[PLUG] Update: USB on 2.2.18

[Mike Leone <turgon@mike-leone.com>]

OK; here's an quick overview and update on my USB adventures ...

I installed the sources for kernel 2.2.18; this kernel contains the USB
code, so there was no need to apply a patch.
I had a couple of odd moments, dealing with my sound card volume being
lower (which seems to have corrected itself somehow. Go figure :-).

I followed the instructions over at <http://www.linux-usb.org>. The
instructions are about par for Linux documentation - they miss a few
steps; refer to device names differently at different points; etc. But
mostly documentation is easy to follow. This website also lists which
USB devices are supported under Linux, as well as much other
information.

I've only set up my USB scanner so far. I have an Epson Perfection 636U
(which is supported by the SANE program; see below)

Once I had properly set up a device node (I used /dev/usbscanner, as the
instructions suggest - altho later, the instructions inconsistently
refer to it as /dev/usb/scanner0), and set the proper permissions (chmod
a+rw /dev/usbscanner, so any user could access it), I went to install
SANE (this is the scanner support program). The SANE program is used for
either SCSI or USB scanners. I downloaded a tarball of the source, but
it wouldn't compile properly (I got errors), I downloaded and installed
an RPM of SANE from <http://www.rpmfind.net>. This worked easily.

Once I had edited the SANE epson.conf file, to point it at the node I
created (there's a conf file for many different manufacturers' products;
you uncomment your type of connection - SCSI or USB), the system was
able to see the scanner device (scanimage --list-device showed my
scanner). Then I made it available to the gimp program by making a link
to the xscanimage program in the gimp's plug-in directory (a word to the
wise - the documentation refers to the wrong location of the xscanimage
program - surprise, surprise :-) - xscanimage installs into /usr/bin,
not /usr/local/bin)

Once I did that, the gimp now had a new option - acquire image, from
epson:/dev/usbscanner. And damn if it didn't work! :-) The gimp scanned
my 8.5 x 11 in sample image (the cover of the latest Linux Journal). A
note - scanning the image seemed MUCH slower than using the same scanner
with the same image under Photoshop in my Win2K partition. Still, the
image came in properly.

So ... 1 device done. I still have a USB joystick to eventually use, and
- more importantly - a USB Epson 870 printer I'm gonna get to work.
Altho the USB printer docs are a lot skimper than the docs for USB
scanners. :-) Also, there's a way to enable "hot-plug" support.

Anyways ... the final points:

1. Get kernel 2.2.18.
2. USB support works properly with this version; no additional patching
needed.
3. The directions at the Linux-USB website work, altho you have to sift
thru the typos a bit.
3a. Check this website, to ensure that your device is supported under
Linux
4. The SANE program works as advertised, altho you may need (as I did)
to install as an RPM, and not a tarball.
5. The response speed was less than expected, but still MUCH faster than
a parallel port scanner. 

Just some quick pointers and info, in case anyone else is thinking of
doing this.

-- 
------------------------------------------------------------------
Michael J. Leone <mailto:turgon@mike-leone.com>
PGP Fingerprint: 0AA8 DC47 CB63 AE3F C739 6BF9 9AB4 1EF6 5AA5 BCDF



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