Installing the Linux driver

Canon had published a cnijfilter-mg2500series Debian/Ubuntu driver at some point, but since the printer is really old, it can be difficult to find.

Randomly found source, not tested: https://asia.canon/en/support/0100550201.

If it only prints in monochrome

  • Run system-config-printer (part of Gnome or OpenPrinting? and somehow not accessible from the Gnome interface?) - the standard Gnome settings do not seem to have the options we are looking for.
  • Click the “Unblock” button, otherwise menus are greyed out.
  • Right-click on the printer icon and click “Properties”
  • On the left panel, click “Job Options”
  • Finally, scroll down to “Other Options (Advanced)” and look if there is an option called “print-color-mode”. If set to monochrome, change it to “color”.

Other ways to validate this, is to type lpoptions in a terminal:

1
2

$ lpoptions  | grep -i color
copies=1 device-uri=cnijbe://Canon/?port=usb&serial=CCDE72 [...] print-color-mode=monochrome [...]

When the settings are changed, it should display print-color-mode=color.

Ink levels

Install the “ink” program:

1

sudo apt install ink

Then type ink -p usb, ex:

1
2
3
4
5
6
7

# ink -p usb
ink 0.5.3 (c) 2018 Markus Heinz

Canon MG2500 series

Black:                                 100%
Color:                                 100%

Apparently this should be visible in the system-config-printer program, but it does not work for me.

LEDs

  • Warning light blinks yellow twice when there is no paper in the paper tray.
  • Yellow LED turns on next to “black” or “color” when that cartrige is almost empty.

See also: Canon.com: Flashing Lights on a PIXMA MG2420, MG2520