This is the second part of the Ubuntu ‘Focal Fossa’ 20.04 LTS – ‘Stable release is out w/ 5 years of support’ post. Some Linux users like to brag that they have the latest Linux Kernel (AKA Bleeding-Edge) – maybe they just like unstable Distros – but there is a *LOT* more to a Linux Distro than the latest Linux Kernel. Personally, I want a stable Distro like Ubuntu Desktop LTS that uses the latest Stable Linux Kernel, and has a majority of Open Source Developers writing all kinds of drivers, firmware, etc. for that Distro. For example, say you use Arch “DOS” Linux or one of the pretend ‘Archies’ and decide you need a printer. Those Distros use the latest ‘Bleeding-Edge’ Linux Kernel, but good luck on finding any hardware that works with it, especially scanners and/or printers and/or Wireless USB adapters and/or etc. that are going to need drivers. Most printer OEM’s have developers make their printer drivers for four OSes – Mac OSX, Android, Microsoft Windows & Ubuntu LTS, so you have to check closely on what OS drivers are offered by that printer you just ‘Love’! Most of the Distros using the latest Linux Kernel have serious hardware recognition problems caused by a lack of driver and/or lack of firmware support, e.g. routers and simple USB Docking Stations require the proper firmware.

The Pantum P2500W Linux driver was, Pantum-Ubuntu-Driver-V1-1-5.tar.gz, that I found on their ‘Step 2 : Select Your System’ page many years ago (5 ??), and they still have the same driver… that .tar GZ file ‘tHiNgIe’; however, over the years I had used it so often that it sorta got messed up a bit and missed placed a lot in my DATA files. Basically, a bunch of Pantum folders were scattered in other folders, which caused me to use the wrong printer driver the other day. The one I was using was an extraction of the original GZ file…OOOPS! Anyway, found the original Pantum-Ubuntu-Driver-V1-1-5.tar.gz driver on my main DATA folder…stuck waaaaayyy over in the P-section of that main DATA folder and I had never EXTRACTED it to another folder or messed it up in any way. Yes, a long story, that started today when I decided to reinstall Ubuntu 18.04.4 LTS and see how I had gotten the printer to work there. Had figured out that I needed a GZ file, which is how I found the right fresh one this morning. Removed the old extracted Pantum driver files from my USB temp data device, and copied the fresh one to it. Plugged that into the test computer with newly installed 18.04.4 OS on it, moved the fresh driver to Ubuntu Document folder, and extracted it there. BINGO! Everything worked great; extraction now provided a database with Pantum listed under Manufacturer section, and the correct driver next to that.

  • BTW, one of the reason I started this blog last year was because I would forget how I had done something 2-4 years ago, so needed a place to store my methods, testings, etc. on, and a blog is perfect for that!

OK … with the fresh Pantum-Ubuntu-Driver-V1-1-5.tar.gz file still on the USB temp data device, I went back to Ubuntu ‘Focal Fossa’ 20.04 LTS computer, and repeated the same steps there. The earlier printer problems were certainly caused by me using the old extracted Pantum driver, so let’s see if it works now, and if that was the only problem. I documented most of the steps with a pic … here I copy the GZ file to Home/Documents folder and extracted it:

Opened the extracted folder, and then another folder which had Resources folder in it, then opened Resources folder and selected 64-bit installer x86-64:

That opened Pantum Driver Installer agreement…check agree and click install:

That completes Driver installation:

Yeah, now I’m remembering what is suppose to happen when installing that driver…next time I’ll refer to the pics here to get it right, whenever the next Ubuntu LTS comes out. 😉 As I mentioned in the first post, Ubuntu 20.04 had automatically recognized the printer, but it was unable to find the right driver…OOOPS!

OK … to Printers, click on settings and select Printer Details from dropdown menu:

From details section click – Select from Database, but first take note of Generic driver in the pic…we want to change that to one in the new database:

Now, scroll down in our new database and find Pantum under Manufacturer section, click it and then scroll down the driver section to Pantum P2500W series driver and select it:

That takes us to our new Pantum/Pantum P2500W series driver:

OK…it finally printed! However, first try didn’t work because I have one of these:

Yeah, I have lots of newly built computers, so need a ‘Sharing Switch Switcher Adapter Box Hub Allow 4 Computers Share 1 USB Device Like Printer, Scanner, Camera, Keyboard (4 Ports Printer Splitter)’ to use or test the printer. Forgot to switch it from Antec Sr. when I went back to Apevia…OOOPS!

It’s printing now, but for some reason a second printer has showed up…?!?

The P2500W-series at the top is the default printer, and that second one keeps coming back even after I remove it. The driver is old, and 20.04 isn’t supported fully on it, so maybe that’s the problem. Anyway, the printer now prints without problems, so I may just leave it like this for now.

Rule of Thumb – if you can’t install Ubuntu on it, then you can’t install any Linux Distro on it.

Advertisement