sane (xsane) access to laserjet pro mfp m281fdw

Hello and happy new year,

Here is my problem:
================
My new HP Color LaserJet MFP M281fdw is *not* yet supported by the latest hplip version (3.17.11).
hpsetup does not find the printer even though I specify the network address of the printer.
Connecting the printer through the USB interface does not help.
-------
Nevertheless, I succesfully installed the printer from the cups web interface, using the driver
of the similar model "HP Color LaserJet MFP M277dw. Print quality is excellent and most (all?)
printing options seem to be properly handled. I definitely do not need more.
-------
Unfortunately, I was less happy with the mfp scanner which is not detected by sane. I used hp-plugin
to download and install the proper hp plugin but "scanimage -L" still cannot see the scanner
(either connected with a USB cable or networked).
-------
Now my questions:
================
1) Since my MFP ( HP m281fdw) seems to be very similar to the older (HP m277dw), is there any way
to force the sane backend (hpaio?) to access the device as if it was a m277dw ???
(note that I do not care about fax capabilities for now!)

2) If answer to question 1 is "NO", is there any chance for "HP m281fdw" to be supported
by next hplip release? Otherwise I will need to replace the printer as soon as possible :-(((.

Summary of my configuration:
========================
Printer Model: HP Color LaserJet MFP M281fdw
Debian 9.3 with hplip-3.16.11 by default.
Important: installing hplip-3.17.11 on another computer did not helped

Sorry for my poor English writing. I am more comfortable with French and Italian.
Thank you very much for your help.

hp-check output:
==============

Saving output in log file: /home/serge/hp-check.log

HP Linux Imaging and Printing System (ver. 3.16.11)
Dependency/Version Check Utility ver. 15.1

Copyright (c) 2001-15 HP Development Company, LP
This software comes with ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY.
This is free software, and you are welcome to distribute it
under certain conditions. See COPYING file for more details.

Note: hp-check can be run in three modes:
1. Compile-time check mode (-c or --compile): Use this mode before compiling the HPLIP supplied tarball (.tar.gz or
.run) to determine if the proper dependencies are installed to successfully compile HPLIP.
2. Run-time check mode (-r or --run): Use this mode to determine if a distro supplied package (.deb, .rpm, etc) or an
already built HPLIP supplied tarball has the proper dependencies installed to successfully run.
3. Both compile- and run-time check mode (-b or --both) (Default): This mode will check both of the above cases (both
compile- and run-time dependencies).

Check types:
a. EXTERNALDEP - External Dependencies
b. GENERALDEP - General Dependencies (required both at compile and run time)
c. COMPILEDEP - Compile time Dependencies
d. [All are run-time checks]
PYEXT SCANCONF QUEUES PERMISSION

Status Types:
    OK
    MISSING - Missing Dependency or Permission or Plug-in
    INCOMPAT - Incompatible dependency-version or Plugin-version

warning: 2-9.3 version is not supported. Using 2-8.6 versions dependencies to verify and install...

---------------
| SYSTEM INFO |
---------------

 Kernel: 4.9.0-4-amd64 #1 SMP Debian 4.9.65-3+deb9u1 (2017-12-23) GNU/Linux
 Host: aspire
 Proc: 4.9.0-4-amd64 #1 SMP Debian 4.9.65-3+deb9u1 (2017-12-23) GNU/Linux
 Distribution: 2 9.3
 Bitness: 64 bit

-----------------------
| HPLIP CONFIGURATION |
-----------------------

HPLIP-Version: HPLIP 3.16.11
HPLIP-Home: /usr/share/hplip
warning: HPLIP-Installation: Auto installation is not supported for 2 distro 9.3 version

Current contents of '/etc/hp/hplip.conf' file:
# hplip.conf. Generated from hplip.conf.in by configure.

[hplip]
version=3.16.11

[dirs]
home=/usr/share/hplip
run=/var/run
ppd=/usr/share/ppd/hplip/HP
ppdbase=/usr/share/ppd/hplip
doc=/usr/share/doc/hplip
html=/usr/share/doc/hplip-doc
icon=no
cupsbackend=/usr/lib/cups/backend
cupsfilter=/usr/lib/cups/filter
drv=/usr/share/cups/drv
bin=/usr/bin
apparmor=/etc/apparmor.d
# Following values are determined at configure time and cannot be changed.
[configure]
network-build=yes
libusb01-build=no
pp-build=yes
gui-build=yes
scanner-build=yes
fax-build=yes
dbus-build=yes
cups11-build=no
doc-build=yes
shadow-build=no
hpijs-install=yes
foomatic-drv-install=yes
foomatic-ppd-install=yes
foomatic-rip-hplip-install=no
hpcups-install=yes
cups-drv-install=yes
cups-ppd-install=no
internal-tag=3.16.11
restricted-build=no
ui-toolkit=qt5
qt3=no
qt4=no
qt5=yes
policy-kit=yes
lite-build=no
udev_sysfs_rules=no
hpcups-only-build=no
hpijs-only-build=no
apparmor_build=no

Current contents of '/var/lib/hp/hplip.state' file:
[plugin]
installed = 1
eula = 1
version = 3.16.11

Current contents of '~/.hplip/hplip.conf' file:
[commands]
scan = /usr/bin/simple-scan %SANE_URI%

[fax]
email_address =
voice_phone =

[installation]
date_time = 12/30/17 17:29:15
version = 3.16.11

[last_used]
device_uri = net:nas117:epson2:libusb:003:002
printer_name = Photosmart_D7400_lip
working_dir = .

[polling]
device_list =
enable = false
interval = 5

[refresh]
enable = false
rate = 30
type = 1

[settings]
systray_messages = 0
systray_visible = 0

[upgrade]
last_upgraded_time = 1513899002
notify_upgrade = false
pending_upgrade_time = 0

 <Package-name> <Package-Desc> <Required/Optional> <Min-Version> <Installed-Version> <Status> <Comment>

----------------------
| Scan Configuration |
----------------------

 scanext Scan-SANE-Extension REQUIRED - 3.16.11 OK -
'/etc/sane.d/dll.d/hpaio' not found.
 hpaio HPLIP-SANE-Backend REQUIRED - 3.16.11 OK 'hpaio found in /etc/sane.d/dll.conf'

---------------------
| Python Extentions |
---------------------

 cupsext CUPS-Extension REQUIRED - 3.16.11 OK -
 hpmudext IO-Extension REQUIRED - 3.16.11 OK -

-------------------------
| External Dependencies |
-------------------------

 dbus DBus - Message bus system REQUIRED - 1.10.24 OK -
 scanimage scanimage - Shell scanning program OPTIONAL 1.0 1.0.25 OK -
 cups CUPS - Common Unix Printing System REQUIRED 1.1 2.2.1 OK 'CUPS Scheduler is running'
 error: avahi-utils avahi-utils OPTIONAL - - MISSING 'avahi-utils needs to be installed'
 policykit PolicyKit - Administrative policy framework OPTIONAL - 0.105 OK -
 gs GhostScript - PostScript and PDF language interpreter and previewer REQUIRED 7.05 9.20 OK -
 network network -wget OPTIONAL - 1.18 OK -
 xsane xsane - Graphical scanner frontend for SANE OPTIONAL 0.9 0.999 OK -

--------------
| COMPILEDEP |
--------------

 libtool libtool - Library building support services REQUIRED - 2.4.6 OK -
 make make - GNU make utility to maintain groups of programs REQUIRED 3.0 4.1 OK -
 gcc gcc - GNU Project C and C++ Compiler REQUIRED - 6.3.0 OK -

------------------------
| General Dependencies |
------------------------

 libcrypto libcrypto - OpenSSL cryptographic library REQUIRED - 1.1.0 OK -
 libnetsnmp-devel libnetsnmp-devel - SNMP networking library development files REQUIRED 5.0.9 5.7.3 OK -
 python3-reportlab Reportlab - PDF library for Python OPTIONAL 2.0 3.3.0 OK -
 cups-devel CUPS devel- Common Unix Printing System development files REQUIRED - 2.2.1 OK -
 cups-image CUPS image - CUPS image development files REQUIRED - 2.2.1 OK -
 python3-dbus Python DBus - Python bindings for DBus REQUIRED 0.80.0 1.2.4 OK -
 libusb libusb - USB library REQUIRED - 1.0 OK -
 sane SANE - Scanning library REQUIRED - - OK -
 python3X Python 2.2 or greater - Python programming language REQUIRED 2.2 3.5.3 OK -
 python3-notify2 Python libnotify - Python bindings for the libnotify Desktop notifications OPTIONAL - - OK -
 python3-pyqt4 PyQt 4- Qt interface for Python (for Qt version 4.x) REQUIRED 4.0 4.11.4 OK -
 error: python3-pyqt4-dbus PyQt 4 DBus - DBus Support for PyQt4 OPTIONAL 4.0 4.11.4 MISSING 'python3-pyqt4-dbus needs to be installed'
 libpthread libpthread - POSIX threads library REQUIRED - b'2.24' OK -
 python3-pil PIL - Python Imaging Library (required for commandline scanning with hp-scan) OPTIONAL - 1.1.7 OK -
 python3-xml Python XML libraries REQUIRED - 2.2.0 OK -
 python3-devel Python devel - Python development files REQUIRED 2.2 3.5.3 OK -
 libjpeg libjpeg - JPEG library REQUIRED - - OK -
 sane-devel SANE - Scanning library development files REQUIRED - - OK -

------------------------------
| DISCOVERED SCANNER DEVICES |
------------------------------

device `net:nas117:epson2:libusb:003:002' is a Epson Perfection1240 flatbed scanner

--------------------------
| DISCOVERED USB DEVICES |
--------------------------

No devices found.

---------------------------------
| INSTALLED CUPS PRINTER QUEUES |
---------------------------------

centralized_queue
-----------------
Type: Unknown
Device URI: smb://SRV-PRINT1/PR-CANON-PS
PPD: /etc/cups/ppd/centralized_queue.ppd
warning: Failed to read /etc/cups/ppd/centralized_queue.ppd ppd file
PPD Description:
Printer status: printer centralized_queue is idle. enabled since mer 15 nov 2017 16:15:03 CET
warning: Printer is not HPLIP installed. Printers must use the hp: or hpfax: CUPS backend for HP-Devices.

HP_HP_ColorLaserJet_MFP_M278-M281
---------------------------------
Type: Unknown
Device URI: dnssd://HP%20Color%20LaserJet%20MFP%20M281fdw%20(373FF0)._ipp._tcp.local/?uuid=564e424e-4b39-4347-375a-48ba4e373ff0
PPD: /etc/cups/ppd/HP_HP_ColorLaserJet_MFP_M278-M281.ppd
warning: Failed to read /etc/cups/ppd/HP_HP_ColorLaserJet_MFP_M278-M281.ppd ppd file
PPD Description:
Printer status: printer HP_HP_ColorLaserJet_MFP_M278-M281 is idle. enabled since jeu 28 déc 2017 22:56:30 CET
warning: Printer is not HPLIP installed. Printers must use the hp: or hpfax: CUPS backend for HP-Devices.

test_canon
----------
Type: Unknown
Device URI: smb://SRV-PRINT1/PR-CANON-PS
PPD: /etc/cups/ppd/test_canon.ppd
warning: Failed to read /etc/cups/ppd/test_canon.ppd ppd file
PPD Description:
Printer status: printer test_canon is idle. enabled since ven 17 nov 2017 00:11:05 CET
warning: Printer is not HPLIP installed. Printers must use the hp: or hpfax: CUPS backend for HP-Devices.

test_ps
-------
Type: Unknown
Device URI: smb://SRV-PRINT1/PR-CANON-PS
PPD: /etc/cups/ppd/test_ps.ppd
warning: Failed to read /etc/cups/ppd/test_ps.ppd ppd file
PPD Description:
Printer status: printer test_ps is idle. enabled since mar 14 nov 2017 20:32:12 CET
warning: Printer is not HPLIP installed. Printers must use the hp: or hpfax: CUPS backend for HP-Devices.

--------------
| PERMISSION |
--------------

-----------
| SUMMARY |
-----------

Missing Required Dependencies
-----------------------------
None

Missing Optional Dependencies
-----------------------------
error: 'avahi-utils' package is missing/incompatible
error: 'python3-dbus.mainloop.qt' package is missing/incompatible

Total Errors: 2
Total Warnings: 4