Get Epson iScan to work in Ubuntu with a networked/wireless scanner

epson-iscan-networked-scanner.md

If you see this error upon starting iScan aka "Image Scan for Linux":

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

It means the iScan couldn't find the scanner. This happens often if it's not connected via USB, but lives in a wireless network for instance.

Do the following:

cd /etc/sane.d/
sudo gedit dll.conf

This will open the main configuration file for the SANE dynamic backend loader.

Ensure these entries are listed and uncommented inside the configuration file:

epkowa net

Take note of any other entries referencing Epson. Having them commented or uncommented can help troubleshooting later if iScan can't still connect.

Ensure that /etc/sane.d/epkowa.conf is properly configured. Normally you could use net autodiscovery value but that might not work:

net autodiscovery

If that doesn't work you need to assign a fixed IP to the scanner unit and add it like so in the epkowa.conf configuration file:

net 192.168.xx.xx

Note that this is obviously an example address. It's normally a local address value.

Save the files and check if now iScan connects. If you still have issues ensure you have downloaded the latest drivers from Epson: http://download.ebz.epson.net/dsc/search/01/search/.

You can also try commenting/uncommenting other Epson values from the dll.conf file.

Just leaving it here for people possibly having the same problem as me (running kubuntu 18.04 LTS):

I succesfully installed the drivers from epson's website including the plugins for my Epson Perfection v370 Photo scanner. When I launch iscan, it says "Could not send command to scanner. Check the scanner status".

A few hours after, here's all the steps I took to find a solution:

• My scanner is not recognised with lsusb
• It is though with sane-find-scanner
• no luck with scanimage -L
• In /etc/sane.d/dll.conf
  * No "epkowa" lister in dll.conf --> added the line
  * uncommented "epson", tried commenting "epson2" and "epsonds"
• In /etc/sane.d/epkowa.conf added `usb --> nothing happens (namely 0x04b8 0x014a)
• In /etc/sane.d/epson.conf and epson2.conf added the same line. Now I'm really unsure whether those commands are appropriate. Possibly not at all! Anyway, it didn't work.
• Tried lechndo's advice and moved epkowa libs to the new folder, created a symlink.
• stumbled upon this thread where someone asks what happens with sudo xsane. I try it and my scanner is recognised! I get a scary message about using xsane with super user rights though. So I immediately close xsane and try sudo iscan. PROBLEM SOLVED!

So after all this, the problem seems to be that I somehow don't have the rights to use the scanner. If someone knows how I can change this, I'd be glad cause I get the feeling sudo iscan is as "dangerous" as sudo xsane... ?

Bugger!
I thought my Perfection VS500 was knackered, so I bought a little portable scanner.
Whilst waiting for it to arrive, I gave the suggestion on this thread a try (I actually used the Root File Manager GUI and just copied the files (all 3 of them) in /usr/lib/sane to /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/sane/ - just in case they change it back again in another update), and the damn thing woke up, yawned, and started scanning again.
Thank you for that.
Anybody want a portable scanner that hasn't arrived yet?.....

GettingNowhere: this helped me with my new Epson XP-900 scanner after 10 hours painfull hardwork... thanks...

p.s. sorry for my english

lechndo: It did work on my Ubuntu 18.04 LTS installation as well. Thanks a lot!

Followed these instructions for my Epson XP-860. Worked flawlessly the first time.
Note that the "net autodiscovery" did nor work for me and I had to use the fixed IP address with the default port.
So: thanks

Scanning through WiFi on newer Epson scanners (e.g. XP-342) requires utsushi backend (as opposed to net or epkowa). It is available in imagescan v3 AFAIK (some distros package it separately, e.g. Gentoo has iscan-plugin-network-nt package that must be installed separately).
Once you have it, make sure it is added to /etc/sane.d/dll.conf:

utsushi

Then you need to create /etc/utsushi/utsushi.conf with description of your scanner. It should look like that:

[devices]
scanner.udi = esci:networkscan://<IP>:1865
scanner.vendor = Epson
scanner.model = Your-Model

Actually only udi is required and you can omit vendor and model.

After that your scanner should be discoverable:

$ scanimage -L
device `utsushi:esci:networkscan://<IP>:1865' is a <your scanner vendor and model>

for those interested, more stuff here:
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/SANE/Scanner-specific_problems#Driver-Backends

Now, on my end I am using a wireless scanner, and it has a scan button.
I'd really like to know how I can make use of the scan button with imagescan

I read there is a service called Epson Network Monitor supposed to trigger the software when the button is pressed, but I don't see a linux version or any info about this service.
If anyone knows anything about this, I'd love to figure this out.

thank you for this guide,

in my case, just replace any reference of epkowa with epson2 and then use xsane

Tested on opensuse tumbleweed

For my Epson ET-2750 i used the epsonds backend with fixed IP address.