Retaining printers.conf when updating CUPS

[John A. Murdie]

Brandon Allbery wrote:
> On Oct 19, 2006, at 12:46 PM, John A.Murdie wrote:
>
> > I've configured all my printers' options (default paper size, input
> > tray etc) via the web interface, so that I fear that if the cupsd
> > ever dies then all this will be lost and I'll have to start over! I
> > had been assuming for a long time that the printer option settings
> > got written back to the printers.conf file automatically - I'd seen
>
> I guess I was unclear.  It doesn't store them in printers.conf; it
> edits ppd/$printername.ppd, which is where the options are actually
> defined.
>
> --
> brandon s. allbery     [linux,solaris,freebsd,perl]
> allbery at kf8nh.com
> system administrator  [openafs,heimdal,too many hats]
> allbery at ece.cmu.edu
> electrical and computer engineering, carnegie mellon university
> KF8NH

So there's no /etc/cups/lpoptions file needed?

My PPD files have names of my types of printer - e.g HP_LaserJet_8150_Series.ppd, OC3165_3.ppd, Lexmark_C510.ppd rather than in the names of my printers - e.g. p1, p2, p3 - and inspection shows that none of my PPD files (in share/cups/model) have been edited. I've experimentally created an empty p10.ppd file to see if it gets filled.

I still don't know how web 'Set Printer Options' values are preserved. I'd suggest that having the scheduler append to printers.conf is probably the action of least surprise, though one can argue that a daemon should never edit administrator-crafted configuration files (without the administrator authorising this).

Mike, help?!

John A. Murdie