hp-setup: bad user experience when launched as normal user

[Johannes Meixner]

Using HPLIP 3.11.3a on a openSUSE 11.4 x86_64 system.

In a xtrem where I am logged in as normal user I type
"hp-setup" to set up my HP LaserJet 1020 at the USB.

I get a graphical dialog which asks me for
the root password which I provide.

Then it downloads and installs the proprietary plugin
which is needed for my HP LaserJet 1020.

Afterwards it goes through the usual steps
to set up a print queue but at the end
it fails with this error popup:
--------------------------------------------------------------
Printer queue setup failed. Could not connect to CUPS server.
Is user added to "lp" group(s)
   [OK]
--------------------------------------------------------------

I added my normal user to the "lp" group
and logged in anew and verified with "groups"
that I am now really memeber of the "lp" group
and startet "hp-setup" again.

Now I don't get a dialog which asks me for the root password
(I guess this happenes only to download and install
the proprietary plugin).

It goes directly through the usual steps to set up
a print queue but at the end it fails now
with this error popup:
--------------------------------------------------------------
Printer queue setup failed. Could not connect to CUPS server.
Is user added to "sys" group(s)
   [OK]
--------------------------------------------------------------

I added my normal user additionally to the "sys" group
and logged in anew and verified with "groups"
that I am now really memeber of the groups "lp" and "sys"
and startet "hp-setup" again.

Now it finally works.

It is a really bad user experience to let the user
again and again go through the usual steps
to set up a print queue when all must be in vain
because required permissions are not fulfilled.

hp-setup should first of all check required permissions
and if something is missing, it should show an
explanatory message to the user what he could do
(in particular to launch "hp-seup" directly as root).

Note that it is a potential security issue to add arbitrary
normal users to system-user groups like "lp" or "sys",
see
https://bugzilla.novell.com/show_bug.cgi?id=681679#c1
--------------------------------------------------
In particular users in the "lp" group can read
the print spool data files /var/spool/cups/d*
so that those users can read possibly confidential
print job data.
--------------------------------------------------
and see
http://en.opensuse.org/SDB:CUPS_in_a_Nutshell
--------------------------------------------------
Allow printer admin tasks for a normal user
...
Have in mind that a user who is allowed
to do printer admin tasks can change
the print queues as he likes.
For example he could let (possibly confidential)
print jobs print as usual (so that the betrayal
is not easily noticed) but additionally send a copy
of what is printed to any external destination.
--------------------------------------------------

[goutam kodu (goutam-hplip)]

Hi,

HPLIP Auto installation support for OpenSUSE 11.4 is not available yet. Support for SUSE 11.4 will be available in coming release of HPLIP.

Please follow the link https://answers.launchpad.net/hplip/+faq/1557 to make hplip auto installation to work on OpenSUSE 11.4. The auto installation automatically adds user to "lp" and "sys" groups.

Please uninstall the current hplip version that is installed in the system and install the latest hplip using the steps mentioned in the link https://answers.launchpad.net/hplip/+faq/1557.

Please let us know on the same if you find the same user experience.

Thanks,
Goutam Korra Kodu

[Johannes Meixner (jsmeix)]

My bug report is not about "HPLIP Auto installation".
My bug report is not about any kind of "hplip-*.run".
My bug report is not at all about installation of HPLIP.

I install HPLIP via my RPMs from the "Printing" project in openSUSE.
I don't have any issues to install those RPMs.

After HPLIP was installed I run "hp-setup" to set up a print queue.
The bug report is about bad user experience for "hp-setup"
when it is run as normal user to set up a print queue,
see the bug's subject/summary and my initial bug description.

I use HPLIP 3.11.3a - see my initial bug description.
Which other "latest hplip" should I use instead?