Cups 1.6.1 prints too many copies

sgarcia · Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2012 9:06 pm Post subject: Cups 1.6.1 prints too many copies

Ever since I upgraded to CUPS 1.6.1 I have had a problem when I try to print multiple copies. It appears that it's trying to print the square of the number that I actually need.

A few days ago I was a bit startled when my 40 copies used up a ream of paper before I canceled it. Today I watched the printer more closely, and there was about a quarter of an inch of paper in the output tray when the screen on the printer changed from "processing 1 of 40" to "processing 2 of 40." It appears that CUPS is creating one big file with all 40 copies in it, sending it to the printer and instructing the printer to make 40 copies.

Our printer is set to duplex all print jobs, but when it's just a single page being printed, that shouldn't make any difference. When they all get bundled together you get the odd situation of every page having the same thing on front and back.

This just started -- 1.5.x didn't have this problem. I'm pretty sure CUPS is the culprit -- it's occurred with more than one printer and more than one program. I suppose both Evince and Firefox (or a common library) could have gone nuts at the same time, but I still suspect CUPS. According to Google there was some problem like this with CUPS around 2005, but nobody else has reported it since.

Has anyone else seen this? Any suggestions for a fix?
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audiodef · Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2012 1:27 pm Post subject:

If an older version works and a newer version starts behaving unexpectedly, and nothing else has changed, it's a bug. I would downgrade and file a bug report.
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sgarcia · Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2012 7:24 pm Post subject:

Good advice. I'm downgrading now.

I'm a little concerned that the config files may have been altered to match the new version and I'll have to rebuild them, but we'll see shortly...
_________________
Ignorance killed the cat. Curiosity was framed.

sgarcia · Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2012 8:10 pm Post subject:

The CUPS page still announces itself as 1.6.1, but the bug is gone and the test print correctly announces itself as 1.5.3.

Bug report 434940 submitted.
_________________
Ignorance killed the cat. Curiosity was framed.

audiodef · Posted: Fri Sep 14, 2012 3:41 pm Post subject:

Config files shouldn't get overridden by default. You can have etc-update or dispatch-conf delete new default config files instead of replacing your existing ones.

It's weird that it still reports itself as the newer version, though. CUPS may have a case of vanity here.

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