SImplifying 'Add Printer' for HP printers

[maurice33]

When detecting a printer, Add Printer presents a 2-option menu:

o HP Scanning & Printing (HPLIP)
o USB printer

which - when an HP printer is detected - is confusing, especially to a newcomer to Linux, who is likely to play safe and select the "USB" option to confurm 'Yes, the USB printer'.
Although that will install the printer, if he then tries to use HPLIP he will find it will not recognise the installed printer!

Proposal:

In the case where system-config-printer knows that the detected printer is HP, just go ahead and install the 'HPLIP' way, thereby cutting out a redundant 'options' menu and avoiding possible confusion, as well as giving a slicker operation.

[mla1290]

Seconded. I've just had a different problem with adding an HP printer/scanner, which also would have been solved by doing it HPLIP way. Problem was that system-configure-printer defaulted to the JetDirect URI of
socket://192.168.1.65:9100 whereas the URI constructed by HPLIP is hp:/net/Officejet_4620_series?ip=192.168.1.65. While printing works with either version, xsane was unable to find the printer until I ran hp-setup instead of system-config-printer.

[twaugh]

@mla1290 The default is already the HPLIP URI. If you're not seeing that, please file a separate issue. Here's what I see:

1. Click Add: list of devices is shown
2. Select the HP model from the Devices list: two connection options are shown in the Connection expander (bottom right), HPLIP and USB, with HPLIP highlighted
3. Click Forward: I'm asked whether the device has a duplexer etc

This issue is about hiding the Connection expander when the only choices are HPLIP and USB. @maurice33 did I get that right?

[maurice33]

On Monday 06 Jul 2015 08:08:26 Tim Waugh wrote:

This issue is about hiding the Connection expander when the only choices
are HPLIP and USB. @maurice33 did I get that right?

Not familiar with the term 'connection expander', Tim, but the change I have
been trying to promote is:

IF s-c-p knows it is an HP printer
THEN instead of showing 2 options (HPLIP & USB), do not show any at all
but go straight to HPLIP [Much slicker!]
ELSE go straight to 'USB'

Regards,

//\aurice

[twaugh]

I'm talking about the widget on the lower right of the "New Printer" dialog in the Select Device screen. It looks like a down-arrow, with the text "Connection" to the right of it. Underneath, a list headed Connections shows the two options "HP Linux Imaging and Printing (HPLIP)" and "USB".

When you click on "Connection", that section closes up. The arrow becomes a right-arrow, and the Connections list is hidden.

If I understand correctly, you'd rather the Connection list remained hidden unless clicked.

[mla1290]

OK. I'll submit a separate issue (tomorrow -- it's midnight over here :-)). But from my point of view as a user, the simplest solution is the same as offered here -- if it is an HP printer, let HPLIP do the work. Hence I stand by my seconding the proposal.

[maurice33]

On Monday 06 Jul 2015 15:21:55 Tim Waugh wrote:

I'm talking about the widget on the lower right of the "New Printer" dialog
in the Select Device screen. It looks like a down-arrow, with the text
"Connection" to the right of it. Underneath, a list headed Connections
shows the two options "HP Linux Imaging and Printing (HPLIP)" and "USB".

Fascinating - but I've never seen/noticed the 'Connection' option
here on Mageia-5 (system-config-printer = version 1.5.5), when installing a
USB HP5520 on desktop/laptop/netbook!

When you click on "Connection", that section closes up.
The arrow becomes a right-arrow, and the Connections list is hidden.

So hitting Connection is tantamount to saying:
"I don't care which option; you choose!" ?

Regards,

//\aurice

[twaugh]

It should make a good choice for connection type automatically, yes, but give you the option to choose another if you know what you're doing.