[Bug 227047] print/cups cups-genppd fails to generate for officejet_pro_8500_a909g and related models

[bugzilla-noreply at freebsd.org]

https://bugs.freebsd.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=227047

            Bug ID: 227047
           Summary: print/cups cups-genppd fails to generate for
                    officejet_pro_8500_a909g and related models
           Product: Ports & Packages
           Version: Latest
          Hardware: Any
                OS: Any
            Status: New
          Severity: Affects Only Me
          Priority: ---
         Component: Individual Port(s)
          Assignee: tijl at FreeBSD.org
          Reporter: freebsd at dreamchaser.org
          Assignee: tijl at FreeBSD.org
             Flags: maintainer-feedback?(tijl at FreeBSD.org)

cups installs cups-genppd, which should be usable to generate ppd files.
However, it is missing the templates or ability to generate a ppd file for 
printers of type officejet_pro_8500_a909g.

cups-genppd -M -v does not list the printer

print/hplip lists the printer in its data/models/models.dat file, and
hp-setup (installed by hplip) can be used to generate a ppd file.

It is particularly painful to have to run down this chain to get a printer
to work.  Either cups should have no drivers and lots of pointers to where
to get them, or none at all.  It is particularly difficult because there are
three different ports that serve as sources for ppd files for hp printers --
cups, hplip, and hpijs; some printers appear in multiple ports.  Some, like the
officejet pro 8500 a909 series, have no ppd files listed in any of the
pkg-plists, because the file is only obtained by running hp-setup.  This means
one has to dig through three different pkg-plists, then grep sources, to figure
out where one *might* possibly get the required ppd file.  One must then
install the port (hplip), read through its documentation and finally run a
program to generate it.  The only clue that hplip is the right path is to grep
its data/models/models.dat file.

I'm not sure what a good solution to this problem is.  Cups could install a
list of packages containing ppd sources, and then when it can't find a ppd file
at least can point the user at the appropriate ports.  The file could contain a
short hint as will, such as "Try cups-genppd -M -v" and "grep
/usr/ports/print/hpijs/pkg-plist" and whatever would be appropriate for cups
itself.

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