/etc/cups/printers.conf timestamp is pointlessly updated

[Dimitri John Ledkov]

Binary package hint: cups

I have etckeeper installed which keeps /etc in a bzr branch. I've noticed a lot of commits of following content:
=== modified file 'cups/printers.conf'
--- cups/printers.conf 2010-01-21 05:31:42 +0000
+++ cups/printers.conf 2010-01-22 02:00:04 +0000
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 # Printer configuration file for CUPS v1.4.1
-# Written by cupsd on 2010-01-20 08:20
+# Written by cupsd on 2010-01-21 07:52
 <Printer deskjet-5550>
 Info hp deskjet 5550
 Location jauntybook

=== modified file 'cups/printers.conf.O'
--- cups/printers.conf.O 2010-01-21 05:31:42 +0000
+++ cups/printers.conf.O 2010-01-22 02:00:04 +0000
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 # Printer configuration file for CUPS v1.4.1
-# Written by cupsd on 2010-01-19 07:43
+# Written by cupsd on 2010-01-20 08:20
 <Printer deskjet-5550>
 Info hp deskjet 5550
 Location jauntybook

Please make cups not to update those files with pointless time-stamp change only. Thank you.

ProblemType: Bug
Architecture: i386
Date: Fri Jan 22 18:17:26 2010
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 9.10
Lpstat:
 device for deskjet-5550: hp:/usb/deskjet_5550?serial=MY26R1Q1GV2L
 device for Deskjet-F300-series: hp:/usb/Deskjet_F300_series?serial=CN63TB122P04KH
 device for Hewlett-Packard-HP-LaserJet-1018: hp:/usb/HP_LaserJet_1018?serial=KP2K8QX
MachineType: Apple Computer, Inc. MacBook1,1
Package: cups 1.4.1-5ubuntu2.1
Papersize: a4
PpdFiles:
 deskjet-5550: HP Deskjet 5550 hpijs, 3.9.8.36
 Deskjet-F300-series: HP Deskjet f300 Series hpijs, 3.9.8.36
 Hewlett-Packard-HP-LaserJet-1018: HP LaserJet 1018 Foomatic/foo2zjs (recommended)
ProcCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.31-18-generic root=UUID=b71efbd3-b1d6-4724-9f71-be9de056e0ff ro quiet splash
ProcEnviron:
 LANGUAGE=en_GB.UTF-8
 PATH=(custom, user)
 LANG=en_GB.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.31-18.55-generic
SourcePackage: cups
Uname: Linux 2.6.31-18-generic i686
dmi.bios.date: 10/12/06
dmi.bios.vendor: Apple Computer, Inc.
dmi.bios.version: MB11.88Z.0061.B03.0610121324
dmi.board.asset.tag: Base Board Asset Tag
dmi.board.name: Mac-F4208CC8
dmi.board.vendor: Apple Computer, Inc.
dmi.board.version: PVT
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: Asset Tag
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: Apple Computer, Inc.
dmi.chassis.version: Mac-F4208CC8
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAppleComputer,Inc.:bvrMB11.88Z.0061.B03.0610121324:bd10/12/06:svnAppleComputer,Inc.:pnMacBook1,1:pvr1.0:rvnAppleComputer,Inc.:rnMac-F4208CC8:rvrPVT:cvnAppleComputer,Inc.:ct10:cvrMac-F4208CC8:
dmi.product.name: MacBook1,1
dmi.product.version: 1.0
dmi.sys.vendor: Apple Computer, Inc.

[Jonathan Michalon (johndescs)]

Yes, this is very annoying with etckeeper. This is also incompatible with read-only root.
A solution would be either migrate constantly modified files to /var (losing etckeeper tracking) or just avoid replacing the file when changing nothing. I think staying in /etc would be better to preserve tracking when modifying the configuration (manually or with a GUI).

[Dimitri John Ledkov (xnox)]

Also this annoys metche.

[Dimitri John Ledkov (xnox)]

  daily autocommit
diff:
=== modified file 'cups/printers.conf'
--- cups/printers.conf 2012-05-26 14:59:30 +0000
+++ cups/printers.conf 2012-06-02 21:29:00 +0000
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 DeviceURI usb://Samsung/CLP-320%20Series?serial=Z4PRBABBA06099B
 State Stopped
 StateMessage Unplugged or turned off
-StateTime 1337382796
+StateTime 1338547179
 Reason paused
 Type 8425484
 Accepting Yes

So now it also updates State & StateTime stanzas.....

[Didier Roche-Tolomelli (didrocks)]

Tim, can you please have a look on that one? Thanks a lot.

[Rolf Leggewie (r0lf)]

quantal has seen the end of its life and is no longer receiving any updates. Marking the quantal task for this ticket as "Won't Fix".

[Till Kamppeter (till-kamppeter)]

This is already fixed ages ago, closing ...