Back in October, I began a thread looking for helpful hints, ideas, solutions from the more experienced contributors to this forum. Seeing as I was making a query about a scanner and Linux (Mint), I ran into the (please excuse the cliche) brick wall.
To update, I have an Epson Perfection 1670 scanner connected to my laptop by a USB cable. Mint doesn't know it's there. Various suggestions that I and others on this forum have received in October haven't worked for me, yet. A further search into this forum indicated other members are having similar difficulties getting Linux/Mint/something to operate their scanners.
I was pointed by a member (sorry, didn't record your name) to visit a site named something like "avasys". In October, it was off-line but I found it working recently. Unfortunately, it doesn't have anything for my scanner. The writer of another post was pointed to an Ubuntu "HOWTO" link that advised him/her to download a file called "ESFW30.BIN" (always in caps) from the terminal windows and edit a file called "/etc/sane.d/" to point to this ESFW30.BIN file, then, at the "$" prompt, type "scanimage -L" and all would be OK. I tried to edit the /etc/ file and got the following message in "gedit" (where I assume I was to make the edits to the "/etc/sane.d./snapscan.conf" file:
"Could not save the file /etc/sane.d/snapscan.conf.
You do not have the permissions necessary to save the file. Please check that you typed the location correctly and try again."
I have downloaded the ESFW30.BIN and figure it is stored in the place where it should be per the instructions in the "HOWTO". (Actual name is "HOWTO: Epson Perfection 1670 Scanner")
Husse had suggested in another thread on this forum, that if a scanner doesn't work, check out "/etc/udev/rules.d/45-libsane.rules" and add an entry for the scanner. Surprisingly, the Perfection 1670 is there.
So... what am I doing wrong? What have I missed? What should I be doing to get my scanner scanning?
A somewhat confused and frustrated,
Meteor
Oh no! Scanners, again, still
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Oh no! Scanners, again, still
Last edited by LockBot on Wed Dec 28, 2022 7:16 am, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Topic automatically closed 6 months after creation. New replies are no longer allowed.
Reason: Topic automatically closed 6 months after creation. New replies are no longer allowed.
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Husse
Re: Oh no! Scanners, again, still
To edit anything outside your home folder you must be root. So to edit
/etc/sane.d/snapscan.conf
you have to do
gksudo gedit /etc/sane.d/snapscan.conf
To be on the safe side - have you installed both sane and xsane?
When things go wrong it's easy to miss something obvious
It took me a while to get my scanner working.
/etc/sane.d/snapscan.conf
you have to do
gksudo gedit /etc/sane.d/snapscan.conf
To be on the safe side - have you installed both sane and xsane?
When things go wrong it's easy to miss something obvious
It took me a while to get my scanner working.
Re: Oh no! Scanners, again, still
Husse wrote: "you have to do gksudo gedit /etc/sane.d/snapscan.conf
To be on the safe side - have you installed both sane and xsane"
Thank you for your prompt reply, Husse. I'm a little curious on the above from your reply. "gksudo" is a new one on me but, then, I'm still a rookie using various commands for Linux and the terminal. I assume that the "gk" is related to "gedit" in some way. I shall give it a try Thursday afternoon here in Western Canada (it's Wednesday evening as I process these words...).
I've installed Xsane from the portal but never thought of 'sane'. I guess I'll search Synaptic for it and add it to my system.
I will advise the results.
Meteor
To be on the safe side - have you installed both sane and xsane"
Thank you for your prompt reply, Husse. I'm a little curious on the above from your reply. "gksudo" is a new one on me but, then, I'm still a rookie using various commands for Linux and the terminal. I assume that the "gk" is related to "gedit" in some way. I shall give it a try Thursday afternoon here in Western Canada (it's Wednesday evening as I process these words...).
I've installed Xsane from the portal but never thought of 'sane'. I guess I'll search Synaptic for it and add it to my system.
I will advise the results.
Meteor
Re: Oh no! Scanners, again, still
Further to my post preceding this, I took another look through the portal and see that the download is listed as "Sane" but the graphics window on the Daryna button shows "XSane Image Scanner". Shall I assume that, by looking at this, both "sane" and "xsane" are installed? Clicking on "XSane Image Scanner" brings up XSane and it tells me (correctly) that no scanners are installed (because the scanner isn't connected at this time). XSane couldn't find the scanner previously (under Celena, if memory serves correctly...).
Meteor
Meteor
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Husse
Re: Oh no! Scanners, again, still
gksudo is the command you should, but not must, use to open a GUI thingy like gedit - it works ok with sudo too....
I don't remember now but I think I installed and had to install both sane and xsane. Xsane may not install all in sane - or all insane?
I don't remember now but I think I installed and had to install both sane and xsane. Xsane may not install all in sane - or all insane?
Re: Oh no! Scanners, again, still
This may becoming "insane", but I'll throw some more questions -- this is all a learning process for me and I much appreciate your assistance:
o How does one find out what files are contained in a download? I don't have a full list of commands but recall that something like "l" (the lower case L) and another letter or two made Linux list all of the files in a program (like "dir" in DOS). The Sane program is sitting somewhere on my hard drive, probably behind a number of "/" and words. If I can be pointed to the location, I should be able to see "sane dot something", "xsane dot something" (and probably "insane dot something" ... Is this a good guess?
o In the /etc/sane.d/snapscan.conf file that an Ubuntu HOWTO file advised to change to read (and this is what I did): firmware/etc/sane.d/ESFW30.BIN, is this the correct way to enter it? It's now there (though easy to amend back to what it was) but, when I show "scanimage -L" from the '$' prompt, I receive the following: "No scanners identified. If you were expecting something different, check that the scanner is plugged in, turned on and detected by the sane-find-scanner tool (if appropriate). Please read the documentation which came with this software (README, FAQ, manpages)." The scanner is connected correctly and turned on. I even rebooted Mint to make sure it could find it! So now I need a "sane-find-scanner tool (if appropriate)". What might the tool be?
o Is there an alternative program to Sane/XSane that'll work with minimal fuss? I've heard of something called "Vuescan" and googled it. Their website indicates that it's a $$$ program that works in Linux and with my scanner (I think). I'm not sure about it though they quote positive reviews on their site (naturally).
Meteor
o How does one find out what files are contained in a download? I don't have a full list of commands but recall that something like "l" (the lower case L) and another letter or two made Linux list all of the files in a program (like "dir" in DOS). The Sane program is sitting somewhere on my hard drive, probably behind a number of "/" and words. If I can be pointed to the location, I should be able to see "sane dot something", "xsane dot something" (and probably "insane dot something"
... Is this a good guess?o In the /etc/sane.d/snapscan.conf file that an Ubuntu HOWTO file advised to change to read (and this is what I did): firmware/etc/sane.d/ESFW30.BIN, is this the correct way to enter it? It's now there (though easy to amend back to what it was) but, when I show "scanimage -L" from the '$' prompt, I receive the following: "No scanners identified. If you were expecting something different, check that the scanner is plugged in, turned on and detected by the sane-find-scanner tool (if appropriate). Please read the documentation which came with this software (README, FAQ, manpages)." The scanner is connected correctly and turned on. I even rebooted Mint to make sure it could find it! So now I need a "sane-find-scanner tool (if appropriate)". What might the tool be?
o Is there an alternative program to Sane/XSane that'll work with minimal fuss? I've heard of something called "Vuescan" and googled it. Their website indicates that it's a $$$ program that works in Linux and with my scanner (I think). I'm not sure about it though they quote positive reviews on their site (naturally).
Meteor