# Install xsane with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, zypper Graphical scanning frontend. Version 0.999 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:xsane ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install xsane ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata - MacPorts (94%): ```sh sudo port install xsane ``` Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: graphics/xsane/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Linux - apk (92%): ```sh sudo apk add xsane ``` Evidence: Alpine Linux edge package indexes: xsane from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install xsane ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: xsane from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz - dnf (92%): ```sh sudo dnf install xsane ``` Evidence: Fedora Rawhide package metadata: xsane from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#xsane ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/xs/xsane/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - zypper (92%): ```sh sudo zypper install xsane ``` Evidence: openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: xsane from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:xsane - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 0.999 - **Source summary:** Graphical scanning frontend - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** GPL-2.0-or-later - **Source archive:** - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - xsane (cli) - xsane (alias) ## Dependencies - at-spi2-core - cairo - gdk-pixbuf - gettext - glib - gtk+ - harfbuzz - jpeg-turbo - libpng - libtiff - pango - sane-backends ## Build dependencies - pkgconf ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Bottle: available on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 0.999 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://gitlab.com/sane-project/frontend/xsane - info: No package-manager update timestamp was available. - info: Release/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories. ## Project history and usage XSane is Oliver Rauch's graphical scanning frontend for SANE, the Scanner Access Now Easy stack. It is a GTK/X11-style application for acquiring scanned images, saving files, making copies, building multipage documents, sending fax or e-mail output, and using scanning from GIMP. ### Project history XSane grew out of the SANE architecture, which deliberately separates frontends from scanner backends. The official XSane documentation emphasizes that XSane itself does not support scanners directly; it uses the SANE library, while scanner support belongs to sane-backends. The upstream GitLab tag history reaches from early 0.x releases through 0.999, and SANE mailing-list archives show XSane release traffic by 2001. The project became one of the classic full-featured Linux scanning GUIs before simpler desktop frontends such as Simple Scan became common defaults. ### Adoption history XSane was adopted because it exposed much of SANE's backend power in a graphical interface: preview, scan options, color correction, batch scanning, copy workflows, multipage output, fax and e-mail modes, and GIMP integration. That made it attractive to users who needed more than a one-button scanner dialog. Distribution packaging spread it widely across Unix-like systems. The Free Software Directory describes it as a GTK-based X11 frontend for SANE that works standalone or as a GIMP plugin, and package metadata still carries it in Homebrew, Debian, Fedora, Alpine, MacPorts, Nix, Ubuntu, and openSUSE ecosystems. ### How it is used In practice, users launch `xsane`, choose a SANE device, preview the scan area, adjust backend-specific options, and save to image/document formats or route output into copy, fax, e-mail, multipage, or GIMP workflows. Troubleshooting usually crosses the frontend/backend boundary. The XSane documentation tells users that scanner-detection and hardware behavior problems normally belong to the SANE backend, not to XSane itself, which is an important packaging distinction when debugging scanner support. ### Why package nerds care XSane is a package-nerd reminder that old desktop utilities often encode a clean Unix split: frontend package, backend driver stack, optional plugin integration, and external tools for print/mail/fax output. It also preserves the power-user side of Linux scanning. Even when lighter frontends are the default, XSane remains useful because it exposes detailed scan controls and workflows that package repositories can keep available independently of a desktop environment. ### Timeline - 1996: SANE begins as the scanner API/backend architecture that XSane later uses. - 2001: SANE mailing-list archives show active XSane release discussion, including XSane 0.77. - 2000s: XSane becomes a common GTK/X11 graphical SANE frontend and GIMP acquisition plugin. - 2015: Upstream tag history reaches XSane 0.999. - 2020s: XSane remains packaged as a mature SANE frontend across Unix-like package managers. ### Related projects - SANE backends provide the scanner drivers XSane talks to. - scanimage is the command-line SANE frontend for scriptable scanning. - Simple Scan / GNOME Document Scanner is a simpler graphical SANE frontend. - Skanlite is KDE's SANE-based scanning frontend. - GIMP can use XSane as an image-acquisition plugin. ### Sources - - - - - ## Security Notes narrow executable package without higher-risk signals. - **Geiger risk:** green / low - narrow executable package without higher-risk signals ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** xsane - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 7 - **Head Version:** HEAD - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** head, stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - Debian apt - xsane - 0.999-12.2: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: xsane from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | featureful graphical frontend for SANE (Scanner Access Now Easy) - Debian apt - xsane-common - 0.999-12.2: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: xsane-common from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | xsane architecture independent files - Nix - xsane: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/xs/xsane/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Ubuntu apt - xsane - 0.999-12ubuntu4: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: xsane from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | featureful graphical frontend for SANE (Scanner Access Now Easy) - Ubuntu apt - xsane-common - 0.999-12ubuntu4: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: xsane-common from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | xsane architecture independent files - apk - xsane - 0.999-r2: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: xsane from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Graphical SANE frontend | http://www.xsane.org/ - apk - xsane-doc - 0.999-r2: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: xsane-doc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Graphical SANE frontend (documentation) | http://www.xsane.org/ - apk - xsane-lang - 0.999-r2: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: xsane-lang from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Languages for package xsane | http://www.xsane.org/ - dnf - xsane - 0.999-80.fc44: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: xsane from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | X Window System front-end for the SANE scanner interface | http://www.xsane.org/ - dnf - xsane-common - 0.999-80.fc44: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: xsane-common from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | Common files for xsane packages | http://www.xsane.org/ - zypper - xsane - 0.999-8.1: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: xsane from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst | A GTK-Based Graphical Scanning Front-End for SANE | http://www.xsane.org/ - MacPorts - xsane: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: graphics/xsane/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## Related links - [Terminal utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/terminal-utilities/) - Matched terminal and command-line workflow metadata. - [Networking and protocol packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/networking-protocol-tools/) - Matched network, protocol, or remote-service metadata. - [Media and graphics packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/media-graphics-tools/) - Matched media, image, audio, video, or graphics metadata. - [Web development packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/web-dev-tools/) - Matched web development metadata. - [cairo](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/cairo/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [gdk-pixbuf](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/gdk-pixbuf/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [gettext](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/gettext/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [glib](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/glib/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [gtk+](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/gtk/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [harfbuzz](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/harfbuzz/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [jpeg-turbo](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/jpeg-turbo/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [pkgconf](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/pkgconf/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [djview4](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/djview4/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, gui, media. - [easy-tag](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/easy-tag/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, gtk, media. - [geeqie](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/geeqie/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, gtk, media. - [lutgen](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/lutgen/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, gui, media. - [minidjvu](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/minidjvu/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, media, scanner. - [mplayershell](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/mplayershell/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, frontend, media. - [nip4](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/nip4/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, gui, media. - [graphviz](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/graphviz/) - Local package facts share a topical domain. Shared terms: cairo, cli, gdk, gdk-pixbuf, gettext. - [patchpal](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/patchpal/) - Local package facts share a topical domain. Shared terms: cairo, cli, frontend, gdk, gdk-pixbuf. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/xsane.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/xsane.yml) ## Sources - Nucleus package database - Geiger risk classifier - package-page enrichment - curated package history - package version freshness - av.db category and tag curation - package relationship graph - external package-manager database matches - cross-ecosystem install command graph