Re: HP Scanjet4200C

[Brian May <bam@debian.org>]

>>>>> "Glen" == Glen Snyder <snyderg@frontiernet.net> writes:

    Glen> Hi Brian, I have had a 4200c for over a year now, and it
    Glen> took me quite awhile to get it working with Debian. Here's
    Glen> what I had to do: Go to Sourceforge and download the SANE
    Glen> drivers as tarballs.  Download a patch for the 4200c and
    Glen> apply it to the SANE driver.  Install the Patched SANE
    Glen> driver (I couldn't figure out how to use the DEBs for SANE
    Glen> because they don't have the patch applied) Hack a few lines
    Glen> in the scanner module file of your kernel and recompile the
    Glen> kernel (This is explained in the Source Forge page for the
    Glen> 4200c patch) You will need to be using a kernel with USB
    Glen> support.  Make a link to the scanner.

Yuck. I was hoping everything would work without any modifications,
but it looks like everything has to be modified.

Do you have the sourceforge URL?

    Glen> When you are done with this, then you will be able to use
    Glen> xsane to perform your scans. You won't be able to use the
    Glen> GIMP plugin for SANE, though. Also, the scanner produces
    Glen> weird distortions (the x axis is stretched out).

Double yuck. Why doesn't the GIMP plugin work? Is the distortion even? 
ie will an image resize compensate?

    Glen> In short, the 4200c is the most disappointing computer
    Glen> hardware purchase that I have made. The only reason I have
    Glen> Windows still on my computer as a dual boot is to use the
    Glen> scanner. I have seen no progress with the patch in 6 months
    Glen> or so, either. I will probably end up trying to trade it for
    Glen> another Linux-supported SANE-compatible scanner.

Please let me know if you see any improvements... although it sounds
similar with my experience with colour printers, too.

Is it just the 4200c which is bad, or all HP scanners? If I were to
purchase another scanner and wanted one that is Linux compatible what
should I get?

Thanks for your reply.
-- 
Brian May <bam@debian.org>