how to preserve installed printers and scanners

[pier_andreit]

If I install a fresh 12.3 keeping /home unmodified in separate partition, it’s ok for settings, but, how can I preserve my installed printers and scanners??
in my installation there are many printers and scanners, some of them has been quite difficult to install, what folder or files in / I have to save before install and then copy back after install, to preserve all my installed printers and scanners???
thnx, ciao pier

[john_hudson]

Is there a particular reason why you would not want to update?

[gogalthorp]

Can’t if you do an install. You could save off the config files someplace but I don’t which you need or where they are. Probably better to just reinstall the printer/scanners. Things change so it is not certain the old configurations will work with the new executables anyway.

[deano_ferrari]

@pier_andreit

If I install a fresh 12.3 keeping /home unmodified in separate partition, it’s ok for settings, but, how can I preserve my installed printers and scanners??
in my installation there are many printers and scanners, some of them has been quite difficult to install, what folder or files in / I have to save before install and then copy back after install, to preserve all my installed printers and scanners???
thnx, ciao pier

The complexity depends on whther or not you had to install external 3rd-party drivers for your printers and scanners. In general terms:

For printers, the key CUPS config files are
/etc/cups/cupsd.conf
/etc/cups/printers.conf

and the associated PPD files located in /etc/cups/ppd/ directory. You may also need to make sure that any drivers you installed previously are re-installed in the new OS too.

Scanner config files live in /etc/sane.d/ and dll.conf usually has an uncommented entry pertaining to your scanner device. Again, if you installed drivers (as opposed to using open-source sane drivers), then you’ll need to repeat the exercise with the new OS version.

[pier_andreit]

@john_hudson

Is there a particular reason why you would not want to update?

yes, the first two attempts didn’t produced a good result…

[pier_andreit]

@deano_ferrari

The complexity depends on whther or not you had to install external 3rd-party drivers for your printers and scanners. In general terms:

the annoying part was just for the external 3rd part drivers for several printers and scanners I had to use

@deano_ferrari

For printers, the key CUPS config files are
/etc/cups/cupsd.conf
/etc/cups/printers.conf

and the associated PPD files located in /etc/cups/ppd/ directory.

ok

@deano_ferrari

You may also need to make sure that any drivers you installed previously are re-installed in the new OS too.

this is what I don’t want to do, if I have to reinstall all the drivers is almost the same thing to reinstall the printers…, is there any way to “copy” the drivers from the old system to the new???

@deano_ferrari

Scanner config files live in /etc/sane.d/ and dll.conf usually has an uncommented entry pertaining to your scanner device. Again, if you installed drivers (as opposed to using open-source sane drivers), then you’ll need to repeat the exercise with the new OS version.

the same as the printers…

thnx, ciao pier

[deano_ferrari]

this is what I don’t want to do, if I have to reinstall all the drivers is almost the same thing to reinstall the printers…, is there any way to “copy” the drivers from the old system to the new???

Well, if the printer drivers were installed as RPM packages, you’d obviously just re-install them (respecting any dependencies that may exist of course). If compilation was involved, you need to repeat the process in the upgraded environment.