I'm trying to get a Canon CanoScan 4200F scanner to work in both Kubuntu 12.04 and Calculate 13.6, and I've had no luck, using either SimpleScan or Xsane. The Canon website is no help; it simply says that Canon supplies no drivers for that device for any Linux distro. Does anybody know where to get drivers that work w\ Canon devices?

The following is the output from lsusb:
lsusb | grep -i 'canon'
Bus 007 Device 002: ID 04a9:221b Canon, Inc. CanoScan 4200F

Thanx in advance.

Canon and Linux mix together like oil and water. Your device is listed as unsupported by SANE. http://www.sane-project.org/unsuppor...non-4200f.html

Either:
Buy another device from a manufacturer that supports Linux (vote with your wallet).
Use your device from another operating system.
Use your device from a virtual machine running another operating system.

That's pretty much the consensus of all the Linux sources I've researched. I'm glad I got the scanner secondhand for cheap.

I have one of those , nice scanner , still works GREAT
but cannon is forcing us to put in the trash a VERY GOOD and working bit of hardware
you do not use in on linux

now depending on just what chips are in it ( a FULL disassemble is required )
the chips may or may not have support
in that a driver might be kludged together

but the chips very from scanner to scanner in the SAME model #

there is ONLY A xp sp3 driver
No vista support
No 7 support
no 8 support
you HAVE TO INSTALL XP !!!!!

Just for those who are searching. you can use this scanner in Windows XP on up to Windows 10. However in Windows 8.1 you have to install using Administrator account, and you have to use Canon Toolbox. It is not support by Windows 8 on up by thier internal driver. It claims it is but attempting to use it just results in unknown error. But you can just use either 32 or 64 bit Windows Vista drivers to make it work.

I am actually trying to see if Canon will actually tell me if the driver used BY this scanner for windows works with ANY other models of Canon scanners. Because SANE says if it does there is a slim chance that another model of Canon Scanner might work with this scanner.
The catch is and I am wondering if anyone has for the sake of knowing even tried any other the other Canoscan models drivers that SANE does have to get iut to work with SimpleScan or whatever. One would think then that it might, or SANE might be able to rewrite some code to get it to work. I suppose the ultimate answer is to just find a Linux supported scanner.

Here is what is also funny. My Microsoft LifeCam Web (USB) Camera works fine in Linux, but no longer works in Windows 8. Their own product and they cannot support it. Same kind of situation I guess.

The chip as such is supported by the genesys backend. The information on the SANE website seems a bit outdated. And so is your Ubuntu.

You might want to check in the latest SANE sources if this scanner is now supported by genesys. You might have to pull the sources and compile the module yourself. If not, check the genesys back man page. There is some explanation on how to add the scanner make and model to the conf file.

I did things like that a century ago, and can't give you exact instructions, sorry. But this is the way to go if the chip is supported.

Check also if xhci-hcd id enabled in your BIOS. It is known to cause scanner problems. Disable it and test again.

jlinkels

I will seek out genesys. Yeah I have just installed actually Zorin and dso it has not had a chance to update itself. Zorin based on Ubuntu Core. So it should do the kernel updates at some point. But anyhow, I know it does see the scanner in lsusb knows it is there but has no driver for it, so it cannot communicate with it.
The question was proposed that the windows driver could be used as a model to create a driver that works, if the driver for windows perhaps was designed to interface to other models of Canon Scanners. Does not suprise me that information online is outdated, it is common for that.

Yeah of course Canon will not offer any advice. I may just drop into the SANE website and poke at a similar driver just to see if it might pick it up. Otherwise it is a loose Canon so to speak. At some point I may just pick up a cheap scanner someplace that might be compatible. For now I have windows dual booted so I can actually use it. But of course Windblows I just hate period so I still have hopes that Zorin MIGHT someday have a driver. I have not thought about WINE being able to install the software however, I guess I might give that a chance. Most things however do not really work in WINE. Surprisingly the stuff you want to work never does and the stuff you figure would never work does.

As soon as I give that a shot I will report here to inform whether or not the drivers work under WINE for this scanner. I am not sure how WINE sees the USB ports. Since it is seen by Zorin in lsusb then I figure it might work.