Debian Bug report logs - #41310
printcap setup should be easier to do

Toggle useless messages

Message #5 received at submit@bugs.debian.org (full text, mbox, reply):

From: Raul Miller <moth@magenta.com>

To: submit@bugs.debian.org

Subject: lprng doesn't respect if

Date: Wed, 14 Jul 1999 17:36:37 -0400

Package: lprng
Version: 3.5.2-1.3

I have the following entry in my printcap:
lp|hp4tech
        :sd=/var/spool/lpd/lp
        :mx#0
        :rm=hp4tech
        :rp=hp4tech
        :if=/etc/magicfilter/ljet4-filter
        :sh

Unfortunately, it doesn't work -- the filter never gets used.

This isn't documented in any of the first ten or so places I
looked (for example: man printcap).  I finally found point 5.11
under the lprng howto, and I'm setting up a bounce entry, but:

(1) It's unreasonable to expect that a new user is going to
print out documentation to figure out how to get their printer
working (aside: man printcap looks great printed and looks 
horrible when viewed online).

(2) The above printcap entry worked fine under redhat.

(3) There is no place for a new user to go to to tell them how to set
up printing if the default configuration doesn't do the job [I don't
think the default configuration doesn't deal with staircasing -- though
it does have a "pc" entry, which isn't documented by man printcap,
and I've not hooked up a printer to the parallel port with the current
default printcap to see what happens...].

Overall, we're not doing the right thing here.

-- 
Raul

Message #10 received at 41310@bugs.debian.org (full text, mbox, reply):

From: Craig Small <csmall@scooter.eye-net.com.au>

To: Raul Miller <moth@magenta.com>, 41310@bugs.debian.org

Subject: Re: Bug#41310: lprng doesn't respect if

Date: Thu, 15 Jul 1999 10:38:42 +1000 (EST)

Raul Miller said:
> Package: lprng
> Version: 3.5.2-1.3

Wow, what a coincidence! I have upgraded lprng to 3.6.2 only a few days ago.

> (1) It's unreasonable to expect that a new user is going to
> print out documentation to figure out how to get their printer
> working (aside: man printcap looks great printed and looks 
> horrible when viewed online).
you mean it is a total nightmare to try to setup printers in Linux and
we should use a "printtool like" program to make it easier?
Absolutely.

> (2) The above printcap entry worked fine under redhat.
You sure it was lprng?  what version was it?

> (3) There is no place for a new user to go to to tell them how to set
> up printing if the default configuration doesn't do the job [I don't
> think the default configuration doesn't deal with staircasing -- though
Staircasing is printer-dependent.

> Overall, we're not doing the right thing here.
We need to make printing easier.

  - Craig

-- 
Craig Small VK2XLZ, PGP: AD 8D D8 63 6E BF C3 C7  47 41 B1 A2 1F 46 EC 90
Eye-Net Consulting http://www.eye-net.com.au/     <csmall@eye-net.com.au>
MIEEE <csmall@ieee.org>              Debian developer <csmall@debian.org>

Message #15 received at 41310@bugs.debian.org (full text, mbox, reply):

From: Raul Miller <moth@magenta.com>

To: Craig Small <csmall@scooter.eye-net.com.au>

Cc: 41310@bugs.debian.org

Subject: Re: Bug#41310: lprng doesn't respect if

Date: Wed, 14 Jul 1999 20:57:42 -0400

Craig Small <csmall@scooter.eye-net.com.au> wrote:
> > (2) The above printcap entry worked fine under redhat.
> You sure it was lprng?  what version was it?

I'm not sure, and I don't know how to examine redhat's package
database the way I know how to examine Debian's.  However, 

$ strings usr/sbin/lpd | grep 19[98][0-9]
@(#) Copyright (c) 1983 Regents of the University of California.
$Id: lpdchar.c,v 1.2 1998/04/18 22:37:04 ewt Exp $
$Id: recvjob.c,v 1.4 1999/03/22 22:03:55 notting Exp $
$Id: common.c,v 1.3 1999/02/16 03:45:31 notting Exp $
$Id: displayq.c,v 1.4 1999/03/22 22:03:55 notting Exp $

My guess is that it's a modified version of the BSD lpd

> > (3) There is no place for a new user to go to to tell them how to set
> > up printing if the default configuration doesn't do the job [I don't
> > think the default configuration doesn't deal with staircasing -- though
> Staircasing is printer-dependent.

Sure, but the printing howto suggests that the user write a program
to deal with this (it shows the program but this opens a whole can of
sysadmin issues which a new user who just wants to print probably isn't
prepared to deal with).  And there's not even a commented out line in
/etc/printcap for dealing with this.

> We need to make printing easier.

Agreed :)

-- 
Raul

Message #24 received at 41310@bugs.debian.org (full text, mbox, reply):

From: Patrick Powell <papowell@astart.com>

To: 41310@bugs.debian.org

Subject: Legacy (vintage) LPRng version

Date: Wed, 08 Aug 2001 13:45:51 -0700

[Message part 1 (text/plain, inline)]

Package: lprng
Version: 3.5.2-1.3

Can we suggest an upgrade to the latest release?

--
Patrick Powell                 Astart Technologies,
papowell@astart.com            9475 Chesapeake Drive, Suite D,
Network and System             San Diego, CA 92123
  Consulting                   858-874-6543 FAX 858-279-8424
LPRng - Print Spooler (http://www.lprng.com)

[Message part 2 (text/html, inline)]

Message #29 received at 41310-done@bugs.debian.org (full text, mbox, reply):

From: csmall@eye-net.com.au (Craig Small)

To: Patrick Powell <papowell@astart.com>, 41310-done@bugs.debian.org

Subject: Re: Bug#41310: Legacy (vintage) LPRng version

Date: Thu, 9 Aug 2001 10:27:43 +1000

On Wed, Aug 08, 2001 at 01:45:51PM -0700, Patrick Powell wrote:
> Can we suggest an upgrade to the latest release?

Get the latest release, get lprngtool, get magicfilter and read the
README.

Closing bug.
-- 
Craig Small VK2XLZ  GnuPG:1C1B D893 1418 2AF4 45EE  95CB C76C E5AC 12CA DFA5
Eye-Net Consulting http://www.eye-net.com.au/        <csmall@eye-net.com.au>
MIEEE <csmall@ieee.org>                 Debian developer <csmall@debian.org>

Send a report that this bug log contains spam.