| Getting scanners to work with Linux |
by Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols (Jan. 26, 2006)
I recently received a note from a disgruntled Linux user. He was having an awful time trying to get his unidentified USB Canon scanner to work with his copy of Xandros Desktop 3. He's not the only one stuck in that position.
This is yet another case, though, where the fault doesn't lie with Linux. No, it's the eternal problem of hardware vendors neither supplying drivers nor the information developers need to write drivers.
There are a few companies, like Brother and Epson, that go out of their way to support Linux.
Other companies, like HP, offer some support, but the support's not actually from the vendor. In HP's case, it's an open-source project sponsored by HP.
Still another approach is that of Lexmark. Lexmark doesn't provide drivers per se; instead, it supplies the LLPDDK (Lexmark Linux Printer Driver Development Kit).
And, of course, there are those businesses like Canon that don't offer any kind of Linux support for their scanners.
Thanks. We appreciate your support.
Still, even in the best cases, support for a specific scanner is something of a hit-or-miss affair. Trust me. I, and my ancient Epson parallel-port and newer HP OfficeJet 6200 series, know all about the misses.
Thus, if you're looking to buy a scanner for your Linux desktop, you need to do your homework and make sure that it comes with Linux support.
If, on the other hand, you already have a scanner, and it doesn't have any official support, you may still be able to get it up and scanning.
SANE
That's in large part because of the good work of the SANE (Scanner Access Now Easy) project. SANE is a universal scanner backend and an API (application programming interface) for any raster image grabber, such as flatbed or handheld scanners.
SANE is an active open-source project, and its developers are constantly adding new backends -- the software that connects your scanner to your PC -- to the program. Thanks to SANE, dozens of scanners have at least some support.
You can search for your particular scanner by either manufacturer or by backend driver. For more adventurous -- or desperate -- users, you can also search for beta backends on the site.
Some scanners, like the Canon CanoScan LiDE 35, for instance, are supported. Other, like the entire Canon PIXMA line, won't work with SANE. The project's developers encourage vendors to at least open up their devices enough to developers to gain SANE support. They also encourage users to report on non-functioning scanners and join in the group's development efforts.
SANE sometimes only provides minimal support for a given scanner. Be certain to read the entire listing for a scanner before assuming, just because it's supported by SANE, that it will actually give you what you want.
For example, Panasonic scanners, in general, don't work well, and the color models will only scan in black and white and grayscale.
There is one thing, however, that SANE supplies that Windows's TWAIN doesn't. With SANE, you can use a compatible scanner across a network.
Front ends
SANE, by itself, only takes care of connecting a scanner with your PC. It doesn't provide you with an interface so you can do something useful with your scanner. For that, you need a front-end program.
The most advanced of these front-ends is XSane. This provides all the basics you need for scanning images or text. XSane also comes in versions for Mac OS X, OS/2, and Windows. It also supports the popular GIMP graphics application.
Personally, I'm fond of Kooka, the KDE scanner front-end. That's largely because KDE is my favorite interface. That being the case, I should still point out that XSane is being much more actively developed than Kooka. So, if you want the latest front-end, XSane is probably the better choice.
As you can tell by now, Linux doesn't get great support for scanners from the vendors. Still, with the right scanner and SANE, you'll be fine.
And, after all, scanners have always been tricky on any operating system. If you don't believe me, take a look at this wonderful moment involving Bill Gates, a scanner, and Windows 98.
Whenever I get annoyed at a Linux scanning problem, all I need do is watch the QuickTime video of that Windows shining scanner moment.
 About the author: Ziff Davis Internet senior editor Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols has been using and writing about technology and business since the late '80s and thinks he may just have learned something about them along the
way.
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