[SOLVED] [LSB] Version confusion

gregors · 12-24-2021, 12:54 AM

Hi there!

My new printer (Epson ET-M1140) isn't supported by cups. I can use it using the ET-M1120 driver but it would be nice to be able to use all of its features.

So, I searched the web and found a recent (12/20/21) deb package which refuses installation complaining that it needs LSB >=3.2

Now, where can I get that? The Debian package I found so far tells it is version 11.something ... since I'm convinced that 11 is greater than 3.2, why doesn't it work although the Debian package lsb-base is installed. And the links on https://wiki.linuxfoundation.org/lsb/start (at least the link on the pages "behind" these links) seem to point to nowhere.

Is there someone willing to help me with that thing?

TIA+Merry Xmas

Gregor

shruggy · 12-24-2021, 04:58 AM

This is a bit complicated. Debian dropped LSB support in 2015. See
https://wiki.debian.org/LSB
https://wiki.debian.org/DebianLsb
https://wiki.debian.org/LsbRuntimeCompliance

After that, the LSB package version number was changed. From the changelog:

Code:

lsb (9.20150826) unstable; urgency=low

  * Drop all the LSB compatibility packages besides lsb-release and lsb-base
    - Drop packages-availability checking in lsb-release
    - Truncate README.Debian to a minimum
    - Document this in lsb-base.NEWS.Debian
  * Change the versioning number to avoid any ambiguity; use joeyh's
    version.date, with version being Debian next stable's

So, lsb-11.1.0 just means it's the LSB package for Debian 11.

Quote:

Originally Posted by gregors

why doesn't it work although the Debian package lsb-base is installed.

An old printer driver most probably requires lsb-printing, not only lsb-base to be installed. Recent Debian releases don't provide lsb-printing anymore. Interestingly enough, Ubuntu still builds lsb-printing from lsb sources:

Code:

lsb (11.1.0ubuntu1) focal; urgency=low

  * Merge from Debian unstable.  Remaining changes:
    - Re-added LSB compatibility packages, so that auto-downloadable
      LSB-based printer driver packages work.
[...]

I'd suggest you rebuild the Ubuntu LSB package from source and install it on Debian. Alternatively, you may build a dummy lsb-printing using commands equivs-control and equivs-build from package equivs.

gregors · 12-24-2021, 05:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shruggy

...

Thank you very much. It seems Debian dropped LSB support when I was experimenting with Slackware. That may answer the question why I never heard of Debian dropping LSB support.

So, I'll see if I can find the Ubuntu source code for LSB.

Regards,

Gregor

shruggy · 12-24-2021, 05:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gregors

So, I'll see if I can find the Ubuntu source code for LSB.

I linked to it in my previous post.

Generally, you'll find information about corresponding Ubuntu package in Debian package tracker. In this case,
https://tracker.debian.org/pkg/lsb

See links down the right column. Ubuntu maintains diffs from Debian source packages as patches. The full list for the lsb package is at
https://patches.ubuntu.com/by-release/ubuntu/l/lsb

gregors · 12-25-2021, 12:07 AM

Thanks again!

Well, maybe I'll give Ubuntu a try with a new computer (mine is 8 years now).

Gregor