[Bug 16804] New: observations on adding a printer by a newcomer

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Ubuntu | gnome-cups-manager

           Summary: observations on adding a printer by a newcomer
           Product: Ubuntu
           Version: unspecified
          Platform: Other
        OS/Version: Linux
            Status: UNCONFIRMED
          Severity: normal
          Priority: P2
         Component: gnome-cups-manager
        AssignedTo: martin.pitt at ubuntu.com
        ReportedBy: tpfennig at gmail.com
         QAContact: desktop-bugs at lists.ubuntu.com


I (not a newcomer, but mainly Fedora Core user) have installed an Ubuntu systems
at the computer of a friend of mine (Linux newcomer). She used Windows 95
before. She managed to find out how to add a printer (HP 540 with parallel port)
by herself on Ubuntu/GNOME (5.04) [GOOD!]. There were only a few things I found
out that were problematic:

1. After selecting the printer, there is a dialogue that ask has 3 buttons:
Cancel, Apply and Install. She tried "INSTALL" because she wanted to install a
printer driver. :-) I think it would be better to have one more step. The user
should be able to select, that she did not find her printer or wants to select a
special driver - and than the user can select a PPD. For Newcomers deciding if
one wants to install or apply is not easy.
2. After installing the printer did not react. I than showed her, where the
status message of the printer is (this could come into the front by itself at
the first time a printer is installed). 
3. I did not find any error messages in /var/log messages/syslog. 
4. The GNOME system log watcher did not display /var/log/cups/error_log and said
that this was not an error log. I could read it with "less" afterwards, though.
I also would suggest that the user gets some important log files via a menu:
"printing log" (CUPS) "system log" (messages and or system). You can not expect
from a newcomer to know where a log file ism that printing means "cups" and even
that if the logfile viewer says it is not a log file it could ideed be.

Finally all went well after restarting computer and printer twice.


GOOD: newcomers seem to find how to add a printer by themselves
BAD: if something does not go smooth, users have problems to find the error,
there are too few hints.

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