The nightmarish problem of installing a printer

[Jerry]

On Sun, 19 Sep 2010 15:50:32 +0200
dan <glimp at live.com> articulated:

> On 19.09.2010 13:34, Jerry wrote:
> > On Sat, 18 Sep 2010 23:27:13 +0200
> > dan<glimp at live.com>  articulated:
> >
> >> 2 - HP Photosmart C3180.
> >> Once I installed HPLIP and adjusted some permissions I used a hp sw
> >> tool to update the CUPS printers' database (all with the
> >> __default__ 8.1 kernel). I then Succesfully printed a test page
> >> and successfully tested the device as a scanner (blank scanning of
> >> the plate).
> >>
> >>
> >> The "annoying" and computer-time-consuming part was recompiling gtk
> >> and qt with CUPS support, that was not the default when I first
> >> installed everything.
> >> In the end, CUPS was also easy to use to share the 1st printer in
> >> our small and simple network.
> >
> > I used the HPLIP port in conjunction with CUPS to get my home c6180
> > printer working. The FAX portion sucks, and probably always will. I
> > just FAX from one of my Windows machines when the need arises. The
> > printing thought is adequate. I still have not figured out how to
> > get the CF, XD, etc ports to work with FreeBSD. They do work with
> > Windows, so I know that they are working correctly. Luckily, I
> > rarely utilize them anyway.
> >
> > I was wondering what "hp sw tool to update the CUPS printers'
> > database" you are referring to.
> >
> 
> Sorry :-) The statement is obviously a bit ambiguous - if not
> incorrect. I used "hp-setup" (one of those kde applications included
> in HPLIP): it tries to discover printers on the usb bus and then a
> suitable ppd file for the printer one chooses to install. Later, when
> all the required data are collected it adds the chosen printer in
> CUPS (like if one selects "Add a printer" in CUPS - Section
> Administration).

I am familiar with that. I thought that you had discovered something
new.

> There are many hp tools installed under /usr/local/bin - including a 
> device manager that seems to work fine with kde4. This last one is so 
> "in love" with this system that even if it has not been asked to do
> so every time I start up kde I find it always loaded.
> 
> For a test SD card that I had and I wanted to read: I turned off the 
> printer, inserted the card and then I turned on the printer (stupid,
> eh ? :-) ). After these huge efforts ;) I found the card (ready to be 
> mounted) under /dev/msdosfs/ .

Well, I am not about to go through that BS. For the few times that I
actually do need that functionality, I will just use my Windows
machines. I would file a bug report against this behavior
except that I don't have the slightest idea where to file the bug
report; i.e., FreeBSD, KDE/Gnome, someone else, all the above? It
becomes more than mildly infuriating, although users of Windows do have
a nice laugh from time to time.

-- 
Jerry ✌
FreeBSD.user at seibercom.net

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