Re: [OT] Sorry state of hplip (was: [SOLVED] Re: [jessie] recording line-in using ALSA?)
On Sun 30 Oct 2016 at 18:24:50 +0300, Reco wrote:
> Hi.
>
> On Sun, 30 Oct 2016 14:20:44 +0000
> Brian <ad44@cityscape.co.uk> wrote:
> >
> > printer-driver-hpcups and printer-driver-hpijs would be sufficient for
> > just printing. That is why the packages are provided.
>
> 'Should be' does not equal 'actually working' in this case.
If you have a problem you should seek help by starting another thread.
> You're missing the point. What's the reason to provide a GUI to a bunch
> of CUPS filters in the first place? Why such GUI is needed for these
> particular filters, but not CUPS itself?
People like GUIs; I believe system-config-printer and the CUPS web
interface are popular for setting up printers. None of them are needed
but they fulfill a need.
> > The "bizarre reason" reason is probably that the .py and .pyc files are
> > platform independent.
>
> And the reason to put all those unrelated to actual printing files into
> the package was?
HPLIP does a bit more than handle printing.
> > See above.
>
> Nope, does not cut it. A package does not provide anything written in
> python by itself. Why does it depends on python then?
Pass.
> > main's ok. No non-free blobs are packaged.
>
> b43-fwcutter, flashplugin-nonfree or ttf-mscorefonts-installer (to name
> a few) do not package blobs either, they *only* download and/or
> process them. Yet all such things reside in 'contrib', not 'main'.
I'm not getting into a comparison with every package of this nature in
contrib. hp-plugin is not central to the function of suported hardware
and HPLIP will work without it. The script is a convenience one for the
user and is not run from the maintainer scripts.
> > Possibly needed for installing a plugin.
>
> A 'plugin' to what? Did you mean a 'non-free' blob maybe?
I was using HPs terminology.
> Does this 'plugin' gets installed every time someone prints?
No.
> > > 4) avahi-daemon as Recommends. Apparently it's considered so important
> > > that they recommend it again (CUPS has the same Recommend). Kind of
> > > surprised not to see it as Depends.
> >
> > CUPS was installed without its Recommends: because you do not want to
> > discover Bonjour broadcasted print queues. Later, HPLIP was installed
> > and you want to discover Bonjour broadcasted HP printers.
>
> A weak argument as no other printer driver has this ridiculous
> Recommends. One for the CUPS (where it serves its purpose indeed) is
> enough.
It's actually a very sound argument. Not wanting any of cups recommended
packages is a respectable decision.
> It would be a valid argument *if* one could install HPLIP without CUPS,
> but currently 'hplip' depends on 'cups', so that's impossible.
True. But I think you do not understand what different purposes cups and
HPLIP use avahi-daemon for. I didn't use "print queues" and "printers"
as a matter of style.
> > A Depends:
> > would be unsuitable if you were only setting up a USB printer.
>
> First, that logic did not stop them from forcing one to install a
> PolicyKit, for instance.
> Second, said USB printer can be shared over the network by CUPS, so
> such dependency is actually justifiable.
Setting up a *non-shared* USB printer. Clearer?
Pass on the rest because packaging is not something I know much about,
so I'm most likely to rely on the expertise of the maintainers. The
changelog might give you some clue as to what is going on.
--
Brian.
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