https://bugs.documentfoundation.org/show_bug.cgi?id=94022
Bug ID: 94022
Summary: Hide "Installable Options" in Linux print dialog
Product: LibreOffice
Version: unspecified
Hardware: Other
OS: All
Status: UNCONFIRMED
Severity: normal
Priority: medium
Component: Printing and PDF export
Assignee: [email protected]
Reporter: [email protected]
PPD files are a common way to to describe different options supported by a
printer.
Some printer models have optional hardware features and accessories that can be
present or not (e.g. finishers, additional paper trays, etc.). The PPD
specification defines the keyword "InstallableOptions" for a PPD option group
that contains such options (s. section 5.4 in version 4.3 of the PPD
specification) [1].
As far as I can see, LibreOffice's print dialog on Linux currently shows all
options given in the PPD file, including the "Installable Options". Thus a user
can override the system-wide settings for those options using the print dialog
(e.g. specify that the printer has a duplexer installed while it actually has
not). While allowing the user to set individual values for most options (like
resolution, colour mode, ...), I think it would be better not to display the
"Installable options".
As the values set for the installable options describe the actual hardware
setup, they need to be changed only if the actual printer hardware
configuration changes (e.g. an additional paper tray, finisher or duplexer is
installed). They are not specific to individual print jobs.
Because of this, they are most probably best handled in the system-wide
configuration to avoid that users accidently set wrong values for those options
which may lead to unpredictable behaviour on the target device.
The PPD specification says about "Installable Options" (in section 5.4):
"[...] The PPD specification provides a way to describe these
accessories, to label
them as optional and initially not installed, and a way to install them
later.
Thus an application can list the installable options in its user
interface, but
can display them in some special way (for instance, grayed out) to
indicate
that the basic configuration does not support them. [...]"
I asked on the CUPS mailing list how installable options should be handled in
an application's print dialog [2].
Michael Sweet (primary CUPS developer) replied there [3]:
"Generally speaking, we recommend that applications/toolkits *not* show
installable options in the print dialog, and we provide API to determine
whether a given option or choice is available (ppdInstallableConflict)."
The Gtk+ print dialog, for instance, also does not show these options.
[1] http://partners.adobe.com/public/developer/en/ps/5003.PPD_Spec_v4.3.pdf
[2] http://www.cups.org/pipermail/cups/2015-September/027112.html
[3] http://www.cups.org/pipermail/cups/2015-September/027124.html
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