
sane.7
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 possi�
ble to implement the API on virtually any hardware or
operating system.
This manual page provides a summary of the information
available about SANE.
TERMINOLOGY
An application that uses the SANE interface is called a
SANE frontend. A driver that implements the SANE inter�
face is called a SANE backend. A meta backend provides
some means to manage one or more other backends.
SANE STANDARD AND WRITING BACKENDS
The SANE standard defines the application programming
interface (API) that is used to communicate between fron�
tends and backends. It can be found at
/usr/local/doc/sane-1.0.8/sane.ps (if latex is installed
on your system) and on the SANE website:
http://www.mostang.com/sane/html/ (HTML), or
http://www.mostang.com/sane/sane.ps (Postscript).
There is some more information for programmers in
/usr/local/doc/sane-1.0.8/backend-writing.txt. Some of the
internal SANE routines (sanei) are documented using doxy�
gen: http://sanei.meier-geinitz.de/ . Before a new backend
or frontend project is started, have a look at
/usr/local/doc/sane-1.0.8/PROJECTS for projects that are
planned or not yet included into the SANE distribution.
Your help is always appreciated. Look at
/usr/local/doc/sane-1.0.8/TODO for things that should be
done. Not only programmers are needed, but also reading
and fixing the documentation and reporting bugs would be
nice. Further more, translations of the backend options
are needed. Contact the SANE mailing list for details.
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.mostang.com/sane/). Information about other
frontends and backends can be found on the frontend page
(http://www.mostang.com/sane/frontends.html).
GENERAL INFORMATION
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'.
Entries like `/usr/local/doc/sane-1.0.8/sane.tex' are ref�
erences to text files that were copied to the SANE docu�
mentation directory (/usr/local/doc/sane-1.0.8) during
installation. Everything else is an 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.mostang.com/sane/.
SANE mailing list
There is a mailing list for the purpose of discussing
the SANE standard and its implementations: sane-devel.
Since this is currently the only mailing list devoted to
SANE, it's perfectly OK to ask questions that are not
strictly related to SANE development. How to subscribe
and unsubscribe: http://www.mostang.com/sane/mail.html
Compiling and installing SANE
Look at /usr/local/doc/sane-1.0.8/README and the os-
dependent README files for information about compiling
and installing SANE.
SCSI configuration
For information about various systems and SCSI con�
trollers see sane-scsi(5). USB configuration For infor�
mation 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(1).
sane-find-scanner
sane-find-scanner is a command-line tool to find SCSI
and some 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 informa�
tion page at http://www.mostang.com/sane/sane-fron�
tends.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 Col�
orOneScanner. See sane-apple(5) for details.
artec
The SANE Artec backend supports several Artex/Ultima
SCSI flatbed scanners as well as the BlackWidow BW4800SP
and the Plustek 19200S. See sane-artec(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 Avision AV 630 CS flatbed scan�
ners. 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_pp
The canon_pp backend supports the CanoScan FB330P,
FB630P, N340P and N640P parallel port scanners. See
sane-canon_pp(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.source�
forge.net 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 Fujitsu 3091,
3093, 3096 and fi-4340 SCSI scanners. See sane-
fujitsu(5) for details.
hp
The SANE hp backend provides access to HP ScanJet scan�
ners and OfficeJet multi-function peripherals (MFPs)
which support SCL (Scanner Control Language by HP). See
sane-hp(5) for details.
leo
This backend support the Across FS-1130, which is a re-
badged LEO FS-1130 scanner. See sane-leo(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 gen�
eration" 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 (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
USB flatbed scanners. Some Mustek BearPaw scanners are
supported by the plustek backend, however. See sane-
mustek_usb(5) for details.
nec
The SANE nec backend supports the NEC PC-IN500/4C SCSI
scanner. See sane-nec(5) for details.
pie
The pie backend provides access to PIE and Devcom SCSI
flatbed scanners. See sane-pie(5) for details.
plustek
The SANE plustek backend supports Plustek parallel port
and LM983[1/2/3] based USB flatbed scanners. See sane-
plustek(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.
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
The SANE teco1 backend supports some TECO scanners, usu�
ally sold under the RELISYS name. See sane-teco1(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 paral�
lel 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.mostang.com/sane/sane-backends.html and the
list of projects in /usr/local/doc/sane-1.0.8/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).
Also, have a look at the backend information page at
http://www.mostang.com/sane/sane-backends.html and the
list of projects in /usr/local/doc/sane-1.0.8/PROJECTS.
MISCELLANEOUS BACKENDS
dll
The sane-dll library implements a SANE backend that pro�
vides access to an arbitrary number of other SANE back�
ends by dynamic loading. See sane-dll(5).
net
The SANE network daemon saned provides access to scan�
ners located on different computers in connection with
the net backend. See sane-net(5) and saned(1).
pnm
PNM image reader pseudo-backend. The purpose of this
backend is primarily to aid in debugging of SANE fron�
tends. 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 vari�
ous test options. See sane-test(5).
v4l
The sane-v4l library implements a SANE backend that pro�
vides generic access to video cameras and similar equip�
ment using the V4L (Video for Linux) API. See sane-
v4l(5).
Also, have a look at the backend information page at
http://www.mostang.com/sane/sane-backends.html and the
list of projects in /usr/local/doc/sane-1.0.8/PROJECTS.
PROBLEMS
Please note that the default configuration uses sane-dll
as the top-level backend. Hence it is probably a good
idea to start with reading sane-dll(5). The top-level
backend is determined by the libsane.* symlinks in
/usr/local/lib/sane.
For SCSI scanners reading of sane-scsi(5) is recommended.
For USB scanners, sane-usb(5) may help.
If you encounter any problems with getting your device(s)
recognized, try setting the various environment variables
that are available to assist in debugging such problems.
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
or whatever program you're trying to debug. For a Mustek
scanner at /dev/scanner, you might want to invoke scanim�
age as follows:
scanimage -d mustek:/dev/scanner -h
If this works, you could try to acquire an image with:
scanimage -d mustek:/dev/scanner >t.pnm
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.
If you are not sure what generic SCSI or USB device your
scanner is connected to, try the command sane-find-scan�
ner. Usually, It's sufficient to invoke the program with�
out any arguments. Invoking this command should produce
output similar to this:
$ sane-find-scanner
sane-find-scanner: found "MUSTEK MFC-06000CZ 1.01"
at device /dev/scanner
sane-find-scanner: found "MUSTEK MFC-06000CZ 1.01"
at device /dev/sge
Note that sane-find-scanner will find any scanner that is
connected to a SCSI bus and also some USB scanners. It
will even find scanners that are not supported at all by
SANE.
There may be several causes for the following messages
from the frontends: "scanimage: no SANE devices found" or
"xscanimage: no devices available.".
* Your scanner is not recognized by any backend. It is not
supported. You may ask the maintainer of your backend
(see /usr/local/doc/sane-1.0.8/AUTHORS) or the SANE
mailing list (see above) if support is planned.
* SANE can't access the device files (e.g /dev/sg0). Check
the permissions.
* Your backend is not listed in
/usr/local/etc/sane.d/dll.conf (or commented out).
* There are older installations of SANE on your system. If
you installed the SANE libraries in /usr/local/lib
(default) you should check if there are older SANE
libraries at /usr/lib. Remove them (rm -r /usr/lib/lib�
sane* /usr/lib/sane).
* If you can use SANE with scanimage but not with other
(graphical) frontends, check that /etc/ld.so.conf con�
tains /usr/local/lib and does not contain
/usr/local/lib/sane. See also the documentation of the
frontends.
FILES
/usr/local/etc/sane.d/*.conf
The backend configuration files.
/usr/local/lib/sane/libsane-*.a
The static libraries implementing the backends.
/usr/local/lib/sane/libsane-*.so
The shared libraries implementing the backends
(present on systems that support dynamic loading).
/usr/local/doc/sane-1.0.8/*
SANE documentation: The standard, READMEs, text
files for backends etc.
REPORTING BUGS
If you think you found a bug in a backend, contact the
author of your backend. Usually the email address can be
found in the /usr/local/doc/sane-1.0.8/AUTHORS file. If he
isn't marked as `active maintainer' or doesn't answer you
can also contact the SANE mailing list sane-devel (see
http://www.mostang.com/sane/mail.html for details). You
must be subscribed to the list, otherwise your mail won't
be sent to the subscribers.
If you want to report bugs concerning compilation, instal�
lation, porting, and documentation of SANE, you can also
contact the author of this manual page: <henning@meier-
geinitz.de>.
AUTHOR
David Mosberger-Tang and many many more (see
/usr/local/doc/sane-1.0.8/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.
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