[cups.development] Re: [Gimp-print-devel] Can't use Epson PictureMate with GutenPrint 5.0.0rc2

[Klaus Singvogel]

Hi.
I'm currently not subscribed to gimp-print-devel (and others maybe
neither). Therefore I'm responding to cups-dev too. :-)

Michael Sweet wrote:
> >Yep, the device should be usb:/dev/usb/lp0, but it's replaced by this one.
> 
> Actually, no, the "usb://EPSON/PictureMate" URI is the correct one, the
> filename-based URIs are deprecated and are no longer allowed in CUPS
> 1.2 (the filename will change randomly if you have more than one printer
> attached...)

Well, I'm a bit unhappy with this decision.

You're right, the printer taken as /dev/usb/lp0 is chosen randomly.
But there exist lots of documents where /dev/usb/lp0 is named. If you
no longer allow it, CUPS users might run into deeper problems, if they
just upgrade their printing system from 1.1.x to 1.2.x, and if its no
longer working. This should not happen.

Even I'm not happy to say this, but Microsoft is doing a good example
how it should be done: warn the user in first major upgrade, and
disallow it in the next major upgrade. Therefore I'm asking you, if we
can see a warning message in the "State:" field of the printer, or
somewhere else, instead, but allow if for some time?

A rejection of the configuration command, if any such outdated URI is
used, is acceptable either. But then there should be a good hint given
to the user either, what should be used instead. The rejection should
also been done by the front-end and not by the daemon.

A support of old configuration should not been dropped in such a cruel
way. At least, if the version of CUPS only changes only from in a minor
version number. :-)

Just my wishes and thoughts about it.

Regards,
	Klaus.
-- 
Klaus Singvogel
SUSE LINUX Products GmbH
Maxfeldstr. 5                     E-Mail: Klaus.Singvogel at SuSE.de
90409 Nuernberg                   Phone: +49 (0) 911 740530
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