Umax Astra 1220U in Mavericks?

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Level 2

256 points

Umax Astra 1220U in Mavericks?

Is it possible to continue to use a Umax Astra 1220U scanner in OS 10.9?

The scanner is a hand-me-down. If it came with software, the software would have been obsolete long ago.

For years now I have been using Mattias Ellert’s backends from http://www.ellert.se/twain-sane/. They used to work most of the time.

Apparently these backends do not work with 10.9. The latest editions of VueScan and Image Capture report that they cannot find the scanner.

The VueScan website (http://www.hamrick.com/vuescan/vuescan.htm#umax) does not list the Astra 1220U as one of the scanner that VueScan supports.

I did find an old webpage (http://umax1220u-sane.sourceforge.net) containing many SANE drivers for the Astra 1220U. I downloaded the folder. One of the files therein is entitled, “UmaxAstra1220u.” Information reports that it is a “Document.” I don’t know if that document will do any good and, if so, where to put it.

I do not really need to replace the scanner otherwise; it works well enough for my purposes.

Does anyone have any ideas for how to get a Umax Astra 1220U going in 10.9?

TIA

Mac mini (Mid 2010), OS X Mavericks (10.9)

Posted on Oct 29, 2013 11:09 AM

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Answer 1

R_55a Author

Level 2

256 points

Dec 12, 2013 12:46 PM in response to R_55a

Since my previous posting, Mr. Ellert has published new backends. The current version is 3.2. I downloaded and installed his files, but my computer still won't see the Astra 1220U scanner.

I found somewhere online an instruction to add the scanner in the "Printer & Scanner" System Preference. But my System Preferences does not see the scanner.

In contrast the SANE System Preference does seem to show the driver installed:

Does anyone have any ideas on how to get this scanner to talk to my computer?

TIA

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Answer 2

R_55a Author

Level 2

256 points

Dec 13, 2013 12:36 PM in response to R_55a

I have followed Mr. Ellert's recomendation to use Terminal:

Start the Terminal application (it should be located in the Utilities folder within the Applications folder), then type in the Terminal window the command:

scanimage > test.pnm

Terminal does scan my documents. But Terminal is rather limited as a scanning application. My scanner won't work with Image Capture or Vue Scan. Both of those applications report that they cannot find the scanner. And the "Printer & Scanner" Preference does not see the scanner, either.

Any gueses as to how to get a proper scanner application to see the scanner?

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Answer 3

R_55a Author

Level 2

256 points

Dec 26, 2013 11:11 AM in response to R_55a

Update. In Terminal I tried "scanimage -L" and got this:

Last login: Thu Dec 26 12:20:10 on ttys000

unknown60334b1bf8c6:~ richardgilpin$ scanimage -L

device `umax1220u:libusb:004:002' is a UMAX Astra 1220U flatbed scanner

unknown60334b1bf8c6:~ richardgilpin$

I do not know much about these matters. Does anyone know how to get System Preferences, Image Capture, or Vue Scan to see the scanner?

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