Date: Tue, 22 Dec 1998 16:00:32 -0500 (EST) From: Brian Feldman <green@unixhelp.org> To: Henry Miller <hank@black-hole.com> Cc: brian@worldcontrol.com, freebsd-current@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: USB, scanners, and SANE? Message-ID: <Pine.BSF.4.05.9812221554470.27055-100000@janus.syracuse.net> In-Reply-To: <Pine.BSF.3.96.981220233633.30140A-100000@daphne.bogus>
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On Sun, 20 Dec 1998, Henry Miller wrote: > > This was discussed on the sane mailing lists last month, and the > concessious was USB support is desirable, but today there are several > problems. a) nobody with an interest in writting a scanner backend has a > USB scanner, b) the lack of stable implimentations of USB and unix. > > a) is the biggest thing getting in the way, but that is expected to > change over the next year or so. I encourage you to get involved and > write the backend. > > b) will be a big deal. The goal is to have standard functions for > accessing the USB port, similear to what sane does for scsi. Before work > in that direction can procede the operating systems SANE runs on need USB > support. NetBSD is the only one that has USB support. FreeBSD and Linux > were both noted as making progress, but not yet to the point where anyone > can truely belive that they won't change their API 10 times a month for > the next few months. Obviously things will settle down (and probably > won't get that bad) but today the implimentation isn't truely ready for > others to write protable programs on top of. This is true, I'd like to see the user-level USB integration completed (i.e. usb supporting its devices _and_ MAKEDEV being able to create all the different USB nodes. I'm working on getting some USB hardware to test out with my new VIA chipset. > > on the other hand, b) should be solved in the next few months. (and if > you read -current you probably know the state of USB in freeBSD, which is > progressing nicely) Once the OS level implimentations are stable, SANE > will write a wrapper API, and then things will be ready for a backends. In addition, NetBSD is not the only one with USB support. NetBSD USB _IS_ FreeBSD USB, in actuality. Look at the code. So we use NetBSD's API. > > You can short circuite this process, like the parrell drivers do, but > remember that parrell scanners are generally unsupported, and considering > manufactures additude always will be. USB scanners probably will be > supported, therefore if you write something plan time to re-write it to a > standard when sane releases one. > > Good luck! > > On Sun, 20 Dec 1998 brian@worldcontrol.com wrote: > > > I've been poking around the USB website and seperatedly > > noted the addition of support for USB under -current. > > > > Reading the www.usb.org site I mostly got the sense of Plug&Pray. > > Basically, plug it in, don't worry be happy. > > > > My wife as a HP Scanjet 4100CXI on her PC running [censored]. > > > > I'd like to take a stab at getting it to work under FreeBSD. > > I'm not above writing code. > > > > SANE has support for HP scanners of both SCSI and parallel port > > versions. > > > > Via the existing FreeBSD USB support will it be possible for me > > to create a communication channel for the SANE backend to talk > > to the scanner? > > > > HIDs and Classes (was it?) have me worried that I have to wait > > for particular support for scanner class devices. But on the > > other hand, maybe this is not that case, and perhaps I can use > > some generic interface to access the scanner. > > > > Any pointers or clarification on the FreeBSD USB interface > > would be appreciated. > > > > -- > > Brian Litzinger <brian@litzinger.com> > > > > To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org > > with "unsubscribe freebsd-current" in the body of the message > > > > -- Brian Feldman _ __ ___ ___ ___ green@unixhelp.org _ __ ___ | _ ) __| \ http://www.freebsd.org/ _ __ ___ ____ | _ \__ \ |) | FreeBSD: The Power to Serve! _ __ ___ ____ _____ |___/___/___/ To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-current" in the body of the message
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