Printer Drivers.

http://www.sane-project.org/source.html

download the backend and then lookup xsane if you want a front end or use "kooka" ( I think thats what its called in KDE), I think GNOME has something similar too, you have options and choices

if the stock backend wont support your scanner without an added module, get that module from the site you referenced above

What exactly is a backend? Is it like, a manual driver?

Jacye,

QUOTE BY JACE
What exactly is a backend?


A backend usually refers to another name for the server process or "back end" of the database, the front end being the user interface. it can also be refer to an application, this stores data of the application

Hope this helps,

Jake

oh ya, one more thing, you more than likely may have to run sane as root or chmod the appropriate apps to run suid root

I use sane all the time, it usually works quite well and supports a whole bunch of scanners

the front end just allows you to have a GUI to access sane with, or you can do it with command line directly on the backend

So, hold up. It's late, I'm tired, and I'm just trying to understand this more. I have to download the backend, run it or whatever, then set up xsane to power up as root in order to use my scanner?

the backend alone should be enough, all it does is give you some commandline apps and appropriate drivers to make the scanner work

type "man sane" and hit return after its installed

if you want to just use the scanner via the commandline, yes you will likely need to be root to do so, unless you set sane to be suid root first.............lots of linux apps start out this way by default

if you want to use a graphic interface you must install one, so lets assume you picked xsane and installed that, open up a terminal(commandline interface) and log in as root, then type xsane and hit enter, if everything is ok a bunch of windows will pop up

if you want to avoid being root then use chmod to set xsane and sane as suid root

all xsane does is provide a GUI and then it runs the sane commands when you tell it what you want to do

okay. I have the rpm file. What do I do with it? I can't open the darn thing.

My buddy suggested using alien, some kind of converter, but I'm getting no where. This is getting old. I'm about to go back to windows...

rpm = redhat package management format, its a format for distributing software that redhat came up with years ago, it works with their package management system in the effort to make dealing with dependencies easier

dont know what to tell you, linux isnt always point and click, thats the price you must pay to have choices and free software, you have to learn how to use the system just like any other OS

what OS are you using exactly, chances are somewhere someone has setup and depository for precompiled apps so all you have to do is download it and install it, slackware comes with sane and xsane stock by default, both can be downloaded direct from slackware's website--------this is something else to look for when choosing a distro, how good is its support

I'm running Ubuntu. All I want is to get my scanner to work. I find it hard to believe that nobody else has tried this, but on this forum and Ubuntu forums I have found zero help.

Let's put it this way. I found the backend for my scanner. Everyone I spoke to said I needed it, but I had no idea how to use it.

It's an RPM file. How can I run an RPM file? It's kinda like a folder, I guess. I guess I'm supposed to extract them, but I can't even open it. I just get errors.

Someone help...

I'm tinkering around with the guten thing now. I got guten to install using the thing jake posted on the first page. Now what? I feel like I hit another dead end, and the read-me's don't help.