If you have not already found a cure for the above problem then this is the answer.

In openSUSE 10.2 Bugzilla bug number 229231 causes YaST2 to hang in the printer database.
Go to RPMfind.net and select the download for
yast2-printer-2.14.17-6.

Install this with zen installer then go to YaST2. Select Hardware and then Printer. Add your printer. It may be a good idea to remove any existing default printer unless you are using more than one printer. You will be able to perform a test print part way through this procedure.

If you have not yet fixed the problem then this will do so.

In openSUSE 10.2 Bugzilla bug number 229231 causes YaST2 to hang in the printer database.
Go to RPMfind.net and select the download for
yast2-printer-2.14.17-6.

Install this with zen installer, go to YaST2 and Add your USB printer. It may be a good idea to remove any existing defaultprinter unless you are using more than one printer.

The rpm can be downloaded from download.opensuse.org here

I couldn't find it on RPMfind.net, but it maybe that it isn't on all the mirrors yet. I haven't tried it yet, but I'll post a note when I have.

Update
That didn't work. The rpm downloaded OK, installed with zen, and all the messages said it was OK, but trying to open YaST and select Hardware > Printer it hangs at 4%. Has to use Kill to stop it.

Update 2
Removed /var/lib/YaST2/ppd_db.ycp, and removed the installed yast2-printer-2.14.17-3.2, and installed smart. Then installed yast2-printer-2.14.17-3.i685 with smart, the used YaSt to re-install my network printer, which is on an FC6 box. I set it with no sharing and no local filtering, via an SMB share (I have to provide access for Win98 & XP) and the test worked fine, so I have my network printing back.

I still don't know why installing the downloaded yast2-printer-2.14.17-6.rpm didn't work, but this workaround works fine.

I installed the i586 rpm and it worked fine. Printing is up and running again.

http://download.opensuse.org/distrib....17-6.i586.rpm

In reply to the above 2 posts I simply put yast2-printer-2.14.17 in Google and went straight to the download at Rpmfind.net.
I have just tried again and whilst it appears on the Google page, I cannot find it again on the Rpmfind.net site. This is very strange.
As Alvez has pointed out above just use the opensuse link which he refers to.

beachboy2 - I think the RPMfind.net site looks at the nearest mirrors. I tried it again late last night and it gave me a different answer. The first couple of times I tried I got mirrors in France, but last night one was in Germany.

I have been running with the yast2-printer...17-3.i586 version and it fired up OK this morning. The zen updater wanted to upgrade me to ...17-6 again. This didn't work yesterday. Has anyone done this update, and does it work?

Update

I didn't look carefully enough yesterday. The file I downloaded was and it should have been I downloaded and installed the correct file and all is now well and zen has stopped bugging me. Thanks for the help.

That rpm worked on my desktop and laptop with opensuse 10.2, running cups 1.2.7-3.3

thanx for the link alvez

The update is also available on Yast online updater. I saw it there the other day.