This is a big step for Lexmark. In the past they have generally entirely ignored Linux users (and often Mac users, too). When my old HP printer bit the dust and Target had a deal for an all-in-one wireless printer for $50, I was surprised to find that Lexmark offered full support for Linux. Granted, Lexmark has opted to do this by packaging their own driver rather than contributing a ps or ppd to foomatic, but I’m willing to acknowledge progress. Here’s the steps to get it to work wirelessly.
1. You must first go through the setup with a Windows machine and keep the paper it prints out with the network info. There is no way around this. The CD that comes with the printer won’t help. Once you get the printer connected wirelessly, we can set it up on Fedora. If you don’t need wireless skip to the next step.
2. Download the Lexmark driver from their support site. The file extension is rpm.sh. Note that they only have 32-bit drivers, but they will work in x86_64.
3. Open a terminal and login as root. cd to the folder where you downloaded the file from step 2.
4. chmod a+x lexmark-08z-series-driver-1.0-1.i386.rpm.sh.tar.gz . If your filename is different, adjust accordingly.
5. ./lexmark-08z-series-driver-1.0-1.i386.rpm.sh.tar.gz should now start the installation program. Just follow the steps and plug in the USB cable when it asks.
6. After the wizard finishes, as root, run ‘system-config-printer’. The printer should now show up here.
7. Right click on the printer and select Properties.
8. Under Settings, click on the button that says “Change…” next to the right of “Device URI”.
9. Click on Network Printer, Find Network Printer. Next to “Host:” Enter the IP Address listed under TCP/IP, Address on the network settings print out. The application should automatically set port 9100. Enter a Description and click Apply.
10. Congrats. Print a test.
*Printing works wirelessly, but ‘Scan to Network’ only seems to work with Windows clients.
Faith and Freedom 
Have you been able to use scanning features wirelessly?
I’m running Pclos and managed to make it print but no scan.
Thx
By: Charles on December 11, 2010
at 3:14 am
Nope. Wireless printer works great, but wireless scanning is a no go. xsane doesn’t see it and the printer does not list my Fedora machine as an option for network scanning.
But to be honest, see as you need to walk to the printer anyway to scan something, taking a USB stick along with you isn’t terribly inconvenient.
By: vwbusguy on December 11, 2010
at 6:57 pm
This only works if the wireless settings on the printer are ALREADY WORKING. Mine couldn’t see the network, so couldn’t enter the password, etc. This may, however, be due to DOA network interface on the printer.
By: Bilbo on January 18, 2011
at 10:30 pm
Yep, not sure if there’s any way around that yet.
By: vwbusguy on January 18, 2011
at 10:33 pm
Assuming that the wireless isn’t broken, is there anything in the Lexmark supplied installer that allows you to set up the wireless? It looks like you have to connect to the printer via the USB first in order to do anything on the printer. I can now do simple stuff like PRINT a page, but the scanner doesn’t work, and there is no way I can see to get to the settings on the printer.
The more I fart around with this thing, the more I think it’s a piece of crap.
By: Bilbo on January 18, 2011
at 10:45 pm
You wrote: You must first go through the setup with a Windows machine and keep the paper it prints out with the network info.
DON’T FORGET THIS STEP. I was able to install and set up the printer with the downloaded Linux drivers, using a USB connection, but this does NOT let you set up the wireless. Thankfully, I had a Windows VM which could establish a USB connection, at which point it recognized the wireless, and allowed me to enter the WEP password.
One Really Weird part. When I found the printer, it wanted me to LOG IN. It looked like it was asking for a domain user name and password (I do have a Samba domain set up), but it wouldn’t accept my domain password. I cancelled, and it still seems to work. This may have something to do with the network scanning….
By: Bilbo on January 22, 2011
at 6:50 pm
I am actually on the phone with the Lexmark Linux support team as I write this. Apparently the Lexmark printer driver mentioned in the article and it’s variants such as lexmark-08z-series-driver-1.0-1.i386.deb.sh.tar.gz (I am using Ubuntu x86_64.
At any rate the support team is trying to be helpful. Apparently they seem to feel that to have full support for x86_64 you would need a 64 bit driver but they only have 32 bit drivers for this printer. Mine works in print but not scan too.
By: Steve on March 22, 2011
at 3:00 pm
They said they will be notifying product engineers to add a file that is missing from the existing driver to support x86_64. Not sure what the turn around time will be.
By: Steve on March 22, 2011
at 3:07 pm
Amazing post! Running Fedora14 x64 and it worked effortlessly. Not sure how i stumbled upon ur blog, but I had to sign up for WordPress to say thank you for putting this together. You have no idea how long i’ve been trying to get this working. Had to boot into windows everytime i needed to print 😦
You might wanna clarify that the IP of the printer is easily found on the digital display of the printer and not inside the OS (On the Printer press Setup > Network Setup > TCP/IP > view IP address). Novices like me might think that you have to run a ifconfig or something to find out. It’s also worth mentioning that I installed the printer in windows first which is probably why I haven’t run into all the trouble Bilbo has. Thanks again.
By: rammbo on June 1, 2011
at 12:15 pm
the Lexmark printer has to be set up on a wireless network with a usb cable, once you have set it up on a wireless network you can then search for it
By: Geoff on November 5, 2011
at 7:00 pm
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