[cups.bugs] Identical printers, sub backend

[Michael R Sweet]

Fernando wrote:
> ... What you mean with "1284 device information"? Can you explain,
> please?

IEEE 1284 is a standard for printing; in particular, it provides a
standard for a textual key/value encoding for standard attributes such
as make, model, supported languages, and serial number.

> The printer serial number is reported by usb backend in the box:
 > ...
> S: SerialNumber=CAU467739.......

But it isn't reporting the serial number in the 1284 device ID, which
is where the USB backend looks.

> ...
> Also, I've looked through several boxes with CUPS and different
> printers here, form Epson Cxx (seven printers) to HP laserjets (two
> printers), and never ever CUPS reports the serial number attached to
> manufacturer and model, but the usb subsystem of the box does.

Epson printers also do not report the serial number in the device
ID, but all of the HP printers I've used *do*.

We *may* be able to improve the standard USB backend with support
for libusb in CUPS 1.4; until then there is nothing we can do since
we can't map the information in /proc to the corresponding device
filename... :(

-- 
______________________________________________________________________
Michael R Sweet                        Senior Printing System Engineer