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Re: Missing libsane package in Trixie



On 2025-08-17 at 18:10, alain williams wrote:

> I have a Brother multi function printer & scanner (MFC-J6720DW). This
> worked well under Bookworm both as printer and scanner. I bought it
> in 2008, it does not get high usage.
> 
> Scanning worked nicely with xsane.
> 
> It needs some proprietary driver from Bother.
> 
> Printing works under Trixie. I have a problem with scanning. When I
> run the Brother script it tries to install libsane. Libsane exists on
> Bookworm but not Trixie. Both Trixie and Bookworm have package
> libsane1
> 
> https://packages.debian.org/search?keywords=libsane1
> 
> Libsane is described as a "transitional package"
> 
> https://packages.debian.org/bullseye/libsane
> 
> • Could I just grab the source of libsane & compile it ?

If you mean the upstream source? Almost certainly, although that would
not tell the packaging system that a library of that name was installed.

If you mean the source of the Debian package? Probably.

> • Could I grab the Bullseye libsane & just install on Trixie ?

Probably, but you'd be at risk of file conflicts (now or in the future).

> • Why is it not available in Trixie ?

Most likely: because the transition from the no-SONAME-specified name
'libsane' to the SONAME-specified-and-therefore-more-future-proof name
'libsane1' has completed. The former naming pattern for library packages
is now recommended against, and there is some degree of effort to get
libraries which were packaged using it switched over to the latter
naming pattern.

> Installation fails thus:
> 
> Setting up brscan-skey (0.3.2-0) ...
> apt-get install libusb-0.1-4
> Reading package lists... Done
> Building dependency tree... Done
> Reading state information... Done
> You might want to run 'apt --fix-broken install' to correct these.
> The following packages have unmet dependencies:
>  brscan-skey : Depends: libsane (>= 1.0.11-3) but it is not installable

This looks like a case where you want to use equivs to define an empty
package which is named (or Provides:) libsane, and which Depends: on
libsane1.

That still leaves you exposed to potential breakage in the future, but
it's likely to be a relatively distant future all told, and AFAIK it
should work.

-- 
   The Wanderer

The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one
persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all
progress depends on the unreasonable man.         -- George Bernard Shaw

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