[SWLUG] lost and got back CUPS then cannot reinstall driver

[Neil Greenwood]

On 17 March 2010 08:08, Stephen Constantinou
<stephenthegreek at ntlworld.com> wrote:
> Dear Neil and anyone else
>
> Thanks for the help and here are the results.
> I have made comments in ()
>
>  From pc with cups NOT able to list my printer driver
> ----------------------------------------------------
> stephanos at dell:~$ sudo apt-cache policy cups
> [sudo] password for stephanos:
> cups:
>   Installed: 1.3.9-17ubuntu3.6 (on the laptop this line says “... 3.4”)
>   Candidate: 1.3.9-17ubuntu3.6
>   Version table:
>  *** 1.3.9-17ubuntu3.6 0
>         500 http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty-updates/main Packages
>         500 http://security.ubuntu.com jaunty-security/main Packages
>         100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
>      1.3.9-17ubuntu1 0
>         500 http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty/main Packages
> stephanos at dell:~$
> ----------------------------------------------------
>
>  From laptop with cups able to list my printer driver
> ----------------------------------------------------
> stephanos2 at stephanos2-laptop:~$ sudo apt-cache policy cups
> [sudo] password for stephanos2:
> cups:
>   Installed: 1.3.9-17ubuntu3.4 (this is 3.6 on the PC)
>   Candidate: 1.3.9-17ubuntu3.6
>   Version table:
>      1.3.9-17ubuntu3.6 0
>         500 http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty-updates/main Packages
>         500 http://security.ubuntu.com jaunty-security/main Packages
>  *** 1.3.9-17ubuntu3.4 0 (this one is not in/on the PC?)
>         100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
>      1.3.9-17ubuntu1 0
>         500 http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty/main Packages
> stephanos2 at stephanos2-laptop:~$
> ----------------------------------------------------
>


Right, so looking at that, we need to:
1. stop the laptop upgrading from the version that works,
2. get the desktop back to the version that works.

I don't know adept, since I use Ubuntu. I've not done it before (even
under Gnome), so I'm explaining my method to discover the correct
process, in case that helps you find out how to do it. Do you prefer
using the GUI, or are you happy using the command line?

In synaptic (the Gnome package manager), I choose the package and then
in the Properties, there is a Versions tab. At the bottom, it gives
some help about how to force the installation of a specific version
("use the Package > Force Version menu option"). I would guess that
there is a similar option in adept. There's also a 'Lock Version'
option on the same menu which will prevent it upgrading on the laptop.

On the command line, you can use 'apt-get hold cups' (or 'aptitude
hold cups') on the laptop to stop it upgrading. You can use 'apt-get
install cups=<version>' to force it to downgrade on the desktop. So
for your particular case, you would use 'apt-get install
cups=1.3.9-17ubuntu3.4'.

OK, I forgot to include the 'sudo' command on all the command-line
examples above.

It looks like in this case, the GUI is easier; I normally prefer the
command-line, but the GUI helps guide you to the correct options. I'd
seen the '=<version>' on a blog post recently, which certainly helped
along with a check on Google.


HTH
Cofion,
Neil.