Re: [Gimp-print-devel] RFC: New release and abandoning MacOS?

[Matt B. <wal...@ma...>]

> On Aug 6, 2024, at 4:11 PM, Solomon Peachy via Gimp-print-devel <gim...@li...> wrote:
> 
> On Tue, Aug 06, 2024 at 03:59:38PM -0500, Matt Broughton wrote:
>> At the least, the fix can be memorialized on the list.  The fix for 
>> macos is to do away with a custom option for printing on CD/DVDs.
> 
> The discussion was too long ago to jog my memory, but I'm not in favor 
> of killing this option for everyone because MacOS is um, differently abled. 
> 
>> When we found this fix, it was felt that the custom option was important to keep wherever possible.  Using something like 
>> #ifdef __APPLE__ 
>> was not favored, but nothing was ever resolved.  If genppd.c could be 
>> modified and a conditional #ifdef __APPLE__ addition, or something 
>> else) is palatable, it would be appreciated.  I'm not a coder, so I 
>> can't give the exact code needed.
> 
> Given a choice between "Completely broken on MacOS but works for 
> everyone else" and "disable this feature for MacOS and leave it enabled 
> for everyone else" I'm much in favor of the latter.
> 
> I do worry about the support requests, but I suppose this is the lest 
> crappy choice.

On macos, it completely breaks for any printer that is capable of printing to CD/DVD.  On various versions of macos, calling up Printer Features may, crash the app, or no Printer Features will appear.  In macos 14, only some of the Printer features appear.

> 
>> The v5.3.5-pre1 release does build nicely from the command line on 
>> machines of both architectures (macos 12.5 x86_64 and macos 14.5 
>> arm64).  The `make check` was took about 8 hours, but everything 
>> passed.
> 
> It builds, but does it... well, work with actual printers?  (And I'm 
> especially curious about the dyesub backend; integrating that required a 
> lot of headaches in the past)

It does work with my Epson WF-1100.  I may be able to  access a color Xerox Phaser to test the pcl driver. With the modification to genppd.c, the Epson R800 (which does print on CD/DVD) showed all the Printer Features and printed a file job usiing some custom settings.  I did run a test on just one dyesub printer and it works--
matt$ sudo BACKEND=mitsu70x /usr/libexec/cups/backend/gutenprint53+usb -s
Password:
DEBUG: Multi-Call Dye-sublimation CUPS Backend version 0.132G
DEBUG: Copyright 2007-2024 Solomon Peachy
DEBUG: This free software comes with ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY! 
DEBUG: Licensed under the GNU GPL.  Run with '-G' for more details.
DEBUG: 
STATE: +connecting-to-device
STATE: +org.gutenprint.searching-for-device
STATE: -org.gutenprint.searching-for-device
ERROR: Printer open failure (No matching printers found!)
STATE: +offline-report
STATE: -connecting-to-device

> If it does work, I wonder if trying to get gutenprint added to fink 
> might not be the path forward.  Not quite as convenient but at least 
> it'll be there.

It would be great if someone would step forward here for macos build(s).  I can produce a package, but it would be unsigned and not notarized by Apple.  I don't know how that would work on other's machines, and I'm not sure we would want such a layman's package on the site.

The third party package managers for macos are fink, mac ports, and brew.  One of them might be interested.  I have used all three of them at one point or another.  My biggest objection to outside package managers is all the prerequisites they pile on to get their stuff to work.  

> 
> BTW, I highly recommend 'make check-parallel' instead.  :D

I just started it running.

Matt