sane config files [was [sane-devel] Infrared channel]]

[Julien BLACHE]

Johannes Meixner <jsmeix@suse.de> wrote:

>> there's no need for config files tweaking by the user
>
> If this is true, why are there so many config files?

Take a close look at the config files. A majority of them could
disappear tomorrow, that is, the ones that only contain a "usb 0xVVVV
0xPPPP" line, or the ones that contain options that could perfectly be
handled through the frontend. This applies to most of the USB
backends.

> I think it is up to the author of a backend whether or
> not he likes to have everything hardcoded in the backend
> or have settings in a config file.

It's up to the SANE standard to define the use cases for a config
file, then it's up to the backend authors to follow the standard. As
the backend authors are also the ones elaborating the standard, a
convenient solution should arise ;)

>> Users do not want config tools. They want to use their scanner,
>> and that's it.
>
> I have heared this kind of "the hardware must simply work"
> wishes many many times since years and since years there is
> a lot of step by step progress but since years there is no
> general solution to set up hardware without user interaction.

It could have worked with USB, but vendors fucked up the
implementations once again, so ... next time maybe.

> Please let us be constructive and proceed step by step
> instead of wishes which may be implemented in some years.

I think it is constructive to say that some of the existing config
files are of no use today, and could be removed without any problem.

>> Now, if only our beloved vendors could stop their firmware
>> crazyness...
>
> Perhaps you are more successful than I to teach the hardware
> manufacturers how they should make their devices for those
> customers who simply buy the cheapest one.

Unfortunately, no.

> In fact there would be nothing bad with firmware upload
> if the manufacturers provided backends which have the
> firmware included (or as external files) and the backend
> cares for the firmware upload
> or if the manufacturers permit free distribution and
> re-distribution of the firmware files so that the firmware
> files could be included in the sane-backends or in a special
> package of the distributors (if firmware files without source
> code cannot be included in sane-backends).

Alternatively, they could avoid hiding the said firmware into a
windows installer or inside a dll ...

JB.

-- 
Julien BLACHE                                   <http://www.jblache.org> 
<jb@jblache.org>                                  GPG KeyID 0xF5D65169