Setting up your Epson EcoTank L3150 printer on a Linux system might seem daunting at first, but it’s actually a straightforward process. This guide will walk you through installing the necessary driver, ensuring your printer works seamlessly with your Linux distribution. We’ll focus on using the official Epson driver to guarantee compatibility and optimal performance.
First, you’ll need to download the correct driver for your Epson L3150. Epson provides a dedicated Linux driver for this purpose, known as the “Epson Inkjet Printer Driver (ESC/P-R) for Linux“. You can find this driver on the official Epson support website.
Navigate to the Epson Linux driver download page: https://support.epson.net/linux/Printer/LSB_distribution_pages/en/escpr.php
On this page, locate the section for “[deb]” packages, which are suitable for Debian-based distributions like Ubuntu, Linux Mint, and Debian GNU/Linux. You should see a download link for a 64-bit (x86_64) package.
Click the blue “Download” button associated with the 64-bit deb package. This will redirect you to a download page, and your browser should start downloading a file named something like epson-inkjet-printer-escpr_1.8.5-1_amd64.deb.
Save this .deb file to a convenient location on your Linux computer, such as your Downloads folder.
Once the download is complete, open your Linux terminal. You’ll need to navigate to the directory where you saved the downloaded .deb file. For example, if you saved it in your Downloads folder, you can use the command:
cd DownloadsNow, to install the driver, use the dpkg command. Run the following command in your terminal:
sudo dpkg -i epson-inkjet-printer-escpr_1.8.5-1_amd64.debThis command will install the Epson printer driver. You might be prompted to enter your administrator password.
During the installation process, you might encounter a dependency issue related to libcupsimage2. In some newer Ubuntu versions, like Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, libcupsimage2 might be replaced by libcupsimage2t64. If you encounter an error message about missing dependencies, try installing libcupsimage2t64 by running:
sudo apt install libcupsimage2t64After successfully installing the driver and any necessary dependencies, the next step is to register your Epson L3150 printer with the CUPS (Common Unix Printing System) server. CUPS is the printing system used by most Linux distributions.
The easiest way to register your printer is through a web browser interface provided by CUPS. Make sure your Epson L3150 printer is turned on and connected to your computer via USB cable.
Open your web browser and navigate to the following address:
http://localhost:631/This will open the CUPS web interface.
In the CUPS interface, you should see a navigation menu. Find and click on the “Adding Printers and Classes” or a similar option like “Administration”. You might be asked to log in with your system username and password.
Once you are in the administration section, look for an option like “Add Printer”. Click on it.
CUPS will now search for available printers. In the “Devices” list, you should see your Epson L3150 printer listed, likely under a USB connection. Select your Epson L3150 and click “Continue”.
You may be prompted to enter a name and description for your printer. You can enter any name you prefer. Click “Continue”.
In the “Model” section, you need to select the correct driver for your Epson L3150. Look for “EPSON-ESC/P-R Printer Driver for Linux” in the list of drivers. Select it and click “Add Printer”.
Alternatively, you can specify the PPD file directly. If you choose this option, browse to the directory /opt/epson-inkjet-printer-escpr/ppds/EPSON/ and select the PPD file corresponding to your Epson L3150 model and language.
After completing these steps, your Epson EcoTank L3150 printer should be successfully installed and ready to use on your Linux system. You can now try printing a test page to confirm that everything is working correctly.
If you encounter any issues or have further questions, consult the official Epson driver manual or seek assistance from the Linux community forums. Setting up your printer on Linux is generally straightforward, and with the official drivers and CUPS interface, you should be printing documents in no time!
