Avision AD130 USB-Scanner "device not found"

[Nachlese]

@Karlsson

the only thing odd i was able to notice after looking at a few folders is this:

the postinst has this instruction

test -L /usr/local/lib/sane/libsane-avision_adv.so.1 && rm -f /usr/local/lib/sane/libsane-avision_adv.so.1

No, it doesn’t - that is in the other file, the prerm - which on Debian systems is run when the package is removed
postinst → after installation
prerm → before removal
…

@Karlsson

but when i visit the folder /usr/local/lib/ it is empty. there is not even a sane folder in it to place the libsane-avision* link into; i even checked for invisible files.

Nothing odd about it
sane libraries are installed into /usr/lib and /usr/lib/sane - /usr/local/lib has other purposes
(look up the file system standard)

The lines in the postinst file can be read like:
check if the directory exists, if it does, create the symlink
if a directory does not exist - like /usr/lib/aarch64-linux-gnu - do noting
(it’s a generic script, /usr/lib/aarch64-linux-gnu for example, doesn’t exist on an amd64 system)

It’s not easy at the beginning to read the code and know what it does - practice makes perfect.

As I said:
At this point

@Nachlese

That was really all I could do from here.
Since I do not have the scanner I cannot test nor troubleshoot what the actual problem might be.

Since you mentioned using a VM …
you could install a Mint or Debian VM instead of Windows - the package is made for this system and your struggle is with converting it to fit the slight differences of Arch/Manjaro compared to Debian or Mint.

@Karlsson

i have yet to contact the manufacturer, maybe they have some ideas or suggestions of things to try.

I’d say: save your time and effort.
They will notice that you are not very familiar with what you are doing.
Or they are themselves not familiar with Arch or have never even used it and truly do not know.

But it could be that they are very nice people and you will get a helpful response.

What I did see in the .rpm version of the package:
the software is under GPL and the source code is therefore available.
They even reference a src.rpm in the package (in the file aptly called: SOURCERPM)

But it is not available from their web site - maybe it is, but I didn’t find it.
(I didn’t look very hard)

[Karlsson]

@Nachlese

that is in the other file, the prerm

oh i may have clicked the wrong file there

@Nachlese

you could install a Mint or Debian VM instead of Windows

i do intend to check with another linux distribution first but since i already have another little chipcard reader + proprietary software combination i am using that has been running way more reliably on the windows vm then on the ubuntu vm, i might just use the windows because otherwise i would have to juggle an additional vm.

again i want to say thanks for the both helpful and interesting lesson in package management. maybe one day i can return a favor!