Using GDebi to Install tar.gz or RPM Files?

[MatthewSchenker]

Hello,
I'm trying to get my Epson Perfection V200 scanner running, and the drivers are only available as RPM or tar.gz files. I have heard from members here that there might be a way to install these using GDebi. However, GDebi seems to only recognize Deb files.

Can anyone tell me how to get GDebi to recognize RPM or tar.gz files? I'm in a desperate situation, as I need to get this scanner working, so I appreciate any help I can get.

Thanks,
Matt

[dibl]

Re: Using GDebi to Install tar.gz or RPM Files?

As in everything else with Linux, there are (at least) two routes to take on this. Best and first would be to download the tar.gz file to your desktop, then right-click it, choose "extract here" and observe that it will create a folder on your desktop. In that folder will be the executables, and hopefully a "readme" file that will provide some instruction on how to run the installer, which may be a ".bin" or ".run" or some file type like that.

The alternate route is to install the package "alien", and then download the .rpm file and use alien to convert it to a .deb file. Then you can right-click the .deb file, choose "Install with Gdebi", and (theoretically) it will be installed.

Good luck with it!

[MatthewSchenker]

Re: Using GDebi to Install tar.gz or RPM Files?

dibl,
I already used alien, and successfully converted the tar.gz file into a Debian file. Excited, I then ran GDebi, and it successfully installed the Deb file! Hurray!

I restarted my system, and that's when my mood dropped. When I tried to use the scanner either in Gwenview or Kooka, it tells me there is no scanning device available.

This problem is starting to have the same sensation as the ongoing problems with wireless file sharing. I can deal with not having file sharing, but not being able to scan is a killer.

[dibl]

Re: Using GDebi to Install tar.gz or RPM Files?

Is that a newer model Epson scanner? I have a Perfection 1640SU, which is a few years old, and it works flawlessly.

Does your scanner show up on the bus when you do

lspci

?

[MatthewSchenker]

Re: Using GDebi to Install tar.gz or RPM Files?

Is that a newer model Epson scanner? I have a Perfection 1640SU, which is a few years old, and it works flawlessly.

It's an Epson Perfection V200 Photo. I bought it a couple of weeks ago, but I believe it has been on the market for a while.

Does your scanner show up on the bus when you do

lspci

?

I'm not sure. Here's the output of that command:

matthew@Main:~$ lspci
00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation 82845G/GL[Brookdale-G]/GE/PE DRAM Controller/Host-Hub Interface (rev 03)
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation 82845G/GL[Brookdale-G]/GE Chipset Integrated Graphics Device (rev 03)
00:1d.0 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801DB/DBL/DBM (ICH4/ICH4-L/ICH4-M) USB UHCI Controller #1 (rev 02)
00:1d.1 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801DB/DBL/DBM (ICH4/ICH4-L/ICH4-M) USB UHCI Controller #2 (rev 02)
00:1d.2 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801DB/DBL/DBM (ICH4/ICH4-L/ICH4-M) USB UHCI Controller #3 (rev 02)
00:1d.7 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801DB/DBM (ICH4/ICH4-M) USB2 EHCI Controller (rev 02)
00:1e.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801 PCI Bridge (rev 82)
00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corporation 82801DB/DBL (ICH4/ICH4-L) LPC Interface Bridge (rev 02)
00:1f.1 IDE interface: Intel Corporation 82801DB (ICH4) IDE Controller (rev 02)
00:1f.3 SMBus: Intel Corporation 82801DB/DBL/DBM (ICH4/ICH4-L/ICH4-M) SMBus Controller (rev 02)
02:02.0 Ethernet controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL-8139/8139C/8139C+ (rev 10)
02:09.0 Multimedia audio controller: C-Media Electronics Inc CM8738 (rev 10)
matthew@Main:~$