How do I get the scanner to work on a Samsung SCX 4521F Multi function printer?

Question

How do i get ubuntu ti scan documents with a scx 4521F. It is installed as a printer but simple scan says not detected,

Answer 1

NOTE: The instructions here are for Ubuntu 9.10 onwards. For setting up this printer with older Ubuntu, go to this page. 1. Installation

A few important points with the approach here:

Some Xerox printers are Samsung OEM. This printer looks like a clone of Samsung SCX-4521F [www.samsung.com]. Treat this printer like the latter whenever possible. Use CUPS for the printer. Use the Samsung Unified Linux Driver for the scanner.

Step 1: Setup the Repository for Samsung Unified Linux Driver

No free or open-source alternatives are available to make full use of this multifunction printer yet. You will see later that we need the Samsung Unified Linux Driver mainly for supporting the scanner.

Add the following repository:

deb http://www.bchemnet.com/suldr/ debian extra

You can do this with Synaptic Package Manager, Software Sources, etc. Install the GPG key, from http://www.bchemnet.com/suldr/suldr.gpg, for the repository. You can do this with Synaptic Package Manager or Software Sources, or paste this line to your terminal:

wget -O – http://www.bchemnet.com/suldr/suldr.gpg | sudo apt-key add

Reload / update the repository information.

Step 2: Install the Printer Driver

Here, you can choose to use either one of the following drivers:

{Recommended. The driver is very stable.} The open-source driver provided by the Splix project. (Check this too: http://www.linuxprinting.org/show_driver.cgi?driver=splix) The Samsung unified printer driver. In this case, install the samsungmfp-driver package first.

Either of the drivers seems to work fine. I personally do not have any particular recommendation yet until further testing. (For the moment I use the Splix driver.)

From the start menu, invoke System -> Administration -> Printing. Choose ‘Samsung’, and then ‘SCX-4521F’. For the driver, choose either the Splix or the Samsung driver according to your preference. Check the ‘Printer Options’ in the ‘Printer Properties’. Change the options where appropriate (especially the ‘Media Size’). Try to print a test page. It should work!

Step 3: Install the Scanner Driver

Install the samsungmfp-scanner package. {ONLY FOR Ubuntu 11.10.} Use your favorite editor to modify [i]/etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-cups-usblp.conf to comment the following line by prefixing with a ‘#’: #blacklist usblp. Restart your computer. {ONLY FOR Ubuntu before (not including) 10.04.} Add users you allow to access the scanner into the lp group. You can use System -> Users and Groups from the start menu to do this, or use the adduser command. Logout and re-login.} Now Graphics -> Simple Scan or xsane should be able to detect and use the scanner! You can use sane-find-scanner or scanimage -L to detect the scanner too. (If it does not work, refer to this troubleshooting guide.)

1. Some Technical Details

Splix is included in Ubuntu since 9.10. So it is now possible to use the printing feature of the printer out-of-box (without using the Samsung unified printer driver.)

For very complete and detailed instructions including various approaches for setting up Samsung printers, please refer to http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=341621 and http://www.bchemnet.com/suldr/.