Epson

From openSUSE

The diagram below represents the components involved in the scanner installation.

Scanner diagram

1. The higher layer is the end-user application. You can use several applications as Xsane that cames with OpenSuSE.

2. Then we have the SANE that also came with OpenSuSE. They are the APIs that will be used by the end-user application.

3. Then we have snapscan, the SANE backend device that also came with OpenSuSE. snapscan is good for most Epson scanners.

4. Then we have the libusb that also came with OpenSuSE. This is the communication with USB

5. And finally most scanners need to receive a firmware, uploaded from OpenSuSE every time they start.
This is Epson proprietary binary data and is being delivered with the iscan-firmware, also for the 64-bits architecure x86-64.

The Epson Perfection 3490 Photo use the esfw52.bin firmware.
Use YaST Hardware Scanner to setup snapscan. Shoud be easy if your scanner was recognized by the OpenSuSE USB hotplug.

After that, the first trick is that the esfw52.bin firmware delivered by iscan-firmware package is delivered on /usr/share/iscan and snapscan need it at /usr/share/sane/snapscan, so you need to copy it there by yourself.

The second trick is that you need to edit the snapscan.conf (on /etc/sane.d) and correct the firmware line. Right in the begin of the config.
Then test with scanimage command and you should be read to use Xsane.