[Printing-architecture] Ubuntu Natty the first distribution which does automatic download of binary printer driver packages

[Till Kamppeter <till.kamppeter@gmail.com>]

Hi,

Ubuntu Natty (11.04, to be released end of April) will be the first 
Linux distribution which automatically downloads binary printer driver 
packages from manufacturers via OpenPrinting.

The still missing support for signed packages got added to the 
third-party hardware driver manager Jockey today. See also

https://blueprints.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+spec/packageselection-desktop-n-automatic-printer-driver-download-should-support-signed-packages

and

https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/604698

This means that on Ubuntu Natty (and newer) printers supported by the 
manufacturer-supplied driver packages available via OpenPrinting will 
work out-of-the-box by just plugging them in or setting them up with 
system-config-printer.

So do not hesitate to add or update driver packages to support your 
newest models to have always Plug'n'Print.

For testing, download Ubuntu Natty (a daily CD or an Alpha version) and 
plug in one of the supported Epson printers or run the command lines

cupsctl FileDevice=yes
system-config-printer --setup-printer='file:/tmp/printout' \
--devid='MFG:Epson;MDL:ME 320;'

if you do not have any suitable printer near you (they emulate the case 
that system-config-printer has detected an Epson ME 320).

    Till