SystemConfigPrinter
Launchpad Entry: system-config-printer
Created: Date(2007-05-02)
Contributors: JaniMonoses
Packages affected: system-config-printer, python-cups, gnome-cups-manager, hal-cups-utils
See also: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/PrinterDrake
Summary
gnome-cups-utils needs a replacement because it lacks features, and being unmaintained upstream places all the bugfixing burden on Ubuntu. While Printerdrake is a proposed alternative, there is another option: the new system-config-tools & co which are shipped in Fedora since FC6 released in late 2006.
Rationale
system-config-tools has the following advantages over gnome-cups-utils
actively developed upstream, the RedHat maintainer is helpful and responsive to bugs reported in Launchpad
fresh codebase (started in 2006) made specifically for CUPS >= 1.2
- written in Python and PyGTK
other advantages
- packaged, in main and used as default for Xubuntu since 6.10
Use Cases
See https://wiki.ubuntu.com/PrinterDrake all of what is there applies.
Scope
Ubuntu and Xubuntu
Design
Theses tools are
- system-config-printer a printer setup GTK+2.0 GUI
- hal-cups-utils a tool to automatically create LP queues for newly detected (on USB) printers
- a systray applet written in Python, that supersedes eggcups.
Implementation
Add them to ubuntu-desktop and see how it works.
Many of the missing features that the Printerdrake spec covers as 'would be nice to have' are easier to add here, since it's a fresh codebase and it's python.
Outstanding Issues
Some of the features printerdrake has may not be available in the Fedora tools, but the two covered by additional specs are.
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/AutomaticPrinterConfiguration When a new printer is detected hal-cups-utils adds a new queue. TODO for printers with no PPD
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/PrinterSharing in the settings dialog each printer can be shared independent of the others