Mechanism to detect and identify network printer and offer setup wizard

[stargatefan]

A needed evil for new and non savy users. The printer transport layer must find a way to locate and display available printers behind the network. It should also have a configuration utility to allow the users to select detected printers.

I am researching a few options one of which is MAC ID tags for each printer brand.

If they can be easily identified then guetenprint can search for a particular printer type or brand and make the option available.

[stargatefan]

Laplace I am goig to do a write up tutorial as I can't find a common theme among printer ID for mac adress's or a way to easily search them out.

I will attach the pictures and write up to the ticket and I will try to include as many common router interfaces as I can. Is there anyway to insert the tutorial into the setup dialog so that people can see how to find the IP adress of the printer ?

Another nice feature would be to have the IP adress setting come up when selecting the printer ,not when you go to start a print job. Also is it possiable to include a test print page to verify printer setup ? Similar to the microsoft way of doing it ?This way when you done with the setup you know the printer actually works.

I think this could be done as a html document in webpositive to make it fairly easy. Plus there are only a handful of router home adress's so that should make it fiarly simple to make a html guide to printer setup functional.

Whats your take ? I can do the html parts etc.

[laplace]

Replying to stargatefan:

I will attach the pictures and write up to the ticket and I will try to include as many common router interfaces as I can. Is there anyway to insert the tutorial into the setup dialog so that people can see how to find the IP adress of the printer ?

That is currently not possible. Shouldn't the information be part of the user guide?

Another nice feature would be to have the IP adress setting come up when selecting the printer ,not when you go to start a print job.

That is also currently not possible but could be changed. However I don't know how much effort that would require.

Also is it possiable to include a test print page to verify printer setup? Similar to the microsoft way of doing it ?This way when you done with the setup you know the printer actually works.

That could also be added easily for example to the Printers preflet.

I think this could be done as a html document in webpositive to make it fairly easy. Plus there are only a handful of router home adress's so that should make it fiarly simple to make a html guide to printer setup functional. Whats your take ? I can do the html parts etc.

I would prefer the tutorial to be a part of the Haiku user guide. Maybe with a link from Printers preflet so it can be opened from there.

[laplace]

Replying to laplace:

Replying to stargatefan:

Another nice feature would be to have the IP adress setting come up when selecting the printer ,not when you go to start a print job.

That is also currently not possible but could be changed. However I don't know how much effort that would require.

I have created ticket #6822 for this, and

Also is it possiable to include a test print page to verify printer setup? Similar to the microsoft way of doing it ?This way when you done with the setup you know the printer actually works.

That could also be added easily for example to the Printers preflet.

and ticket #6823 for that.

[stargatefan]

Well I work work on creating a html or xml tutorial. Mostly becuase finding the printer from the browser is easier that way. I am compiling a list of IP adress's and config page info for making this setup program easy to use. No extra software required. Still though IP adress need to be able to be set from prefrences of printer setup.