I just tested this in a VirtualBox VM (which contains a very "vanilla" 14.04 install with very few extra packages installed), and it didn't work. I tried several times. The Epson repository is added successfully, but it hangs while it's installing the driver package (epson-inkjet-printer-nx420). The package is not installed.
The last output of "system-config-printer --debug" is: pk.refresh_cache succeeded pk.resolve pk.resolve succeeded package_id: epson-inkjet-printer-nx420;1.0.0-1lsb3.2;amd64;printdriver package not installed pk.install_packages Signature key supplied After this, when I try to install the package manually, it fails because /var/cache/debconf/config.dat (and other files there) is locked by another process. Here are the relevant lines (I think) of "ps aux": root 3331 0.0 0.0 0 0 pts/0 ZN+ 16:57 0:00 [dpkg] <defunct> root 3332 0.0 0.0 4444 648 pts/0 SN+ 16:57 0:00 /bin/sh -c /usr/sbin/dpkg-preconfigure --apt || true root 3333 0.0 1.0 64128 15628 pts/0 SN+ 16:57 0:00 /usr/bin/perl -w /usr/sbin/dpkg-preconfigure --apt root 3335 0.0 0.0 0 0 pts/0 ZN+ 16:57 0:00 [dpkg-preconfigu] <defunct> However, if I install the packages "alien", "build-essential" and "lsb" before installing the printer through system-config-printer, the installation completes successfully. Also, there was one time when apt failed to install the driver package (manually) because one of the dependencies, which was "lsb", was not properly configured. So, is sytem-config-printer failing to configure a package (i.e. debconf), or is this a quirk with Virtualbox? Another note. The driver installation window is too large to fit in my 1366x768 monitor, so the buttons in the bottom are not visible. -- You received this bug notification because you are a member of Desktop Packages, which is subscribed to system-config-printer in Ubuntu. https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1412729 Title: system-config-printer crashes when assigning a downloadable non-free Epson driver to a detected printer Status in system-config-printer package in Ubuntu: Fix Released Status in system-config-printer source package in Trusty: Fix Committed Status in system-config-printer source package in Utopic: Fix Released Bug description: If a newer Epson printer which is not (yet) supported by Gutenprint is connected and set up, system-config-printer crashes when it finds the appropriate driver package from Epson via OpenPrinting. This is due to the fact that the Epson driver entries on the OpenPrinting web site do not contain the long license textst inline but in one centralized text file on Epson's web site. The driver entries only contain links to this file. system-config-printer does only support inline license texts and crashes on this kind of driver entries. [Impact] Users of newer Epson inkjet printers are not able to set up their printers because system-config-printer crashes when choosing such a printer in the list of detected printers. [Test Case] If you do not have one of the mentioned printers, create a file named /usr/lib/cups/backend/testbackend containing the line echo 'direct usb://EPSON/XP-215%20217%20Series "EPSON XP-215 217 Series" "EPSON XP-215 217 Series" "MFG:EPSON;CMD:ESCPL2,BDC,D4,D4PX,ESCPR2;MDL:XP-215 217 Series;CLS:PRINTER;DES:EPSON XP-215 217 Series;" ""' and make it world-readable and -executable: sudo chmod a+rx /usr/lib/cups/backend/testbackend This emulates an Epson XP-215/217 printer on USB, at least for CUPS' printer discovery facility. Start system-config-printer and click the "Add" button. In the printer setup wizard choose the Epson XP-215 217 Series printer under the detected printers. There will pop up "Searching driver" messages several times but in the end system-config-printer crashes. With the proposed packages for Utopic and Trusty the driver selection screen will appear offering to download Epson's driver for this printer and after accepting the license the driver gets installed and the printer set up with this driver. [Regression Potential] Regression potential is low, as the fix only affects the code for retreiving the driver database record from OpenPrinting and displaying it on the driver selection screen. All other functionality of system- config-printer is unchanged. To manage notifications about this bug go to: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/system-config-printer/+bug/1412729/+subscriptions -- Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~desktop-packages Post to : desktop-packages@lists.launchpad.net Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~desktop-packages More help : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp
