[SOLVED] Fixing Simple Scan in Linux Mint

julianvb · 09-12-2016, 09:42 PM

2016-09-12

Simple Scan was still working all right when I attempted to troubleshoot Xsane on my Compaq Presario SR1020Nx desktop yesterday. Now even Simple Scan fails to communicate with the printer, an HPF4210 Deskjet. When I invoke Simple Scan from the command line, I immediately see the attached error screen. My operating system is Linux Mint 17.1.

Any help on fixing Simple Scan will be much appreciated as always.

Julianvb

ferrari · 09-12-2016, 11:09 PM

A USB-connected device? Anyway, some ideas to start with...
1) Try removing ~/.sane (ie any bad user config that may be causing issues), then start your scanning application. Any different?

2) Start simple-scan from a terminal in debug mode

Code:

simple-scan -d

Observe/capture what is reported.

3) Are you using HPLIP? If so, you'll be using the CUPS 'hp' backend to print. The 'hpaio' scanner backend relies on a correctly configured CUPS URI (ie with the hp backend) to facilitate communication. So, in this instance check the URI defined via

Code:

lpstat -t

The device should be enumerated (when attached and turned on) by running the hp backend manually like this

Code:

/usr/lib/cups/backend/hp

Also, for HPLIP the 'hp-doctor' diagnostic can be helpful in determining what might be wrong.

Habitual · 09-13-2016, 11:45 AM

Code:

inxi -c0 -S

output please.

Mine here on 17.1 did the same thing.
I hit "Change scanner" and that failed.
I hit "Cancel" and exited.
Then scan worked.

julianvb · 09-13-2016, 12:30 PM

Ferrari and Habitual,

I must have had a bad ~/.sane folder yesterday. After I deleted it today as suggested by Ferrari, both Simple Scan and Xsane started working again. Coincidentally I also issued the 'cancel -a' terminal command yesterday but it didn't seem to help.

Julianvb

Output of inxi -c0 -S:

Quote:

System: Host: hk Kernel: 3.13.0-24-generic i686 (32 bit) Desktop: N/A Distro: Linux Mint 17.1 Rebecca

ferrari · 09-13-2016, 01:46 PM

Quote:

I must have had a bad ~/.sane folder yesterday. After I deleted it today as suggested by Ferrari, both Simple Scan and Xsane started working again.

Glad to have been of help.

Quote:

Coincidentally I also issued the 'cancel -a' terminal command yesterday but it didn't seem to help.

That command is only for cancelling pending/stale CUPS print jobs.

Habitual · 09-13-2016, 05:00 PM

Glad it worked out.

Go TeamLQ!