# XSane

> a GTK-based frontend for SANE that works either standalone or as a GIMP plugin

**Wikidata**: [Q4053335](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4053335)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/xsane

## Summary
XSane is a GTK-based frontend for SANE that works either standalone or as a GIMP plugin. It provides a user interface for controlling image scanners across multiple operating systems.

## Key Facts
- XSane is free and open-source software licensed under GNU General Public License, version 2.0 or later.
- The current version is 0.999, released on 2019-02-20.
- XSane uses GTK as its graphical user interface toolkit.
- It runs on multiple operating systems including Microsoft Windows, BSD, macOS, GNU/Hurd, and Linux.
- XSane is part of the Scanner Access Now Easy (SANE) project, providing a frontend to sane-backends.
- Source code is available at https://gitlab.com/sane-project/frontend/xsane.git.
- The project maintains an issue tracker at https://gitlab.com/sane-project/frontend/xsane/issues.
- It has been packaged for various Linux distributions including Ubuntu (package name: xsane), Gentoo (package name: media-gfx/xsane), and available via Homebrew.
- Written in the C programming language.
- Has a logo at https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/Xsane_Logo.png and an image at https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/XSane_0.998_ru.png.

## FAQs
### Q: What is XSane used for?
A: XSane is a graphical interface for controlling image scanners. It can be used as a standalone application or as a plugin within the GIMP image editor.

### Q: What operating systems support XSane?
A: XSane is cross-platform and runs on Microsoft Windows, BSD, macOS, GNU/Hurd, and Linux systems, with packages available for major distributions.

### Q: How is XSane licensed?
A: XSane is free and open-source software licensed under GNU General Public License, version 2.0 or later.

### Q: Where can I get the latest version of XSane?
A: The latest source code is available at the official GitLab repository: https://gitlab.com/sane-project/frontend/xsane.

### Q: How does XSane differ from similar scanner software?
A: XSane is specifically designed as a GTK-based frontend for the SANE project, distinguishing it from alternatives like sane-frontends and xscanimage. It offers unique integration with GIMP while also functioning as a standalone application.

## Why It Matters
XSane represents a significant piece of software infrastructure in the scanning ecosystem. As a cross-platform frontend for the SANE (Scanner Access Now Easy) project, it provides a standardized way for users to interact with diverse scanner hardware across multiple operating systems. The software's dual nature as both a standalone application and a GIMP plugin makes it particularly valuable to digital artists and photographers who need professional-grade scanning capabilities within their workflow. Its longevity, with development spanning from at least 2001 to the present, demonstrates its stability and importance in the free and open-source software community. XSane has enabled thousands of users to utilize their scanning hardware effectively, particularly on Linux systems where dedicated scanner software was historically limited.

## Notable For
- Being a GTK-based frontend for the SANE scanning project with over 15 years of development history.
- Functioning both as a standalone application and a plugin for the GIMP image editor.
- Supporting an unusually wide range of operating systems including BSD, macOS, Windows, and various Linux distributions.
- Having maintained active development since at least version 0.71 in 2001, with the current version 0.999 released in 2019.
- Being a crucial component in the SANE ecosystem, providing a user interface to the sane-backends that control scanner hardware.

## Body
### Origins and Development
XSane originated as a frontend for the SANE (Scanner Access Now Easy) project. The software has been in development since at least January 2001, with version 0.71 released on January 28, 2001. Version 0.97 was released on January 27, 2005, while the current version 0.999 was released on February 20, 2019.

### Technical Architecture
XSane is written in the C programming language and uses the GTK toolkit for its graphical user interface. It functions as a frontend to sane-backends, which provides the low-level communication with scanner hardware. The software is designed to work either as a standalone application or as a plugin for the GIMP image editor.

### Licensing and Distribution
XSane is free and open-source software, licensed under the GNU General Public License version 2.0 or later. The source code is hosted on GitLab at https://gitlab.com/sane-project/frontend/xsane.git, with issue tracking available at https://gitlab.com/sane-project/frontend/xsane/issues.

### Platform Support
XSane is cross-platform software that runs on multiple operating systems:
- Microsoft Windows
- BSD (including FreeBSD, OpenBSD, and NetBSD)
- macOS
- GNU/Hurd
- Linux (with packages available for Ubuntu, Gentoo, Homebrew, and Guix)

### Community and Recognition
XSane is recognized in the free software community and has been featured in various Linux distributions. It has 2 sitelinks and is mentioned in both English and Russian Wikipedia versions. The project is referenced in the Free Software Directory under entry "xsane."

## Schema Markup
```json
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "SoftwareApplication",
  "name": "XSane",
  "description": "A GTK-based frontend for SANE that works either standalone or as a GIMP plugin",
  "url": "https://gitlab.com/sane-project/frontend/xsane",
  "sameAs": [
    "https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7710876"
  ],
  "applicationCategory": "graphics software",
  "operatingSystem": [
    "Microsoft Windows",
    "BSD",
    "macOS",
    "GNU/Hurd",
    "Linux"
  ],
  "softwareVersion": "0.999",
  "releaseDate": "2019-02-20",
  "license": "GNU General Public License version 2.0 or later",
  "programmingLanguage": "C",
  "isAccessibleForFree": true,
  "offers": {
    "@type": "Offer",
    "price": "0"
  }
}

## References

1. Free Software Directory
2. [xsane-0.71 source available. 2001](http://www.sane-project.org/old-archive/2001-01/0304.html)
3. [SANE - Frontends (Applications)](http://www.sane-project.org/sane-frontends.html)
4. [Source](https://guix.gnu.org/packages/xsane-0.999/)