[TUHS] Help Scanning UNIX V5-V7 Manuals

[Cameron Míċeál Tyre via TUHS]

Hello, Yufeng,

Try using either a standalone scanning app on a smartphone such as Camscanner or a smartphone which has that ability built into its camera app such as a Samsung.

If you use trial and error to get the lighting correct and, possibly, use a simple framework or support for the smartphone, you should achieve consistent results.

I used to use the CamScanner app but since moving to a Samsung smartphone, for work, I can simply use the camera app which comes with the phone. Correction for angle of document, correction of detected edge(s) and, with Samsung camera app, even OCR is catered for.

Here: https://ibb.co/Kj88mxsV
Is the result for a small, A6, soft card which was not perfectly flat and with the smartphone merely held by hand. With proper planning, lighting and set-up, an improved result can be achieved. I once copied an entire technical document for a locomotive, whilst onboard the locomotive and with no pre-planning, and the results were acceptable.

Best wishes,

Cameron



-------- Original Message --------
On Wednesday, 04/15/26 at 13:44 Yufeng Gao via TUHS <tuhs at tuhs.org> wrote:
Hi,

I've borrowed these UNIX manuals (full V5-V7) from Prof. Ian Hayes, to have
them preserved.

https://thebrokenpipe.com/uploads/unix_manuals.jpg

They're from UNSW and are slightly different compared to the existing
scans/troff sources. Does anyone know if there's any way to scan these? These
are bound books, which makes them difficult to scan as they do not lay flat on
flatbed scanners or work at all with auto document feed. Given these aren't
mine and I need to return them, I cannot scan them destructively.

Would appreciate any pointers/tips.

Sincerely,
Yufeng