[plug] Parallel Port Scanners

[Michael Hunt]

<snip>

> > Hiya all,
> >
> > Just wondering if anyone has had experience in setting up a
> > parallel port
> > scanner under Linux. (Particularly an AGFA Snapscan EZ). I know
> > I am a cheap skate
>
> Don't like your chances... unless it contains a parallel to SCSI
> converter
> inside (in which case loan me the scanner for a week and I'll
> write a driver).

Well I don't mind loaning you the scanner after all I have only just got it
back from repair. Plugging an AC adapter into a DC device creates quite nice
sounds and light show as well as a nice odour. (Confusion reigns supreme
with all these peripherals in my house :-) and I call myself a Tech). How do
you tell if the scanner contains one of the parallel to SCSI converters that
you are talking about ?  I'm hoping that this is true for my scanner as (a)
It is not one of the cheap and nasty parallel jobies that you see around (b)
The drivers actually work well under windoze and (c) It is the only parallel
scanner that AGFA make when all the other ones are parallel so I don't see
why they would invent a proprietary solution. (But then again I have been
known to be wrong !!!!!)

> > Are these devices like winmodems in the sense that
> > the6y are only
> > good with the windows driver.
>
> Not quite that bad, they will work under other OS if:
> a) They release a driver (e.g.: for OS/2)
> b) Release the programming details
>

So I can basically e-mail AGFA a nice request asking for programming details
on this and given that they are free to pass the details on to me a driver
should be able to be coded ? (And what is the likelihood of that happening
!!!!!)

> Item a is rare, item b never occurs (not for scanners anyway). Check
> http://www.torque.net/~campbell/scanner.html for my opinions on
> this matter.
>
> > On a different note does such a thing as TWAIN exist under Linux ?
>
> Yes, SANE (Scan Anywhere Now Easy)

So if you use Linux you use SANE and Windows you use TWAIN. So never the
Twain Shall meet ! or you would have to be inSANE to use TWAIN !!!

Thanks for the info David. If you need any help on parport device testing,
or updating the doc for the zip driver I wouldn't mind being involved.

> > Well I hope everyone has a good weekend.
> >
> > Michael Hunt
>
>
> =======================================================
> campbell at torque.net
> Check http://www.torque.net/parport for all Linux parallel port solutions.
>
> Current project list:
> a) Get ZIP Plus drive back from warranty claim
> b) Maintain Linux ZIP drivers (need to update docs)
>