NAME¶
sane - Scanner Access Now Easy: API for accessing scanners
DESCRIPTION¶
SANE is an application programming interface (API) that provides
standardized access to any raster image scanner hardware. The standardized
interface makes it possible to write just one driver for each scanner device
instead of one driver for each scanner and application.
While
SANE is primarily targeted at a UNIX environment, the standard has
been carefully designed to make it possible to implement the API on virtually
any hardware or operating system.
This manual page provides a summary of the information available about
SANE.
If you have trouble getting your scanner detected, read the PROBLEMS section.
TERMINOLOGY¶
An application that uses the
SANE interface is called a
SANE
frontend. A driver that implements the
SANE interface is called a
SANE backend. A
meta backend provides some means to manage one
or more other backends.
SOFTWARE PACKAGES¶
The package `
sane-backends' contains a lot of backends, documentation
(including the
SANE standard), networking support, and the command line
frontend `
scanimage'. The frontends `
xscanimage', `
xcam',
and `
scanadf' are included in the package `
sane-frontends'. Both
packages can be downloaded from the
SANE homepage
(
http://www.sane-project.org/). Information about other frontends and
backends can also be found on the
SANE homepage.
The following sections provide short descriptions and links to more information
about several aspects of
SANE. A name with a number in parenthesis
(e.g. `
sane-dll(5)') points to a manual page. In this case `
man 5
sane-dll' will display the page. Entries like
`
/usr/share/doc/libsane/sane.tex' are references to text files that
were copied to the
SANE documentation directory
(
/usr/share/doc/libsane/) during installation. Everything else is a URL
to a resource on the web.
- SANE homepage
- Information on all aspects of SANE including a tutorial and a link to the
SANE FAQ can be found on the SANE homepage:
http://www.sane-project.org/.
- SANE device lists
- The SANE device lists contain information about the status of
SANE support for a specific device. If your scanner is not listed
there (either supported or unsupported), please contact us. See section
HOW CAN YOU HELP SANE for details. There are lists for specific releases
of SANE, for the current development version and a search engine:
http://www.sane-project.org/sane-supported-devices.html. The lists
are also installed on your system at /usr/share/doc/libsane/.
- SANE mailing list
- There is a mailing list for the purpose of discussing the SANE standard
and its implementations: sane-devel. Despite its name, the list is not
only intended for developers, but also for users. There are also some more
lists for special topics, however, for users, sane-devel is the right
list. How to subscribe and unsubscribe:
http://www.sane-project.org/mailing-lists.html.
- SANE IRC channel
- The IRC (Internet Relay Chat) channel #sane can be found on the Freenode
network (irc.freenode.net). It's for discussing SANE problems,
talking about development and general SANE related chatting. Before
asking for help, please read the other documentation mentioned in this
manual page. The channel's topic is also used for announcements of
problems with SANE infrastructure (mailing lists, web server, etc.).
- Compiling and installing SANE
- Look at /usr/share/doc/libsane/README and the os-dependent README
files for information about compiling and installing SANE.
- SCSI configuration
- For information about various systems and SCSI controllers see
sane-scsi(5).
- USB configuration
- For information about USB configuration see sane-usb(5).
FRONTENDS AND MISCELLANEOUS PROGRAMS¶
- scanimage
- Command-line frontend. See scanimage(1).
- saned
- SANE network daemon that allows remote clients to access image
acquisition devices available on the local host. See saned(8).
- sane-find-scanner
- Command-line tool to find SCSI and USB scanners and determine their Unix
device files. See sane-find-scanner(1).
Also, have a look at the
sane-frontends package (including
xscanimage,
xcam, and
scanadf) and the frontend
information page at
http://www.sane-project.org/sane-frontends.html.
BACKENDS FOR SCANNERS¶
- abaton
- The SANE backend for Abaton flatbed scanners supports the Scan 300/GS
(8bit, 256 levels of gray) and the Scan 300/S (black and white, untested).
See sane-abaton(5) for details.
- agfafocus
- This backend supports AGFA Focus scanners and the Siemens S9036
(untested). See sane-agfafocus(5) for details.
- apple
- The SANE backend for Apple flatbed scanners supports the following
scanners: AppleScanner, OneScanner and ColorOneScanner. See
sane-apple(5) for details.
- artec
- The SANE Artec backend supports several Artec/Ultima SCSI flatbed scanners
as well as the BlackWidow BW4800SP and the Plustek 19200S. See
sane-artec(5) for details.
- artec_eplus48u
- The SANE artec_eplus48u backend supports the scanner Artec E+ 48U and
re-badged models like Tevion MD 9693, Medion MD 9693, Medion MD 9705 and
Trust Easy Webscan 19200. See sane-artec_eplus48u(5) for
details.
- as6e
- This is a SANE backend for using the Artec AS6E parallel port interface
scanner. See sane-as6e(5) for details.
- avision
- This backend supports several Avision based scanners. This includes the
original Avision scanners (like AV 630, AV 620, ...) as well as the HP
ScanJet 53xx and 74xx series, Fujitsu ScanPartner, some Mitsubishi and
Minolta film-scanners. See sane-avision(5) for details.
- bh
- The bh backend provides access to Bell+Howell Copiscan II series document
scanners. See sane-bh(5) for details.
- canon
- The canon backend supports the CanoScan 300, CanoScan 600, and CanoScan
2700F SCSI flatbed scanners. See sane-canon(5) for details.
- canon630u
- The canon630u backend supports the CanoScan 630u and 636u USB scanners.
See sane-canon630u(5) for details.
- canon_dr
- The canon_dr backend supports the Canon DR-Series ADF SCSI and USB
scanners. See sane-canon_dr(5) for details.
- canon_pp
- The canon_pp backend supports the CanoScan FB330P, FB630P, N340P and N640P
parallel port scanners. See sane-canon_pp(5) for details.
- cardscan
- This backend provides support for Corex Cardscan USB scanners. See
sane-cardscan(5) for details.
- coolscan
- This is a SANE backend for Nikon Coolscan film-scanners. See
sane-coolscan(5) for details.
- coolscan2
- This is a SANE backend for Nikon Coolscan film-scanners. See
sane-coolscan2(5) or http://coolscan2.sourceforge.net for
details.
- epjitsu
- The epjitsu backend provides support for Epson-based Fujitsu USB scanners.
See sane-epjitsu(5) for details.
- epson
- The SANE epson backend provides support for Epson SCSI, parallel port and
USB flatbed scanners. See sane-epson(5) for details.
- fujitsu
- The fujitsu backend provides support for most Fujitsu SCSI and USB,
flatbed and adf scanners. See sane-fujitsu(5) for details.
- genesys
- The genesys backend provides support for several scanners based on the
Genesys Logic GL646, GL841, GL843, GL847 and GL124 chips like the Medion
6471 and Hewlett-Packard 2300c.
See sane-genesys(5) for details.
- gt68xx
- The gt68xx backend provides support for scanners based on the Grandtech
GT-6801 and GT-6816 chips like the Artec Ultima 2000 and several Mustek
BearPaw CU and TA models. Some Genius, Lexmark, Medion, Packard Bell,
Plustek, and Trust scanners are also supported. See sane-gt68xx(5)
for details.
- hp
- The SANE hp backend provides access to Hewlett-Packard ScanJet scanners
which support SCL (Scanner Control Language by HP). See sane-hp(5)
for details.
- hpsj5s
- The SANE backend for the Hewlett-Packard ScanJet 5S scanner. See
sane-hpsj5s(5) for details.
- hp3500
- The SANE backend for the Hewlett-Packard ScanJet 3500 series. See
sane-hp3500(5) for details.
- hp3900
- The SANE backend for the Hewlett-Packard ScanJet 3900 series. See
sane-hp3900(5) for details.
- hp4200
- The SANE backend for the Hewlett-Packard ScanJet 4200 series. See
sane-hp4200(5) for details.
- hp5400
- The SANE backend for the Hewlett-Packard ScanJet 54XXC series. See
sane-hp5400(5) for details.
- hpljm1005
- The SANE backend for the Hewlett-Packard LaserJet M1005 scanner. See
sane-hpljm1005(5) for details.
- hs2p
- The SANE backend for the Ricoh IS450 family of SCSI scanners. See
sane-hs2p(5) for details.
- ibm
- The SANE backend for some IBM and Ricoh SCSI scanners. See
sane-ibm(5) for details.
- kodak
- The SANE backend for some large Kodak scanners. See sane-kodak(5)
for details.
- kodakaio
- The SANE backend for Kodak AiO printer/scanners. See
sane-kodakaio(5) for details.
- kvs1025
- The SANE backend for Panasonic KV-S102xC scanners. See
sane-kvs1025(5) for details.
- leo
- This backend supports the Leo S3 and the Across FS-1130, which is a
re-badged LEO FS-1130 scanner. See sane-leo(5) for details.
- lexmark
- This backend supports the Lexmark X1100 series of USB scanners. See
sane-lexmark(5) for details.
- ma1509
- The ma1509 backend supports the Mustek BearPaw 1200F USB flatbed scanner.
See sane-ma1509(5) for details.
- magicolor
- The magicolor backend supports the KONICA MINOLTA magicolor 1690MF
multi-function printer/scanner/fax. See sane-magicolor(5) for
details.
- matsushita
- This backend supports some Panasonic KVSS high speed scanners. See
sane-matsushita(5) for details.
- microtek
- The microtek backend provides access to the "second generation"
Microtek scanners with SCSI-1 command set. See sane-microtek(5) for
details.
- microtek2
- The microtek2 backend provides access to some Microtek scanners with a
SCSI-2 command set. See sane-microtek2(5) for details.
- mustek
- The SANE mustek backend supports most Mustek SCSI flatbed scanners
including the Paragon and ScanExpress series and the 600 II N and 600 II
EP (non-SCSI). Some Trust scanners are also supported. See
sane-mustek(5) for details.
- mustek_pp
- The mustek_pp backend provides access to Mustek parallel port flatbed
scanners. See sane-mustek_pp(5) for details.
- mustek_usb
- The mustek_usb backend provides access to some Mustek ScanExpress USB
flatbed scanners. See sane-mustek_usb(5) for details.
- mustek_usb2
- The mustek_usb2 backend provides access to scanners using the SQ113
chipset like the Mustek BearPaw 2448 TA Pro USB flatbed scanner. See
sane-mustek_usb2(5) for details.
- nec
- The SANE nec backend supports the NEC PC-IN500/4C SCSI scanner. See
sane-nec(5) for details.
- niash
- The niash backend supports the Agfa Snapscan Touch and the HP ScanJet
3300c, 3400c, and 4300c USB flatbed scanners. See sane-niash(5) for
details.
- p5
- The SANE backend for Primax PagePartner. See sane-p5(5) for
details.
- pie
- The pie backend provides access to Pacific Image Electronics (PIE) and
Devcom SCSI flatbed scanners. See sane-pie(5) for details.
- pixma
- The pixma backend supports Canon PIXMA MP series (multi-function devices).
See sane-pixma(5) or http://home.arcor.de/wittawat/pixma/
for details.
- plustek
- The SANE plustek backend supports USB flatbed scanners that use the
National Semiconductor LM983[1/2/3] chipset aka Merlin. Scanners using
this LM983x chips include some models from Plustek, KYE/Genius,
Hewlett-Packard, Mustek, Umax, Epson, and Canon. See
sane-plustek(5) for details.
- plustek_pp
- The SANE plustek_pp backend supports Plustek parallel port flatbed
scanners. Scanners using the Plustek ASIC P96001, P96003, P98001 and
P98003 include some models from Plustek, KYE/Genius, Primax. See
sane-plustek_pp(5) for details.
- ricoh
- The ricoh backend provides access to the following Ricoh flatbed scanners:
IS50 and IS60. See sane-ricoh(5) for details.
- s9036
- The s9036 backend provides access to Siemens 9036 flatbed scanners. See
sane-s9036(5) for details.
- sceptre
- The sceptre backend provides access to the Sceptre S1200 flatbed scanner.
See sane-sceptre(5) for details.
- sharp
- The SANE sharp backend supports Sharp SCSI scanners. See
sane-sharp(5) for details.
- sm3600
- The SANE sm3600 backend supports the Microtek ScanMaker 3600 USB scanner.
See sane-sm3600(5) for details.
- sm3840
- The SANE sm3840 backend supports the Microtek ScanMaker 3840 USB scanner.
See sane-sm3840(5) for details.
- snapscan
- The snapscan backend supports AGFA SnapScan flatbed scanners. See
sane-snapscan(5) for details.
- sp15c
- This backend supports the Fujitsu FCPA ScanPartner 15C flatbed scanner.
See sane-sp15c(5) for details.
- st400
- The sane-st400 backend provides access to Siemens ST400 and ST800. See
sane-st400(5) for details.
- tamarack
- The SANE tamarack backend supports Tamarack Artiscan flatbed scanners. See
sane-tamarack(5) for details.
- teco1 teco2 teco3
- The SANE teco1, teco2 and teco3 backends support some TECO scanners,
usually sold under the Relisys, Trust, Primax, Piotech, Dextra names. See
sane-teco1(5), sane-teco2(5) and sane-teco3(5) for
details.
- u12
- The sane-u12 backend provides USB flatbed scanners based on Plustek's ASIC
98003 (parallel-port ASIC) and a GeneSys Logics' USB-parport bridge chip
like the Plustek OpticPro U(T)12. See sane-u12(5) for details.
- umax
- The sane-umax backend provides access to several UMAX-SCSI-scanners and
some Linotype Hell SCSI-scanners. See sane-umax(5) for
details.
- umax_pp
- The sane-umax_pp backend provides access to Umax parallel port flatbed
scanners and the HP 3200C. See sane-umax_pp(5) for details.
- umax1200u
- The sane-umax1220u backend supports the UMAX Astra 1220U (USB) flatbed
scanner (and also the UMAX Astra 2000U, sort of). See
sane-umax1220u(5) for details.
Also, have a look at the backend information page at
http://www.sane-project.org/sane-supported-devices.html and the list of
projects in
/usr/share/doc/libsane/PROJECTS.
BACKENDS FOR DIGITAL CAMERAS¶
- dc210
- Backend for Kodak DC210 Digital Camera. See sane-dc210(5).
- dc240
- Backend for Kodak DC240 Digital Camera. See sane-dc240(5).
- dc25
- Backend for Kodak DC20/DC25 Digital Cameras. See sane-dc25(5).
- dmc
- Backend for the Polaroid Digital Microscope Camera. See
sane-dmc(5).
- gphoto2
- Backend for digital cameras supported by the gphoto2 library package. (See
http://www.gphoto.org for more information and a list of supported
cameras.) Gphoto2 supports over 140 different camera models. However,
please note that more development and testing is needed before all of
these cameras will be supported by SANE backend. See
sane-gphoto2(5).
- qcam
- Backend for Connectix QuickCam cameras. See sane-qcam(5).
- stv680
- The sane-st680 backend provides access to webcams with a stv680 chip. See
sane-st680(5) for details.
Also, have a look at the backend information page at
http://www.sane-project.org/sane-supported-devices.html and the list of
projects in
/usr/share/doc/libsane/PROJECTS.
MISCELLANEOUS BACKENDS¶
- dll
- The sane-dll library implements a SANE backend that provides access
to an arbitrary number of other SANE backends by dynamic loading.
See sane-dll(5).
- net
- The SANE network daemon saned provides access to scanners located
on different computers in connection with the net backend. See
sane-net(5) and saned(8).
- pnm
- PNM image reader pseudo-backend. The purpose of this backend is primarily
to aid in debugging of SANE frontends. See sane-pnm(5).
- pint
- Backend for scanners that use the PINT (Pint Is Not Twain) device
driver. The PINT driver is being actively developed on the OpenBSD
platform, and has been ported to a few other *nix-like operating systems.
See sane-pint(5).
- test
- The SANE test backend is for testing frontends and the SANE
installation. It provides test pictures and various test options. See
sane-test(5).
- v4l
- The sane-v4l library implements a SANE backend that provides
generic access to video cameras and similar equipment using the V4L
(Video for Linux) API. See sane-v4l(5).
Also, have a look at the backend information page at
http://www.sane-project.org/sane-supported-devices.html and the list of
projects in
/usr/share/doc/libsane/PROJECTS.
CHANGING THE TOP-LEVEL BACKEND¶
By default, all
SANE backends (drivers) are loaded dynamically by the
sane-dll meta backend. If you have any questions about the dynamic
loading, read
sane-dll(5).
SANE frontend can also be linked to
other backends directly by copying or linking a backend to
libsane.so
in
/usr/lib/arch_triplet/sane.
DEVELOPER'S DOCUMENTATION¶
It's not hard to write a
SANE backend. It can take some time, however.
You should have basic knowledge of C and enough patience to work through the
documentation and find out how your scanner works. Appended is a list of some
documents that help to write backends and frontends.
The
SANE standard defines the application programming interface (API)
that is used to communicate between frontends and backends. It can be found at
/usr/share/doc/libsane/sane.ps (if latex is installed on your system)
and on the
SANE website:
http://www.sane-project.org/html/
(HTML), or
http://www.sane-project.org/sane.ps (Postscript).
There is some more information for programmers in
/usr/share/doc/libsane/backend-writing.txt. Most of the internal
SANE routines (
sanei) are documented using doxygen:
http://www.sane-project.org/sanei/. Before a new backend or frontend
project is started, have a look at
/usr/share/doc/libsane/PROJECTS for
projects that are planned or not yet included into the
SANE
distribution and at our bug-tracking system:
http://www.http://www.sane-project.org/bugs.html.
There are some links on how to find out about the protocol of a scanner:
http://www.meier-geinitz.de/sane/misc/develop.html.
If you start writing a backend or frontend or any other part of
SANE,
please contact the sane-devel mailing list for coordination so the same work
isn't done twice.
FILES¶
- /etc/sane.d/*.conf
- The backend configuration files.
- /usr/lib/arch_triplet/sane/libsane-*.a
- The static libraries implementing the backends.
- /usr/lib/arch_triplet/sane/libsane-*.so
- The shared libraries implementing the backends (present on systems that
support dynamic loading).
- /usr/share/doc/libsane/*
- SANE documentation: The standard, READMEs, text files for backends
etc.
PROBLEMS¶
If your device isn't found but you know that it is supported, make sure that it
is detected by your operating system. For SCSI and USB scanners, use the
sane-find-scanner tool (see
sane-find-scanner(1) for details).
It prints one line for each scanner it has detected and some comments (#). If
sane-find-scanner finds your scanner only as root but not as normal
user, the permissions for the device files are not adjusted correctly. If the
scanner isn't found at all, the operating system hasn't detected it and may
need some help. Depending on the type of your scanner, read
sane-usb(5)
or
sane-scsi(5). If your scanner (or other device) is not connected
over the SCSI bus or USB, read the backend's manual page for details on how to
set it up.
Now your scanner is detected by the operating system but not by
SANE? Try
scanimage -L. If the scanner is not found, check that the backend's
name is mentioned in
/etc/sane.d/dll.conf. Some backends are commented
out by default. Remove the comment sign for your backend in this case. Also
some backends aren't compiled at all if one of their prerequisites are
missing. Examples include dc210, dc240, canon_pp, hpsj5s, gphoto2, pint, qcam,
v4l, net, sm3600, snapscan, pnm. If you need one of these backends and they
aren't available, read the build instructions in the
README file and
the individual manual pages of the backends.
Another reason for not being detected by
scanimage -L may be a missing or
wrong configuration in the backend's configuration file. While
SANE
tries to automatically find most scanners, some can't be setup correctly
without the intervention of the administrator. Also on some operating systems
auto-detection may not work. Check the backend's manual page for details.
If your scanner is still not found, try setting the various environment
variables that are available to assist in debugging. The environment variables
are documented in the relevant manual pages. For example, to get the maximum
amount of debug information when testing a Mustek SCSI scanner, set
environment variables
SANE_DEBUG_DLL,
SANE_DEBUG_MUSTEK, and
SANE_DEBUG_SANEI_SCSI to 128 and then invoke
scanimage -L
. The debug messages for the dll backend tell if the mustek backend was
found and loaded at all. The mustek messages explain what the mustek backend
is doing while the SCSI debugging shows the low level handling. If you can't
find out what's going on by checking the messages carefully, contact the
sane-devel mailing list for help (see REPORTING BUGS below).
Now that your scanner is found by
scanimage -L, try to do a scan:
scanimage >image.pnm. This command starts a scan for the default
scanner with default settings. All the available options are listed by running
scanimage --help. If scanning aborts with an error message, turn on
debugging as mentioned above. Maybe the configuration file needs some tuning,
e.g. to setup the path to a firmware that is needed by some scanners. See the
backend's manual page for details. If you can't find out what's wrong, contact
sane-devel.
To check that the
SANE libraries are installed correctly you can use the
test backend, even if you don't have a scanner or other
SANE device:
- scanimage -d test -T
You should get a list of PASSed tests. You can do the same with your backend by
changing "test" to your backend's name.
So now scanning with
scanimage works and you want to use one of the
graphical frontends like
xsane,
xscanimage, or
quiteinsane but those frontends don't detect your scanner? One reason
may be that you installed two versions of
SANE. E.g. the version that
was installed by your distribution in
/usr and one you installed from
source in
/usr/local/. Make sure that only one version is installed.
Another possible reason is, that your system's dynamic loader can't find the
SANE libraries. For Linux, make sure that
/etc/ld.so.conf
contains
/usr/local/lib and does
not contain
/usr/local/lib/sane. See also the documentation of the frontends.
HOW CAN YOU HELP SANE¶
We appreciate any help we can get. Please have a look at our web page about
contributing to
SANE:
http://www.sane-project.org/contrib.html
For reporting bugs or requesting new features, please use our bug-tracking
system:
http://www.sane-project.org/bugs.html. You can also contact the
author of your backend directly. Usually the email address can be found in the
/usr/share/doc/libsane/AUTHORS file or the backend's manpage. For
general discussion about SANE, please use the
SANE mailing list
sane-devel (see
http://www.sane-project.org/mailing-lists.html for
details).
SEE ALSO¶
saned(8),
sane-find-scanner(1),
scanimage(1),
sane-abaton(5),
sane-agfafocus(5),
sane-apple(5),
sane-artec(5),
sane-artec_eplus48u(5),
sane-as6e(5),
sane-avision(5),
sane-bh(5),
sane-canon(5),
sane-canon630u(5),
sane-canon_dr(5),
sane-canon_pp(5),
sane-cardscan(5),
sane-coolscan2(5),
sane-coolscan(5),
sane-dc210(5),
sane-dc240(5),
sane-dc25(5),
sane-dll(5),
sane-dmc(5),
sane-epson(5),
sane-fujitsu(5),
sane-genesys(5),
sane-gphoto2(5),
sane-gt68xx(5),
sane-hp(5),
sane-hpsj5s(5),
sane-hp3500(5),
sane-hp3900(5),
sane-hp4200(5),
sane-hp5400(5),
sane-hpljm1005(5),
sane-ibm(5),
sane-kodak(5),
sane-leo(5),
sane-lexmark(5),
sane-ma1509(5),
sane-matsushita(5),
sane-microtek2(5),
sane-microtek(5),
sane-mustek(5),
sane-mustek_pp(5),
sane-mustek_usb(5),
sane-mustek_usb2(5),
sane-nec(5),
sane-net(5),
sane-niash(5),
sane-pie(5),
sane-pint(5),
sane-plustek(5),
sane-plustek_pp(5),
sane-pnm(5),
sane-qcam(5),
sane-ricoh(5),
sane-s9036(5),
sane-sceptre(5),
sane-scsi(5),
sane-sharp(5),
sane-sm3600(5),
sane-sm3840(5),
sane-snapscan(5),
sane-sp15c(5),
sane-st400(5),
sane-stv680(5),
sane-tamarack(5),
sane-teco1(5),
sane-teco2(5),
sane-teco3(5),
sane-test(5),
sane-u12(5),
sane-umax1220u(5),
sane-umax(5),
sane-umax_pp(5),
sane-usb(5),
sane-v4l(5)
AUTHOR¶
David Mosberger-Tang and many many more (see
/usr/share/doc/libsane/AUTHORS for details). This man page was written
by Henning Meier-Geinitz. Quite a lot of text was taken from the
SANE
standard, several man pages, and README files.