[sane-devel] Infrared channel

[Johannes Meixner]

Hello,

On Feb 22 09:16 m. allan noah wrote (shortened):
> i would like to see a few things done in the sane2 standard:
...
> 3. more consistent config file interface for all backends

I would appreciate this very much.

At the moment all what the Suse scanner config tool does is:
a) show a list of model names made from the *.desc files
b) let the user select a model from this list
c) activate the matching backend in dll.conf

At the moment it is simply ignored when particular models require
special settings in <backend>.conf


> 4. better integration with hotplug and multiple scanners of the
> same type active at the same time.

This is a related problem.

In many cases the autodetected model string does not match to
the model name in the *.desc file.

Therefore it is normally not possible to determine the matching
backend from the autodetected model string.

I think we should discuss about an enhanced *.desc file format
to specify autodetected model strings and model dependent
parameter settings in <backend>.conf

For printer setup this problem is already solved by the so called
"PPD files" which describe printer model specific settings.
Perhaps it is possible to "misuse" the PPD file syntax for scanner
setup as well.
The advantage would be that the PPD file syntax is an established
standard wich is proved to work o.k.


> anything i missed?

Is there any special stuff needed to support big and fat
printer/scanner/copiers in the network?

In contrast to the small directly connected desktop scanners
such big and fat network-scanners can do the scanning (almost)
on their own.
I.e. the user can go to the printer/scanner/copier and do
the scan only by using the buttons and the display which
is integrated in the device.

All what such a network-scanner needs is a recipient
to which it can send the data of the scanned image.
Some of those device may even have a built-in disk
to store the images and the user could scan many images
and later the user would like to download the images from
the printer/scanner/copier to his workstation.

At the moment the recipient is normally a mail account
to which the printer/scanner/copier sends the image.

But it would be nicer if the image download could be done
via a SANE backend and/or if the printer/scanner/copier
could use this backend as recipient for the image data.

I would like when the manufacturers of such devices could make
SANE backends easily - i.e. the SANE frontend must support
to connect to a network-scanner (e.g. specify the IP address
and the port etc.).
I think it doesn't work to tell the manufacturers they should
implement a "saned" which runs in their network-scanners
because I think they won't change the firmware.


Kind Regards
Johannes Meixner
-- 
SUSE LINUX Products GmbH, Maxfeldstrasse 5      Mail: jsmeix@suse.de
90409 Nuernberg, Germany                    WWW: http://www.suse.de/