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• Launchpad entry: [https://blueprints.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+spec/provide-scanner-firmware provide-scanner-firmware]

• Packages affected: sane-backends maybe

Summary

This specification suggests a way to make the process of setting up a scanner easier for Ubuntu users, by supplying available scanner firmware as installable packages.

Rationale

Lots of Ubuntu users have trouble with USB (and maybe not just USB) scanners, when the need for firmware files arises. Ubuntu doesn't distribute scanner firmware files, so the users have to find their own way to get the files, place them in appropriate locations etc. This is uncomfortable. The easy way is to make such firmware available as packages installable through package manager.

Design

There are a few ways to distribute firmware if it is at least available on the internet:

• Provide all firmware files in one package. This would suit if the package doesn't grow too much in the end, which i doubt it can. This is probably a preferred way;
• Provide them in separate packages (e.g. one package per backend);
• Create an installer package (or packages?) in case Ubuntu doesn't get permission to redistribute firmware files. This would become a package similar to linux-wlan-ng-firmware then.

In any case, the availability of these packages should be reflected by Sane itself (e.g., libsane could Recommend or Suggest them).

So far, it looks like at least Mustek's firmware files for scanners using gt68xx backend are freely distributable: http://www.meier-geinitz.de/sane/gt68xx-backend/. However, it may be that this is the only case. Still, maybe Ubuntu as an entity could reach some agreement with other scanner vendors here, and provide their firmware too.

Implementation

Code

Data preservation and migration

Unresolved issues

Licenses and redistributability of the firmware is an issue.

BoF agenda and discussion

CategorySpec