On 28/06/14 12:04, Till Kamppeter wrote:
> Are you really using system-config-printer or are you using the GNOME
> printer setup tool from the Control Center? Try starting system-config-
> printer from a terminal window via the command "system-config-printer".
> Do you get the same user interface?
>
> Can you reproduce the bug? Please tell the exact steps to reproduce it,
> including creating the print queue and how you manipulated it. Start
> system-config-printer via the command
>
> system-config-printer --debug 2>&1 | tee log.txt
>
> then reproduce the bug and after that attach the log.txt file.
>
> Tell us also which printer you have and attach the PPD file from
> /etc/cups/ppd/.
>
> Do the attachments one-by-one, do not compress the files and do not
> package them together. Thanks.
>
> See also https://wiki.ubuntu.com/DebuggingPrintingProblems
>
>
>
> ** Changed in: system-config-printer (Ubuntu)
>         Status: New => Incomplete
>
As stated in my original report I'm using Mint 17. The printer 
configuration utility accessed from the Control Centre is 
system-config-printer V1.4.3 as reported by its About dialog box. 
Running system-config-printer from the terminal brings up the same 
version and UI.

The printer is a Canon Pixma iP5000 run as a network printer via a Qnap 
TS119 NAS box. There are no issues with my setup: I use the printer from 
two Debian boxes and have set it up and accessed it from other distros 
including Mint and OpenSuse. The problem I've identified seems new and 
to be associated with the automatic population of fields in the printer 
properties.

On the machine under test the direcory /etc/cups/ppd/ is empty.

The steps in reproducing the bug are as follows.
1. Invoke system-config-printer (via UI or CLI) (log1.txt)
The network printer is detected and appears as the only printer.

2. Right click on the printer icon and select Properties.
The fields in the dialog box (which shouldn't be changed) are populated 
as follows
Description: QNAP2(Airprint)
Location: QNAP2
Device URI: ipp://QNAP2.local:631/printers/QNAP2PR2
Make and model: Remote Printer
Printer State: idle

3. Click Change to change the make and model
Select Canon, then Pixma iP5000, then click Forward

4. Select "Use the new PPD..." and click Apply
The Properties dialog box appears with the Make and Model reading
Canon PIXMA iP5000 - CUPS+Gutenprint v5.2.10-pre2
Note that the Apply button is greyed out

5. Press OK and close the Printers dialog with the X button at top right.

6. Close the terminal, shut down the computer and turn off the printer

7. Restart the computer and run system-config-printer: note that the 
dialog box states that no printers are configured.

8. Shut down the computer. Restart the printer. Restart the computer. 
Repeat steps 1 and 2
The dialog box shows "Remote Printer" in the Make and Model field. Its 
configuration has been lost. (log3.txt)

As a general point, when the software is working correctly (either by my 
workround or on my Debian boxes) the printer details are saved, even if 
the computer is booted up with the printer powered down or otherwise 
unavailable. On a laptop in particular this scenario is commonplace.

A final observation which might possibly help: the workround I 
identified in my original report appears to work only if I mark the 
printer as the default printer.

Regards, Peter Hinch