Can only scan as root: IEEE-1394

jamespetts · 05-25-2009, 08:31 AM

In an Ubuntu-Jaunty installation, I have an Epson Perfection V700 Photo scanner connected via IEEE-1394. However, the device is only accessible as root, either from iscan or Sane, otherwise both applications report that the device is not available. scanimage-L does not show the scanner, whereas sudo scanimage-L does.

I have found this related topic, but I was unable to follow the advice as my scanner is IEEE-1394, and consequently, no idVendor or IdProduct could be found in the dmesg output, the only relevant part of which was as follows:

Code:

[    4.770432] ieee1394: Host added: ID:BUS[0-01:1023]  GUID[00e018000009389f]
[    4.919583] scsi6 : SBP-2 IEEE-1394
[    5.920555] ieee1394: sbp2: Logged into SBP-2 device
[    5.920611] ieee1394: sbp2: Node 0-00:1023: Max speed [S400] - Max payload [2048]
[    5.922044] scsi 6:0:0:0: Processor         EPSON    GT-X900          1.06 PQ: 0 ANSI: 4
[    5.922245] scsi 6:0:0:0: Attached scsi generic sg3 type 3

If I could find the relevant information, I could add a rule to /etc/udev/rules.d/10-scanner.rules, but I cannot find where to obtain that information. Can anybody assist? Thank you.

tredegar · 05-25-2009, 08:45 AM

You probably just need to make yourself a member of the group scanner.
Check like this:

Code:

tred@vaio:~$ groups
tred adm dialout fax cdrom floppy audio video plugdev syslog scanner fuse lpadmin admin netdev
tred@vaio:~$

If you are not a member then add yourself like this:

Code:

james@pc:~$ sudo gpasswd -a james scanner

Then logout & login again.
Now plug in your scanner. You should be able to use it.
If not, re-check the permissions on the device with ls -l /dev/scanner

jamespetts · 05-25-2009, 09:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tredegar

You probably just need to make yourself a member of the group scanner.
Check like this:

Code:

tred@vaio:~$ groups
tred adm dialout fax cdrom floppy audio video plugdev syslog scanner fuse lpadmin admin netdev
tred@vaio:~$

If you are not a member then add yourself like this:

Code:

james@pc:~$ sudo gpasswd -a james scanner

Then logout & login again.
Now plug in your scanner. You should be able to use it.
If not, re-check the permissions on the device with ls -l /dev/scanner

Thank you for the suggestion - however, when I listed the groups as you suggested, there was no group called "scanner".

tredegar · 05-25-2009, 10:05 AM

Quote:

when I listed the groups as you suggested, there was no group called "scanner"

groups is just a command that tells you what groups you are a member of.
If scanner is not listed for you, then you are not a member of the scanner group, and you need to add yourself as I posted above.

Code:

cat /etc/group

will list all the groups created by your install. You probably aren't a member of many of them, but you do need to be a member of the scanner group if you wish to use the scanner.

jamespetts · 05-25-2009, 12:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tredegar

groups is just a command that tells you what groups you are a member of.
If scanner is not listed for you, then you are not a member of the scanner group, and you need to add yourself as I posted above.

Code:

cat /etc/group

will list all the groups created by your install. You probably aren't a member of many of them, but you do need to be a member of the scanner group if you wish to use the scanner.

Thank you very much for your further prompt reply. However, when I executed the cat /etc/group command, there was no group called scanner listed there, either.

tredegar · 05-25-2009, 01:01 PM

Quote:

when I executed the cat /etc/group command, there was no group called scanner listed

OK. Some more Q's:

1] Are you sure? Please check again. And are you sure there's not something you have forgotten to tell us, like you are running linux on a virtual machine? I have assumed you are running a normal installed-to-HDD system. If not then please give us the full picture.

I am also running "Hardy" AKA 8.04 and I have the group scanner listed in /etc/group by default.

I have just realised you cannot

Code:

ls -l /dev/scanner

so forget about that for now.

2] What does

Code:

sudo scanimage -L

report back?

Mine says this:

Code:

device `plustek:libusb:003:002' is a Canon CanoScan N670U/N676U/LiDE20 flatbed scanner

3] Does your scanner offer a USB connection? Is that any more usable?