about backporting to 3.5

[Cristian Tibirna]

On 7 May 2006 15:59, Alexander Kern wrote:
>
> > The "localhost" one (533674) I'm pretty sure it's only a workaround and
> > not the right fix, so I didn't protest it in trunk, but I don't think
> > it's good to commit it to 3.5.
>
> Would you prefer solution as in
> http://kubuntu.org/~jriddell/kdeprint/kubuntu_42_cups12_addmodify.diff

No, that isn't a solution either, as far as I understand that code. I think we 
should just sit back and try to clamly understand the issue: the KDEPrint 
code as is now isn't ready to cope with unix sockets as required by CUPS-1.2. 
For the needs of Kubuntu, there is a workaround which is for the cups 
configuration to be delivered with a default of "localhost" hostname in 
client.conf. No need to screw with KDEPrint code and put inthere ugly 
workarounds like turning anything that is not a valid hostname (and 
especially paths) into "localhost" panaceum.

We will have to perhaps write a new mechanism for the new features of CUPS-1.2 
and I myself wanted to do it for the remainder of KDE-3.X.X series but it 
seems I really don't find the rather non-negligeable time required.

So, I think it's best to go back to the design board, put aside the short term 
hacks and prepare for a well adapted KDEPrint in KDE-4.

> I sent a proposal for kaddprinterwizard to kdeprint but documant was to
> fat. I will resent it direct to you.

Got it and it's great that you want to take charge of this issue. I say, be 
more radical. What you propose there is good but we can go even further.

For the sake of opening up the discussion, please consider turning your .odt 
document into a html page and I can put it on http://printing.kde.org, in a 
section dedicated to developers. Then we will be able to discuss it. Or, if 
you want, we can use the kde wiki (http://wiki.kde.org)

In my vision (which was lately confirmed by the discussions we had at the 
Linux Printing Summit in Atlanta), the addprinterwizard needs a radical 
rewrite.

My vision, harshly summarized:

1) upon wizard startup, automatically (and in background) launch all 
registered backends, without requiring intervention from the user, and 
collect all auto-detectable printers available to the system. That would mean 
at least locally connected usb printers (hotplug scan), samba printers (samba 
scan?), ipp network printers (port 631 scan) and, most importantly, cups 
network servers. Auto-configure all detected printers as much as possible, 
filling in sensible defaults. Flag the printers that can't be autoconfigured.

2) Present all auto-detected printers to the user in a simple list that could 
provide connection details on request. Let user choose printer from list and 
ask "Is the printer you want to install in this list?"

3) if user chooses a printer that is fully configured and then hits OK, mision 
accomplished, in _only one dialog page_. END. User can go to the KDEPrint 
printer dialog later and configure the default settings at her liking.

4) if user chooses a printer that is partially or not configured, step the 
user through a configuration wizard, similar with what we have today starting 
from the printer model selector. Forget most pages for which we can provide 
sensible defaults (like users allowed and denied to print etc. etc.). Once 
this is done, END.

5) if user doesn't find printer in the list, offer a more complete backend 
selection dialog, similar to what is offered as opening page of the wizard 
today. Then go to 4)

Well, this is a very rough picture of what I think. I believe we can meet on 
IRC some time in one of the future week-ends and iron out non-clarities and 
cisel details.

I don't expect this to be a work simple enough to be fulfilled by one single 
person, no matter how dedicated. We will seek advice from our usability 
friends (hello Ellen) and try to go in small steps while involving new and 
power users alike.

Hope this helps.


-- 
Cristian Tibirna
KDE developer .. tibirna at kde.org .. http://www.kde.org
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