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Test a scanner connection with scanimage -L

Run scanimage -L to list scanners detected by SANE; the output shows the device name if your scanner is recognized and plugged in.

LinuxhardwarescannerDiagnosticsLow risk
Run `scanimage -L` in a terminal — if your scanner appears with a `device:` line, it is detected and ready.

01Command

Command
$ scanimage -L

02What it does

scanimage is the command-line front end of SANE (Scanner Access Now Easy), the standard Linux scanning stack that tools like Simple Scan use under the hood. `scanimage -L` probes every configured backend and prints each detected device. Most USB and many network scanners are supported; check the SANE hardware list for your model.

03Risk

RiskLow risk
Requirementssane-utils / sane-backends package
!Warning: If the list is empty, unplug and replug the USB cable, check that your user is in the `scanner` or `plugdev` group, or install the vendor's SANE backend. For network scanners, the scanner and PC usually need to be on the same subnet.

04Undo

✓No undo needed — this command does not change persistent state.

05Sources

Last verified: 2026-09-18 · Category: System & Settings

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