xsane docs missing at /usr/share/doc/xsane-common/html/sane-xsane-doc.html.

[Duncan Lithgow]

Binary package hint: xsane

Ubuntu 8.10
xsane 0.995-3ubuntu2

Open xsane from 'Applications > Graphics > Xsane Image Scanner' and try to load the docs at 'Help > Xsane docs'. I get:

 Firefox can't find the file at /usr/share/doc/xsane-common/html/sane-scantips-doc.html.

This entry as well as Backend docs, Available backends, Problems? and Scan tips all fail to load with the same error. A simple search of my system does not turn up these documents.

[mado (maura-dot)]

SOLVED:

download files from http://www.xsane.org/doc/sane-xsane-doc.html (with downthemall extension for firefox)
copy as root into /usr/share/doc/xsane-common/html
create a new group called xsane (and add all users)
change permissions to allow xsane group reading files in /usr/share/doc/xsane-common/html
that's all

[Duncan Lithgow (duncan-lithgow)]

@mado, I think it's normal that all the documentation for installed applications is part of a distribution whenever possible.

[Andre (asharpe2)]

This affects me too. I'd expect that the help docs would be part of the distribution package, or on an http link. Thanks.

[Jonathan Paugh (jpaugh)]

The help docs for xsane are in a separate package, named xsane-doc. Use Synaptic or aptitude to install it. Some program packages "depend" on their corresponding doc package, making it mandatory to install the documentation. xsane, however, does not.

[Duncan Lithgow (duncan-lithgow)]

I've started a brainstorm idea to help solve this problem of missing documentation which inexperienced users can't find. See http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/idea/23920/

[Benjamin Kerensa (bkerensa)]

Thank you for reporting this bug to Ubuntu. DISTRO reached EOL on DATE.
Please see this document for currently supported Ubuntu releases:
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Releases

I've tried recreating this bug with DISTRO and was unable to, given the information you've provided. Please either a) upgrade and test or b) increase the verbosity of the steps to recreate it so we can try again.

Please feel free to report any other bugs you may find.