[cups.development] [RFE] STR #1575: Let the "usb" backend use libusb instead of the usblp kernel module

[Till Kamppeter]

[STR New]

As discussed in this thread on linuxprinting.org

http://linuxprinting.org/pipermail/inkjet-list/2006q2/000778.html
http://linuxprinting.org/pipermail/inkjet-list/2006q2/000779.html
http://linuxprinting.org/pipermail/inkjet-list/2006q2/000780.html

and also due to problems reported with Epson multi-function devices and
recent kernels it can make sense to let the "usb" backend of CUPS not use
the "usblp" kernel module any more, but libusb (SANE also switched from a
kernel module for USB scanners to libusb, also HPLIP from HP did so).

Our Mandriva contributor Couriousous (couriousous at mandriva dot org,
couriousous at sceen dot net) has sent to me a libusb-based USB CUPS
backend once (attached), which could be the start for the development of a
new USB backend for CUPS.

Build instructions:

- Install libusb-devel (or libusb-dev)
- Uncompress CUPS source code
- Copy the attached file into the backend/ directory
- Edit backend/usb.c modifying the include of usb-unix.c to usb-libusb.c
- Let compilation being done with "-lusb" (by LDFLAGS environment
  variable)
- Install CUPS as usual (or simply replace your "usb" backend by the new
  one).

My suggestion would be either to switch the current backend to libusb-only
or better to make it runtime-configurable, so that the user can choose
between using the kernel module or libusb, simply by a switch in
/etc/cups/cupsd.conf or /etc/cups/usb.conf.

Link: http://www.cups.org/str.php?L1575
Version: 1.2-feature
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