I give up. I've been using a SuSE based Linux desktop since SuSE 4 or so (always based on the Pro version) but as classics go this one is hard to beat. I'm running an 'average user' trial where a moderately competent end user is trying to work with a Linux desktop for 2 months, and report on it. She uses an IBM X30, and has broadband at home. The aim is to collect data of which issues hold back end user/small business adoption of Linux (ok, GNU/Linux), and belive me, I've just been utterly stumped myself. The user has one of those USB connected HP Officejets (PCS 2179). She did buy this against my advice, but in a sort of masochistic way I'm glad she did because it laid open an absolute mess. The darn thing was autodetected, and user duly followed YAST prompts to get a CUPS queue established. You guessed it: it didn't print (but in Windows it naturally did). I went digging at SuSE SDB to find some help (very hard work, btw), ripped the cups upgrades off the system and started again with vanilla RPMs from the DVD. And got it to work, in colour and all. But when the user got home with the whole assembly IT FAILED TO WORK AGAIN. Yes, no change of hardware or even configuration but the thing was dead. I just spent another hour trying to get the thing to work and I give up. The last time I saw this happening was when "Windows has detected new hardware" with no new hardware to be seen meant that you could write off that afternoon. The 'weird' USB port showed up in /var/log/messages - but did not exist despite being freshly configured ?!? == extract from file == I [07/Mar/2004:22:38:21 +0000] Started backend /usr/lib/cups/backend/usb (PID 5749) for job 1. E [07/Mar/2004:22:38:21 +0000] [Job 1] Unable to open USB device "usb:// Hewlett-Packard0MDL:PSC/2170% 20Series0CMD:MLC,PCL,PML,DW-PCL,DYN;CLS:PRINTER;1284.4DL:4d,4e,1;SN:MY37AD90JF73;S:0380008085021000062c148005dc250005e;AiO:0; %20PSC%202170% 20Series;CMD:MLC,PCL,PML,DW-PCL,DYN;CLS:PRINTER;1284.4DL:4d,4e,1;SN:MY37AD90JF73;S:0380008085021000062c148005dc250005e;AiO:0;": No such device === end extract === As far as I'm concerned she could better be using Windows - this is the classic printer someone with a small office would use (fax, scanner, copier, colour printer). Anyone any answers?