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#617 2025 Gutenprint breaks drivers because it doesn't support old format
My EPSON printer stopped working after a system update one day. Ever since, I had to keep downgrading gutenprint to make it work, because apparently they periodically make a new PPD format that is incompatible with older ones for no apprent reason. And the drivers I have are only compatible with the format used before the 2025 update. Other people have had similar problems (bbs archlinux topic id 304707) and also, this problem keeps getting repeated perpetually because I also found a similar post from 2010 or so. Would it be so hard to keep supporting the old format?
Discussion
The reason PPDs are versioned is because gutenprint itself is versioned, and options come and go.
Meanwhile, The solution today is the same as the solution fiffteen years ago:
Run 'sudo cups-genppdupdate' and restart cups
nice try to push this under the rug because you decided to close open tickets 4 months later. do the minimum amount of research and you will find a myriad of links like this
https://discussion.fedoraproject.org/t/cannot-print-and-cups-genppdupdate-fails/147993
outlining that your shitty solution that hasn't worked for 15 years doesn't work. And it won't work by default if someone has a third party ppd. So, like, stop breaking compatibility maybe or trying to cope about you being somehow in the right.
The first step is you admitting to yourself that this is shit and dumb. Then you can move on. For my I backed up an old version of gutenprint and excluded it from updates. Really sad that incompetent people are in charge of all of linux printing. Absolutely amazing. I tried to persuade some Rust re-writers to rewrite this shit program, but they didn't take the bait. Maybe some day.
No, the first step is recognizing that you need me more than I need you.
The second step is realizing that folks are more inclined to help people who are polite.
Entitles assholes get pointed at the "THE PROGRAM "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND" sign.
On that note, enjoy solving your own problem.