FF Exception for foo2zjs: NEW updated version, supports more printers (like OKI c3300n)

[Ricardo L. Febrero]

Binary package hint: foo2zjs

Hi all!! I have found that the latest version of this driver (since Jan, 2008) supports some new printers, like the OKI c3300n ones. It would be a good thing to keep this package regularly checked for fixes, since they are very common.
Is it possible to upgrade this driver in some versions of the distro, specially for the upcoming Hardy version?? It would be GREAT. Thanks!!

[Till Kamppeter (till-kamppeter)]

FEATURE FREEZE EXCEPTION REQUEST

I have created an Ubuntu package of the current snapshot of the foo2zjs printer driver suite.

Reason for this update is that a wide variety of new printer models gets supported:

* HP LaserJet M1005 MFP, M1120 MFP
* Lexmark C500n,
* Oki C3200n, C3300, C3400n, C5100n, C5200n, C5500n, C5600n, C5800n

Otherwise some minor bug fixes were done.

The support for the new models is done by adding new filters and PPDs, so already supported models should continue working. Printers used with other drivers (HPLIP, Gutenprint, PostScript, ...) will under no circumstances get affected by the update of foo2zjs.

Testing:

Build: Tested with up-to-date pbuilder -> Builds correctly. No missing Build dependencies.

Install/Update: Installed with "dkg -i" on completely updated Hardy -> Updated the already installed old version of foo2zjs correctly

Usage: I do not have any of the newly supported models, so I cannot test any of the new drivers. I have done a test with the HP LaserJet 1020 (which was already supported by the previous Ubuntu package) and it continues to work correctly (both firmware upload and printing).

Néstor Amigo Cairo, please check whether this package makes your Oki printer working.

Anyone else reading this who has one of the printer models supported by the foo2zjs printer driver suite, please test your printer. If you have already a print queue for your printer, create an additional, new queue, so that your test also covers the new PPD files.

I have posted the source package itself, the *source.changes, the debdiff, the diffstat of the debdiff, the pbuilder log, and the install log here:

http://www.linux-foundation.org/~till/tmp/ubuntu/hardy/foo2zjs/

[Steve Langasek (vorlon)]

 162 files changed, 13495 insertions(+), 7543 deletions(-)

This is an enormous delta, and includes more changes than the deceptively brief changelog entries would suggest. Having looked through the debdiff, I'm not at all confident that this change will have no effect on other already supported modules as you claim; not only do I see a number of rather broad changes to the C code, I also see changes to existing PPDs - there's a lot more to this diff than just adding support for new models.

Would it be possible to backport the new PPDs/filters to the existing version already in hardy? That would be a reasonable change for a freeze exception; but I can't see any way that I would be comfortable with taking this whole diff as a freeze exception.

[Till Kamppeter (till-kamppeter)]

I have based my report on the upstream ChangeLog which tells only about the new drivers and bug fixes. The debdiff really looks like a major rewrite.

I will look whether one can add the new drivers independently. Otherwise I will simply reupload this version on the day when Hardy+1 archives get opened so that this code gets full six months of testing.

The author also does not support the distributions very well. Once he refuses to give version numbers to his driver and second, he discourages using the packages coming with distros. Perhaps I should talk with him more about the advantages of binary packaging and distro integration.

[Till Kamppeter (till-kamppeter)]

I succeeded to add the new Oki driver independently of the other drivers. Will post a new version soon where all the existing drivers are from the current Hardy version 20071205 and only the new Oki driver is added from 20080226.

The new upload will also contain some minor bug fixes.

[Till Kamppeter (till-kamppeter)]

I have uploaded the new package files to the same place:

http://www.linux-foundation.org/~till/tmp/ubuntu/hardy/foo2zjs/

This time it is really only addition of support for new models plus small bug fixes.

I have simply added the new driver files and PPDs for the newly supported printer models. All driver files and PPDs which were already there in Hardy are still from the 20071205 snapshot of foo2zjs. So any printer which worked already at feature freeze for Hardy should continue working.

I have also fixed two small bugs in the whole set of drivers (fixes from upstream foo2zjs):

- The filters looked for the CUPS device URI in the environment variable "DEVICE_URL". Correct is "DEVICE_URI".

- The wrappers called Ghostscript with well-tempered screening in monochrome mode. This leads to a Ghostscript crash in some cases with resolution 1200x600 dpi. Now well-tempered screening is used only in color mode.

You can find the debdiff, diffstat, build and install logs also at the mentioned place.

I have tested the new packages with my HP LaserJet 1020 and I have also printed into a file with the driver for the Oki printers. Both tests showed correct results.

Néstor Amigo Cairo, please check whether this package makes also your Oki printer working.

[Ricardo L. Febrero (rlfebrero)]

Thanks! I'm going to try it, maybe installing Hardy soon.

2008/2/26, Till Kamppeter <email address hidden>:
> I have uploaded the new package files to the same place:
>
>
> http://www.linux-foundation.org/~till/tmp/ubuntu/hardy/foo2zjs/
>
>
> This time it is really only addition of support for new models plus
> small bug fixes.
>
> I have simply added the new driver files and PPDs for the newly
> supported printer models. All driver files and PPDs which were already
> there in Hardy are still from the 20071205 snapshot of foo2zjs. So any
> printer which worked already at feature freeze for Hardy should continue
> working.
>
> I have also fixed two small bugs in the whole set of drivers (fixes from
> upstream foo2zjs):
>
> - The filters looked for the CUPS device URI in the environment variable
> "DEVICE_URL". Correct is "DEVICE_URI".
>
> - The wrappers called Ghostscript with well-tempered screening in
> monochrome mode. This leads to a Ghostscript crash in some cases with
> resolution 1200x600 dpi. Now well-tempered screening is used only in
> color mode.
>
> You can find the debdiff, diffstat, build and install logs also at the
> mentioned place.
>
> I have tested the new packages with my HP LaserJet 1020 and I have also
> printed into a file with the driver for the Oki printers. Both tests
> showed correct results.
>
> Néstor Amigo Cairo, please check whether this package makes also your
> Oki printer working.
>
>
> ** Changed in: foo2zjs (Ubuntu)
> Status: In Progress => Fix Committed
>
>
> --
> FF Exception for foo2zjs: NEW updated version, supports more printers (like OKI c3300n)
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/192948
> You received this bug notification because you are a direct subscriber
> of the bug.
>

--
Néstor Amigo Cairo
[phone]
<email address hidden>

[Martin Pitt (pitti)]

FWIW, this looks appropriate to me for Hardy.

[Steve Langasek (vorlon)]

yes, ack for the current debdiff.

[Till Kamppeter (till-kamppeter)]

pitti, can you upload the packages then? Thank you.

[Steve Langasek (vorlon)]

Asking someone to upload works better if they're subscribed to the bug. :) Martin, if you don't have time for this, feel free to kick it back to me instead.

[Till Kamppeter (till-kamppeter)]

Steve, pitti is in the Ubuntu Printing Team, and therefore he gets notifications on this bug.

[Martin Pitt (pitti)]

Hi Till,

Till Kamppeter [2008-03-14 21:13 -0000]:
> Steve, pitti is in the Ubuntu Printing Team, and therefore he gets
> notifications on this bug.

No, I have not been in that team any more for a loooong time.
ETOOMUCHBUGS, sorry.

I'll sponsor it soon.

[Martin Pitt (pitti)]

Uploaded, will land in UNAPPROVED until either Beta gets released, or Steve accepts it for the Beta.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

This bug was fixed in the package foo2zjs - 20071205-0ubuntu2

---------------
foo2zjs (20071205-0ubuntu2) hardy; urgency=low

  * debian/local/*, debian/local/ppd/*.ppd, debian/rules: Added support
    for HP LaserJet M1120 MFP, Oki C3200n, C3300, C3400n, C5100n, C5200n,
    C5500n, C5600n, C5800n (LP: #192948).
  * debian/patches/20-honour-papersize.dpatch, debian/rules: Patch replaced
    by Perl magic in the debian/rules file. This way the /etc/papersize support
    gets automatically applied to every new wrapper script appearing in
    future versions of foo2zjs.
  * debian/patches/60-device-uri.dpatch: Corrected environment variable name
    in foo2* filters: DEVICE_URL -> DEVICE_URI (bug fix from current upstream
    snapshot).
  * debian/patches/70-ghostscript-crash-with-wts-in-monochrome.dpatch:
    Avoid using well-tempered screening (WTS) in monochrome printing mode
    as it makes Ghostscript crashing at 1200x600 dpi (bug fix from current
    upstream snapshot).
  * debian/rules: Cleaned up "clean" rule.

 -- Till Kamppeter <email address hidden> Mon, 25 Feb 2008 14:48:05 +0100