My scanner hasn’t been used for years, mainly ‘cos its old and parallel port based. Yes, that old. So a new CanoScan LiDE 100 scanner purchased and hooked up to my Ubuntu linux desktop.

Well the desktop recognised a new USB device, but couldn’t talk with it. So no scanning. Drat, I was hoping to get it on one of my linux servers as a scanning server. The problem is the usual one. Manufacturers simply don’t provide drivers. The scanner comes with a CD of Windoze drivers, MacOS drivers but not linux. So nothing much linux can do about it.

The answer of course is for the manufacturers to agree to a standard ‘scanner interface’, so all scanners can be controlled in the same fashion and you’d only need one universal driver. But fat chance of them putting consumers first. In fact I’m surprised it hasn’t triggered some EU investigation… after all saying your product will only work with another specific manufacturer not because of technical reasons, but because the manufacturer chooses so (by limiting drivers) is rather anti-consumer surely?

A second best answer would be for manufacturers to release drivers as they wish but also release interface specs so others could write them too. Fat chance of that and again perhaps a legal issue. Should it be legal to offer hardware that is designed to connect with computers but not make public the interface specification?

Third best is to read more carefully the compatibility box on the ordering page and not just assume modern kit will connect. Later discovered Canon are a bit anti-linux to say the least. Oh well, it can hook onto my windows game box when I need it.