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One Year Later - CUPS Admin Still Lacking?

DopeyDad asks: "OK, it was close to a year ago (Eric's site says July 2004, but I'd swear the original rant came earlier last year) that Eric Raymond's tirade on the unfriendly status of configuring the CUPS printing system on Linux was published. Well, I've been struggling with setting up a new laptop and getting it to talk to my print server, using Fedora Core 3, and nothing seems to have changed -- the admin items for adding a printer are exactly as Eric described them back then -- unclear, confusing, and no where near as friendly as their Win* equivalents. Definitely not something I'd expect my Aunt Ethel to be able to figure out. What's going on here? Granted, FC3 is ready to be replaced, but I don't see any CUPS updates for it. Is work being done with CUPS to address Eric's original complaints, or has this issue fallen off the radar?" For those who are still frustrated with the CUPS GUI, how would you improve it?

15 of 447 comments (clear)

  1. Hear no...see no...speak no... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    "For those who are still frustrated with the CUPS GUI, how would you improve it?"

    Close our eyes, and pretend the problem doesn't exist.

    1. Re:Hear no...see no...speak no... by c0d3h4x0r · · Score: 3, Funny

      "For those who are still frustrated with the CUPS GUI, how would you improve it?"

      Close our eyes, and pretend the problem doesn't exist.


      You're a FreeBSD developer, aren't you?

      --
      Moderator hint: a comment is neither "Flamebait" nor "Troll" if it is true.
  2. High level approach: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    SELECT L.driver
    FROM linux_partition.linux_drivers L
    INNER JOIN windows_partition.windows_drivers W
    ON L.driver_id = W.driver_id;

  3. LACKING!?!? by FreeLinux · · Score: 5, Funny

    It's still a great big steaming pile. I never thought it would happen, but from time-to-time I catch myself saying; "Maybe I should go back to lpd" <shudder>

    One more rant, whoever it was that was unimaginative enough to come up with the foomatic name should be flogged.

  4. Wonder why? by MarkGriz · · Score: 5, Funny

    "OK, it was close to a year ago... that Eric Raymond's tirade on the unfriendly status of configuring the CUPS printing system on Linux was published.... and nothing seems to have changed -- the admin items for adding a printer are exactly as Eric described them back then -- unclear, confusing, and no where near as friendly as their Win* equivalents."

    Well, so much for ESR tirades motivating the development of user-friendly software. Anyone else have any ideas?

    --
    Beauty is in the eye of the beerholder.
  5. Re:Opposite experience from ESR by Hognoxious · · Score: 4, Funny
    I went downstairs to my GF's Powerbook
    Wow, your mom has a double level basement!
    --
    Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
  6. Re:Answer by smittyoneeach · · Score: 2, Funny
    I write ^&%^$& VBS code
    Man, that VBScript_RegExp_55.RegExp object is a right bummer, innit?
    --
    Get thee glass eyes, and, like a scurvy politician, seem to see things thou dost not.--King Lear
  7. CUPS printing system by h4rr4r · · Score: 2, Funny

    brought to you by the department of redundancy department

  8. Re:Windows print config easy? by Dr.Dubious+DDQ · · Score: 2, Funny
    How is calling a remote printer a local printer intuitive or easy?

    The same way that clicking "Start" is the intuitive and/or easy way to get to the "Shut Down" option...

    ...and War is Peace, and Freedom is Slavery, and so forth.

    Hey, I didn't say it made SENSE...

  9. Re:It has little to do with CUPS itself. by flynns · · Score: 3, Funny

    "But Mr. Dent, the PPD file has been available on our web site for the last nine months."

    "Oh yes, well, as soon as I heard I went straight round to fetch it, yesterday afternoon. You hadn't exactly gone out of your way to call attention to them, had you? I mean, like actually saying anything about it or anything."

    "But the file was available."

    "Available? I had to finagle my way into a non-advertised server to download it."

    "That's our Linux Support Server."

    "With Telnet."

    "Ah, well, the HTTP interface had probably gone."

    "So had the T3. I got it at FIFTY bytes per second."

    "But look, you got the file, didn't you?"

    "Yes," said Arthur, "yes I did. It was made available fifteen directories deep, stuck on the other side of a dusty symlink with a label saying "CONFIDENTIAL -- BEWARE OF LAWYER."

    --
    'If you're flammable and have legs, you are never blocking a fire exit.'
  10. You're sick! by levl289 · · Score: 2, Funny
    Remember if your idiot cousin from the cake shop wants the printer to work, she will phone rent-a-nerd. If you are lucky, she will wear a low cut blouse and very short skirt for the occasion.

    Wow, I didn't know they had running water in the Ozarks, let alone computers!

    :P

    --

    Q: What do you think about American Culture?
    A: I think it's a good idea.
    (adapted from Gandhi)

  11. CUPS: easy setup, ugly output by rcbarnes · · Score: 2, Funny

    I found CUPS configuration (for an HP 920c) to be a breeze, far easier than under Windows. Unforunately, under Windows, the "make prints look like ass" is disabled, but under Linux it's set by default, and I can't find anywhere to turn it off.

    --
    "Fight for lost causes. You may discover they weren't."
  12. Re:Sexy?!? by whiteranger99x · · Score: 2, Funny

    I'd bet most girls would agree. I know one I can ask if no one else does.

    Sure you could do that, but what does asking your mother accomplish? :P

    --
    Join the TWIT army now!
  13. Re:The point by pherthyl · · Score: 2, Funny

    The shop never closes, on Christmas day there is a million CVS checkins around the globe.

    And on Valentine's Day, there are a billion. ;)

  14. Re:Answer by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny
    Please start your lines in column 7. Column 6 is reserved for the continuation character and columns 1-5 for line numbers.

    Thank you.