Epson V300 Scanner not recognized by OpenSUSE 13.1

English Hardware
1

My Epson V300 scanner worked fine under 12.3, and before that under 12.2 and other distros. But after upgrading to 13.1 I cannot get it working.

Epson provides drivers here (I think one needs to accept their terms to actually see the list), and based on the information here I installed iscan-data-1.25.0-1.noarch.rpm , followed by iscan-2.29.3-1.usb0.1.ltdl7.x86_64.rpm . These are more recent editions of the same drivers that I used successfully with prior OpenSUSE versions. Somewhere there was a report that xsane is no longer included with 13.1, so I installed it too.

Simple-scan just says “no scanners detected” and I got similar messages from a couple of other scanner programs.

Here’s the output from “lsusb”

Bus 001 Device 002: ID 8087:0024 Intel Corp. Integrated Rate Matching Hub
Bus 002 Device 002: ID 8087:0024 Intel Corp. Integrated Rate Matching Hub
Bus 003 Device 002: ID 04f9:0022 Brother Industries, Ltd HL-5150D series
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 003 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 004 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0003 Linux Foundation 3.0 root hub
Bus 001 Device 003: ID 093a:2510 Pixart Imaging, Inc. Optical Mouse
Bus 001 Device 004: ID 07cc:0301 Carry Computer Eng., Co., Ltd 6-in-1 Card Reader
Bus 002 Device 003: ID 13fd:1340 Initio Corporation Hi-Speed USB to SATA Bridge
Bus 002 Device 011: ID 04b8:0131 Seiko Epson Corp. GT-F720 [GT-S620/Perfection V30/V300 Photo]

Here’s the last dozen or so lines from “dmesg | grep usb”

  180.548970] usb 2-1.8: Manufacturer: EPSON
 1148.177567] usb 2-1.8: USB disconnect, device number 8
 1151.423261] usb 2-1.8: new high-speed USB device number 9 using ehci-pci
 1151.511067] usb 2-1.8: New USB device found, idVendor=04b8, idProduct=0131
 1151.511071] usb 2-1.8: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=0
 1151.511073] usb 2-1.8: Product: EPSON Scanner
 1151.511074] usb 2-1.8: Manufacturer: EPSON
 1198.823347] usb 2-1.8: USB disconnect, device number 9
 1203.604025] usb 2-1.8: new high-speed USB device number 10 using ehci-pci
 1203.692041] usb 2-1.8: New USB device found, idVendor=04b8, idProduct=0131
 1203.692053] usb 2-1.8: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=0
 1203.692056] usb 2-1.8: Product: EPSON Scanner
 1203.692058] usb 2-1.8: Manufacturer: EPSON
 2809.507726] usb 2-1.8: USB disconnect, device number 10
 2824.520539] usb 2-1.8: new high-speed USB device number 11 using ehci-pci
 2824.608547] usb 2-1.8: New USB device found, idVendor=04b8, idProduct=0131
 2824.608560] usb 2-1.8: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=0
 2824.608563] usb 2-1.8: Product: EPSON Scanner
 2824.608565] usb 2-1.8: Manufacturer: EPSON

Scanimage -L says “no scanners were identified.” Same result as root and as ordinary user

Using Yast to “configure a scanner” I get these options, neither of which seems to work:
epkowa No scanner recognized by this driver
Not Configured EPSON Scanner USB scanner (vendor=0x04b8 [EPSON], product =0x131 [EPSON Scanner]) at libusb:002:011

I did find a problem with Epson scanning reported on the beta version of 13.1, which seems to have been a bug which I hope would have been fixed (I’m not sure where to look to confirm this). That report concerns a printer/scanner/fax device, whereas my V300 is just a scanner.

I did try rebooting the scanner quite a few times, and rebooting the computer twice, with no success.

I hope somebody here will suggest what I ought to try next.

2

You could also try

sane-find-scanner

I note that /etc/udev/rules.d/55-libsane.rules contains an entry for the V300

# Epson Perfection V300 Photo
ATTR{idVendor}=="04b8", ATTR{idProduct}=="0131", MODE="0664", GROUP="lp", ENV{libsane_matched}="yes"
  1. Are you a member of the ‘lp’ group? If not, add the user to it via YaST >> Security and Users >> User and Group Management
  2. Make sure that /etc/sane.d/dll.conf contains an uncommented entry for ‘epkowa’
  3. Try using the ‘iscan’ scanning GUI.
3

Hi,
Please download driver from this website
EPSON Download Center
Once installed, every thing else is automatic :wink:
Regards & Wises,
Rajesh

4

If you’ take another look at the OP’s post, you’ll realise that he’s already done that, and it is not working as expected.

5

Actually, I had done that also but neglected to mention it. The result was and is:

# sane-find-scanner will now attempt to detect your scanner. If the
  # result is different from what you expected, first make sure your
  # scanner is powered up and properly connected to your computer.

  # No SCSI scanners found. If you expected something different, make sure that
  # you have loaded a kernel SCSI driver for your SCSI adapter.

could not fetch string descriptor: Pipe error
could not fetch string descriptor: Pipe error
found USB scanner (vendor=0x04b8 [EPSON], product=0x0131 [EPSON Scanner]) at libusb:002:011
  # Your USB scanner was (probably) detected. It may or may not be supported by
  # SANE. Try scanimage -L and read the backend's manpage.

  # Not checking for parallel port scanners.

  # Most Scanners connected to the parallel port or other proprietary ports
  # can't be detected by this program

.

The lp group had no members other than lp, so I added myself as a regular user. There was no change in the result. Nor did it help to add “root” to the group.

It was already present and uncommented.

iscan says “Could not send command to scanner. Check the Scanner’s status.”

So I remain puzzled.

6 
found USB scanner (vendor=0x04b8 [EPSON], product=0x0131 [EPSON Scanner]) at libusb:002:011

That’s a good sign

The lp group had no members other than lp, so I added myself as a regular user. There was no change in the result.

Nor did it help to add “root” to the group.

Not expected to either - check out the udev rules for locally attached scanners, and you’ll find that the openSUSE rules assigns the group to ‘lp’ for scanner hardware.

iscan says “Could not send command to scanner. Check the Scanner’s status.”

So I remain puzzled.

FWIW, that error is the same as reported here

https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=151178

They appear to be blaming some kernel-related regression, which may not be relevant here, but worth noting all the same. In particular post #18

I checked the usb initialization sequence for my Epson Perfection V330 Photo using usbmon and compared Kernel 3.6.3 with the current LTS Kernel. It seems like there has been a change in the usb-stack involving data transfer. While the LTS Kernel transmits the scanner firmware in four chunks, the 3.6.x Kernel tries to do it in one chunk. The problem is - the chunk is too small. The firmware gets transmitted only partial and the scanner goes into error mode. Still need to report this upstream…
My guess is that this bug also affects scanners by other manufacturers and possibly other devices needing an usb firmware upload.

It does make me wonder if the required firmware is being uploaded…?

7

I’ve read that. But, I thought the recent update on 14-12-2013 fix this problem. I’m sorry :frowning:

8

Thanks, Deano, for your help with this, but it remains unsolved.

I can’t find any mention of firmware for this unit anywhere on the Epson site, nor anywhere else. If there is any, where might I find it?

The last post in the thread, over a year ago, says “Kernel 3.6.11 solves it.” Now, if I understand correctly, OpenSUSE 13.1 uses kernel 3.11, so either the bug re-emerged or it is somewhat different from the problem described in the thread.

I have attached the scanner to a Windows7 netbook and it works, which verifies that the hardware (including cable) must be OK.

How would I confirm that this is a bug in 13.1, and where and how would I report it or determine whether it might have already been reported?

9

If you refer to this SANE page (re external backends)

SANE: External Backends (Drivers)

I note that it mentions

|Perfection V300 Photo|USB|0x04b8/0x0131|Good|requires DFSG non-free esci-interpreter-gt-f720
|---|---|---|---|
overseas version of the GT-F720
|

With a bit of googling, I found numerous sites that provide esci-interpreter-gt-f720 rpms (in 32-bit and 64-bit form). This is a proprietary plugin containing the binary firmware. I don’t understand why the required files are not included in the Epson site (or at least it is not obvious to me). Fedora has an ‘iscan-firmware’ package that actually references specific locations that it uses to download the esci-interpreter-gt-f720 RPM. For example, here’s the URL for the 64-bit F720 plugin
http://a1227.g.akamai.net/f/1227/40484/1d/download.ebz.epson.net/dsc/f/01/00/01/58/40/d2aad4943a685babf7c9d2f5b09193064c0d902d/esci-interpreter-gt-f720-0.1.1-2.x86_64.rpm
This page suggests that /etc/sane.d/epkowa.conf needs to include

usb
interpreter usb 0x04b8 0x0131 /usr/lib/esci/libesci-interpreter-gt-f720

but that may (or may not) be necessary.

Another V300 installation guide (openSUSE-specific) I just stumbled across

Epson Perfection V300 Photo | and3ks stdout

I hope this helps.

10

And that is the solution. Going back over my files, I discovered that when I last installed this scanner (April '13, OpenSUSE 12.3) I ran three rpm’s, the third being the esci file. I presume that I got this from the Epson site. Now, I find no esci file, nor mention of same, on the Epson site, but I had saved a copy from April (same name as the file you linked to.). Ran that, and now I can scan. So in summary, to install the V300 scanner under OpenSUSE 13.1 64-bit, you need to run three rpm’s

  • FIRST: the “data” file, which you can get from the Epson site and current version is named iscan-data-1.25.0-1.noarch.rpm
  • SECOND: the “core” file" which also comes from the Epson site and current version is named iscan-2.29.3-1.usb0.1.ltdl7.x86_64.rpm
  • THIRD: the esci interpreter from the link Deano provided (or elsewhere, presumably) and current version (afawk) is named esci-interpreter-gt-f720-0.1.1-2x86_64.rpm

This page suggests that /etc/sane.d/epkowa.conf needs to include

usb
interpreter usb 0x04b8 0x0131 /usr/lib/esci/libesci-interpreter-gt-f720

but that may (or may not) be necessary.

In my /etc/sane.d/epkowa.conf there are only two lines not commented out


usb
scsi

and presumably the second line isn’t needed.

And it may also be necessary to put the user into the “lp” group as deano suggested earlier

Another V300 installation guide (openSUSE-specific) I just stumbled across

Epson Perfection V300 Photo | and3ks stdout

I hope this helps.

Yeah, I saw that one and figured, since it’s >3 years old, (pre OpenSUSE 11.1, I think), it wouldn’t be useful.

I am going to see whether there’s a way to ask Epson to fix their site to at least mention the esci file.

11

So now you have all the jigsaw pieces :slight_smile:

I am going to see whether there’s a way to ask Epson to fix their site to at least mention the esci file.

Well, I’d expect them to host the required firmware packages for scanners that require them. It is their hardware and proprietary software after all.

12

It’s now been over a week since I sent a message to Epson using the form on their site, and no response has shown up. However, the “esci” packages seem now to be on their site. At this url, if you select “V300” for the model and “linux” for the OS, you’ll see two download tabs. The first provides the “core” and “data” packages which need to be installed first. The second, labeled “iscan plugin package,” provides the “esci” package. So I guess it’s all there, at least now, and might have been there earlier too. I may have just got confused because the tab named “iscan” isn’t the one that gets you the packages with “iscan” in their names.

13

Hello rentpayer,

Today i helped a friend with his Scanner Epson Perfection 330v Photo an had the same Problem to find the right Software.
My first Try was the String Epson Perfection 330v Photo, but the Search-Engine is worst; it come hundred of finds.
Next i searching only for 330 , and there comes only 6 finds.
One Package is a Multi-Package for all (it seems so), but the next (with the x64 Arch) is the right one.
Later i tested search again and so i´ll find out, that the best Way for searching on the Epson-Site, is to use the internal Number for the Product relevant Software (for Example GF-F720)
In this Case there only 2 Packages found, and only one needed.

I wish thy put only the needed with appropriate note and the residual with the Word optional.
Whatever, i told my friend to save this file on a local Space and never had to search for it.

Greetings from Hessen