Installing VueScan device specific driver

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Ubuntu Version:Ubuntu 24.04.3 LTS
I installed VueScan for flatbed scanners, but it requires the device specific driver. I downloaded the appropriate driver as tarball and extracted it to the following:
(directories)
core
data
plugins
(files)
60-iscan.rules
install.sh
README.rst

The Readme file basically just said run the sh so
./install.sh
otherwise it just listed some possible error conditions and resolutions.
I ran the sh file. The only error was
E: Unable to locate package libsane

My understanding is that libsane is automatically part of the basic Ubuntu distribution.

The program continues to say I have no driver for my device.

no plugin found
no plugin found655×192 20.2 KB

I am out of guesses at this point. Any suggestions?

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If the installation was successful you can use your scanner with any generic scanning software available for Ubuntu or the Epson’s own “Epson Scan2” available at the same downloads website: https://download-center.epson.com/softwares/?device_id=Perfection+V550&region=PT&os=DEBX64&language=en

If VueScan for whatever reason isn’t working you should ask their own tech support. It’s a commercial product after all.

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Since at the very least 22.04 ‘libsane’ is a transitional package that pulls in ‘libsane1’ through dependency. It is not installed by default (libsane1 is).

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Is VueScan going to build a driver or install a precompiled one? Because if it’s going to build a driver, it’s probably looking for the libsane-dev package because it’s not installed by default.

Also examine the shell script and look to see where it’s checking for the presence of libsane or for a particular version.

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Shell script does not mention libsane.
Since Libsane is needed , trying to find workaround. Right now pursuing this suggestion from Ask Ubuntu

Ask Ubuntu 2024 suggestion
Ask Ubuntu 2024 suggestion747×433 76.8 KB
Trying to learn how to use Synaptic as Debian source STRONGLY recommends it. Frankly, this is all way over my head and I am just winging it.

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The shell script that produces the error message that it is unable to locate the package libsane doesn’t mention libsane? Well, hmm


What is the output of the following command?

$ apt list ~nlibsane

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$ apt list ~nlibsane
Listing
 Done
libsane-common/noble,noble,now 1.2.1-7build4 all [installed,automatic]
libsane-dev/noble 1.2.1-7build4 amd64
libsane-dev/noble 1.2.1-7build4 i386
libsane-hpaio/noble,now 3.23.12+dfsg0-0ubuntu5 amd64 [installed,automatic]
libsane1/noble,now 1.2.1-7build4 amd64 [installed,automatic]
libsane1/noble 1.2.1-7build4 i386

So Libsane1 is there, but Libsane is outdated and no longer in the standard distribution.

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OK, it’s the iscan_2.30.4-2_amd64.deb package that has a dependency on libsane, which is not in the Ubuntu 24.04 package archives.

One fairly easy solution to that is to change the iscan deb package’s control file so that the dependency is libsane1 instead of libsane. I’ll list the steps here:

  1. Change to the core directory where the iscan deb resides.
  2. $ dpkg-deb -R iscan_2.30.4-2_amd64.deb iscan_2.30.4-2_amd64
  3. $ cd iscan_2.30.4-2_amd64/DEBIAN
  4. edit the control file and change libsane to libsane1 in the Depends: section. Take care not add/substract any spaces or other characters to the fields, otherwise the package won’t build.
  5. cd back to core and move the original iscan deb package out the directory.
  6. $ dpkg-deb -b iscan_2.30.4-2_amd64 this rebuilds the package with the updated control file
  7. $ rm -r iscan_2.30.4-2_amd64 It’s important that only the deb file is in the core directory.
  8. $ cd .. Now run the install.sh script.
  9. $ ./install.sh –dry-run Hopefully there won’t be any errors. If there aren’t any, run it for real.

This will solve the issue of getting the iscan packages to install, but whether the programs are too old to run with newer libraries, you’ll just have try them out.

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9

It worked! Thank you very much. That scanner was the only reason I still have a Windows partition - now I can finally get rid of it.
:grinning_face:

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The text above is found Here - First section Item 8

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Good! Glad to have been of help.

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