the files usleep, pipe, alc900 to /usr/bin.

To start the pips system we have to copy pipsplus to /etc/rc.d/

    cp pipsplus /etc/rc.d/

To run it on every boot you should insert pipsplus in the daemons array in /etc/rc.conf

# Configuration

Hopefully now it will work. Just start pipsplus

    /etc/rc.d/pipsplus start

It has to say Starting AcuLaser C900 (alc900.daemon ) otherwise it will not work.

Make sure cups read all the new files by restarting it

    /etc/rc.d/cupsd restart

(don't know whether this is needed either...)

Now plug in your printer and go to your cups config and add a new printer. If the printer is connected through usb and it does not show up just select LPT1 and change it later.

You should not choose a printer model but tell him the path to Epson-AcuLaser_C900-alc900.ppd

My device URI for my printer connected through usb is 'usb://EPSON/AL-C900' even though it is not recommended on the website of the open source driver to use this. But actually this does work for me.

Category:

- Printers