Binary package hint: hplip

Last Friday HPLIP 1.7.3 was released. It does not only fix 9 bugs which were reported to Launchpad but also at least ~80 bugs discovered upstream or in other distributions (see ChangeLog) got fixed. Probably many of the crash bugs of the HP Toolbox reported recently got also fixed. In addition, once packaging HPLIP I have fixed the numerously reported problems with the GUI tools in the menus and python-qt3 not being installed by default (3 Launchpad bugs, one with 8 duplicates) in all flavours but Kubuntu.

Also the newest HP printer models get supported with this release.

The following bugs got fixed:

From the new upstream release:
https://launchpad.net/bugs/82546
https://launchpad.net/bugs/83936
https://launchpad.net/bugs/85805
https://launchpad.net/bugs/87695
https://launchpad.net/bugs/92237
https://launchpad.net/bugs/94013
https://launchpad.net/bugs/94015
https://launchpad.net/bugs/94823
https://launchpad.net/bugs/95489

Packaging:
https://launchpad.net/bugs/67892
https://launchpad.net/bugs/86893
https://launchpad.net/bugs/88290

Here is the Ubuntu ChangeLog (it contains a complete copy of the upstream ChangeLog/Release Notes):

------------------------------------------------------------------------
 hplip (1.7.3-0ubuntu1) feisty; urgency=low
 .
   * New upstream release (closes: LP#82546, LP#83936, LP#85805, LP#87695,
     LP#92237, LP#94013, LP#94015, LP#94823, LP#95489)
     * HPLIP 1.7.3
       + Added the <nopjl /> tag to hpijs-generator.in. This will remove
         the extra foomatic PJL options from most HP LaserJet PPD
         files. The extra foomatic PJL options caused some HPIJS PCL data
         issues. This fixes a "PCL XL error" on LJ1010/1012 that can
         occur on different PCs (closes: LP#92237).
       + Fixed defect (An error occurs when send a fax coverpage with "&"
         or "<" character in Regarding or Optional Message field.)
       + Removed banner pages from fax print settings
       + Altered hpfax: device discovery output to match hp: scheme (CUPS
         1.2 only)
       + Removed the wait cursor during the password entry screen
         [reported by Johannes]
       + Added error messages and suppressed content in toolbox when
         device is not found or unsupported
       + A new configure option was added --enable-cups11-build, this
         option controls the hp/hpfax device discovery message when no
         devices are found. If needed, this option provides backward
         compatibility with CUPS 1.1.x applications.
         With --enable-cups11-build set the "no_device_found" message is
         displayed during device discovery by the "hp" backend.
         With --disable-cups11-build (default) set the backend prints a
         scheme based on the following conditions.
             Condition 1 - no daemons
               output nothing stdout return exit 1
             Condition 2 - daemons running, no HP devices, output scheme
               direct hp "Unknown" "HP Printer (HPLIP)" return exit 0
             Condition 3 - daemons running, HP printer found, output URI
               direct hp:/... "hp model" "HP model HPLIP" "deviceid"
             return exit 0
         (closes: LP#87695)
       + Changed the way that hp-setup was being launched from the
         toolbox, it was hanging on Edgy
       + Added Tools > Printer Information
       + Added a check for 'lpr' for Debian installation (to force
         install of cupsys-bsd)
       + Moved the password prompt in the text/CLI installer past the
         distro confirm/select prompts to handle a problem with Mepis
       + Made a change to determine if networking is working during
         installation.
       + Added a private copy of sanei_init_debug to libsane-hpaio. This
         will remove the libsane.so dependency which was a problem for
         WINE.
       + Fixed defect (PPD file "foomatic:HP-PSC_2400-hpijs.ppd" can not
         be found when set up PSC 2400 in interactive mode, closes
         LP#95489)
       + Fixed a page update defect in the toolbox (when switching
         devices, update page correctly)
       + Re-wrote hpaioAdvanceDocument function in libsane-hpaio. This
         change only effects SCL scanners with an ADF (ie: inkjet
         all-in-ones). This fixes a double-feed ADF issue which occurred
         when scanning a single page.
       + Fixed defect (An unexpected error occurs when perform color
         calibration job in GUI mode on photosmart c7180.)
       + Some toolbox UI improvements
       + Converted hp-print to new UI
       + Fixed some defects in scrollprintview and devmgr
       + Added network detection to text/CLI installer
       + Toolbox internal/built-in print utility
       + Added password entry and validation to text/CLI installer
       + Fixed an issue when the ~/.hplip.conf file is not present on 1st
         run, the hp-setup run as root owns the file and doesn't allow the
         regular user to write to it.
       + Fixed defect (hp-setup -i can not setup a printer Photosmart
         c3100 which has multiple possible PPD files.)
       + Some visual updates to the toolbox
       + Fixed defect (DJ 4x0 power/battery settings not staying set)
       + Added a confirmation dialog to device remove in the toolbox
       + Linked quality and printoutmode in print settings
       + Switched [x] Enable style controls to (*) On ( ) Off style in
         print settings
       + Supply icons auto generate (removed supply PNG icons from
         data/images)
       + Fixed an issue with r_values in supplies processing
       + Added type 12 head support for PS33xx, PSC61xx, etc.
       + Fixed defect (The Print Settings of Fax device are invalid)
       + Fixed issue where L7xxx color cal wasn't showing the load paper UI
       + Fixed defect (The command "hp-setup -i" can not work normally)
       + Fixed defect (The setup process will hang up when modify the fax
         name to a name which contains more than 104 characters on setup
         UI.)
       + Changed magic.py to better handle text/plain vs. data detection
       + Added last used working directory support to hp-sendfax,
         hp-print, and hp-unload
     * HPLIP 1.7.2 (Not published as Ubuntu or Debian package)
       + Fixed defect (The fax file is printed out by the sender when use
         printer name with "-p" parameter to perform a fax job.)
       + Added CUPS fax queues to Print Settings and Print Control tabs
       + Added PQ Diag type 2, align type 12, color cal type 6, and LF
         cal type 2 for Officejet Pro L7xxx
       + Added agent types 20 and 21 for Officejet Pro L7xxx
       + Fixed defect (There is no response when click "About" in the
         "Help" menu in the toolbox window.)
       + Fixed defect (Function Commands configuration was disabled)
       + Fixed an issue where the ending banner page combo box would not
         show the proper setting if it were not 'none'
       + Fixed defect (An error occurs when select other ppd files from
         toolbox to setup)
       + Fixed defect (The command "hp-setup -i" can not work normally)
       + Fixed defect (The output of "-t" parameter is not the same as
         "--prettyprint" parameter when send a fax job using pretty
         printing for text files.)
       + Fixed defect (An error occurs when enter "#" in Fax Name field
         on "Enter Printer Information" window during setting up a
         printer.)
       + Fixed defect (Print outcomes are not full when set the "Page
         Orientation" as "Landscape" on "Print Settings" table.) [added
         "Fit to page" option in image printing section of Print Settings
         tab.]
       + Moved installer/images/xxx files from SCRIPT to DATA install in
         Makefile.am.
       + Fixed non-functioning printer control in hp-toolbox
       + Fixed an issue with the settings dialog not working [reported by
         Johannes]
       + Additional fixes to get PPD file handling working on Edgy and
         Feisty for CUPS 1.2.
       + Fixes for CUPS 1.2 and auto-generated PPD files for Feisty Fawn
         [reported by Till] (closes: LP#95489)
       + Fixed potential subscript array overflow in pcard/fat.c
         (reported by Suse).
       + Fixed an issue reported by Till with the device string returned
         by hpfax:
       + Fixed an issue in in the NoDeviceForm (missing __tr() method)
       + Fixed defect (Ubuntu Fiesty Herd 3 - ppd file w/hp-setup
         problem) [implemented change to PPD file enumeration for CUPS 1.2
         as suggested by Till] (closes: LP#95489)
       + Added banner pages to print settings (job-sheets)
       + Fixed problem with watermark angle text in print settings (utf-8
         decoding)
       + Added libusb-devel check to configure.in.
       + Added image printing settings to toolbox print settings
       + Added print adjustment settings to toolbox print settings
       + Enhanced the default button behavior in toolbox print settings
       + Removed sticky print settings from hp-print
       + hp_laserjet_p2015_series: Changed embedded-server-type from '0'
         to '1'
       + hp_laserjet_p2015_series: Changed panel-check-type from '0' to '1'
       + Fixed a traceback in hpfax: if HPLIP is not running during
         device detection (closes: LP#83936)
       + Added print job icons to indicate print job status
       + Updated some status icons
       + Fixed defect (An unexpected error occurs when enter hp-makecopies
         -d<device-uri> -m1 -n in terminal)
       + Fixed defect ("See Also:hp-colorcal" should not occur in the
         explanation for the hp-colorcal command on hplip website.)
       + Fixed defect (Refresh All button can not work on build
         hplip-1.7.1 public release.)
       + Fixed an issue in hpssd that caused history items in the ring
         buffer to slotted incorrectly
       + Added duplexer detection to the "sides" setting in the toolbox
         Print Settings (no "sides" selection if duplexer == 0)
       + Added new, more useful icons to the status list in the toolbox
       + Major toolbox (Device Manager) upgrade/redesign
       + Added printer settings tab (sets printer options in
         ~/.cups/lpoptions)
       + Removed panel tab (merged panel with status tab)
       + Redo of functions tab (new layout)
       + Redo of status tab (new icons, layout, inclusion of front panel
         display)
       + Front panel display will show device panel if available,
         otherwise most recent status text
       + Redo of supplies tab (new layout)
       + Redo of print jobs tab (now called printer control) (print
         control widget, new layout, etc)
       + hpssd will not store multiple history items with the same error
         code (last one gets replaced)
       + About box upgraded
       + cupsext extended in functionality (ppd, options, etc)
       + Removed trailing white space in IEEE 1284 model name. This will
         fix URIs that have a trailing "_" character in the model
         name. This issue crept back into the hpiod code after the libusb
         update (closes: LP#85805).
       + Fixed an issue in hp-check that caused a traceback if
         '/etc/sane.d/dll.conf' is missing
       + Added some more bug messages to hpaio.
       + Fixed a traceback in hp-levels reported on the mailing list (defect)
       + Set the device list column width in the toolbox splitter to be
         more narrow by default
       + Added the toolbox software version to the Device Manager about dialog
     * HPIJS 2.7.2
       + Fixed media type for maxdpi printmode for vip printers and its
         derivatives
       + Fixed the cause of carriage stall error in C41xx printers
       + Added support for the following new printer(s).
           * Officejet Pro L7300 series (OJProKx50)
           * Officejet Pro L7500 series (OJProKx50)
           * Officejet Pro L7600 series (OJProKx50)
           * Officejet Pro L7700 series (OJProKx50)
           * HP Officejet Pro K5300 series (OJProKx50)
           * HP Officejet Pro K5400 series (OJProKx50)
           * HP Officejet J5700 series (DJGenericVIP)
         OJProKx50 is derived from DJGenericVIP.
   * Removed patches 00_01_hplevels_fix.dpatch,
     80_hpijs_deskjet_d41xx_hangs.dpatch,
     85_hpfax_crash_when_hpssd_not_running.dpatch,
     90_hpfax_bad_lpinfo_-v_output.dpatch, merged upstream.
   * Remade patch 14_charsign_fixes.dpatch, most of it was merged upstream.
   * 61_noqt_message.dpatch: Improved error message which appears when
     HPLIP utilities are called from the menu but PyQt is not installed
     (closes: LP#86893)..
   * Modified the debian/*.desktop files so that the environment variable
     "STARTED_FROM_MENU=1" is set to make the utilities showing the
     GTK-based error message window when called from the menu and PyQt is
     not installed (closes: LP#86893).
   * Added "NoDisplay=true" to the debian/*.desktop files so that the menu
     entries for the HPLIP tools are hidden by default (closes: LP#67892).
   * Fixed the pelling of the icon file names in the debian/*.desktop files
     (closes: 88290).
   * Removed debian/hp-toolbox.desktop, it was a duplicate menu entry for the
     HP Toolbox.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

The files you can find at (hplip_1.7.3-0ubuntu1):

http://www.linux-foundation.org/~till/tmp/ubuntu/feisty/hplip/

As some of the Launchpad bugs fixed from upstream needed complexer fixes and the developers from HP did only tell that they fixed the bugs but not where they have fixed them I have packaged the complete 1.7.3. I have tested it and bugs which I could reproduce are really fixed. I also did some testing on 64-bit.

Can you put this into Feisty. Thanks.