xsane and gimp packages need updating

For diagnostic purposes please provide the output that you receive for the following commands

uname -a
lsb_release -crid
apt-cache policy libgimp2.0 libgegl-0.4-0 libopenexr23 libopenexr24
sudo dpkg --audit

I sense a PPA

rjf-ThinkPad-P1:~$ uname -a
Linux rjf-ThinkPad-P1 5.4.0-81-generic #91-Ubuntu SMP Thu Jul 15 19:09:17 UTC
2021 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux
rjf-ThinkPad-P1:~$ lsb_release -crid
Distributor ID: Ubuntu
Description: Ubuntu 20.04.2 LTS
Release: 20.04
Codename: focal
rjf-ThinkPad-P1:~$ apt-cache policy libgimp2.0 libgegl-0.4-0 libopenexr23
libopenexr24
libgimp2.0:
  Installed: (none)
  Candidate: 2.10.18-1
  Version table:
     2.10.18-1 500
        500 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal/universe amd64 Packages
     2.10.14+om-1ubu20.04.7~ppa 500
        500 http://ppa.launchpad.net/otto-kesselgulasch/gimp/ubuntu focal/main
amd64 Packages
libgegl-0.4-0:
  Installed: (none)
  Candidate: 1:0.4.18+om-0ubu20.04.18~ppa
  Version table:
     1:0.4.18+om-0ubu20.04.18~ppa 500
        500 http://ppa.launchpad.net/otto-kesselgulasch/gimp/ubuntu focal/main
amd64 Packages
     0.4.22-3 500
        500 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal/universe amd64 Packages
libopenexr23:
  Installed: (none)
  Candidate: (none)
  Version table:
libopenexr24:
  Installed: 2.3.0-6ubuntu0.5
  Candidate: 2.3.0-6ubuntu0.5
  Version table:
 *** 2.3.0-6ubuntu0.5 500
        500 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-updates/universe amd64
Packages
        500 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-security/universe amd64
Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
     2.3.0-6build1 500
        500 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal/universe amd64 Packages
rjf-ThinkPad-P1:~$ sudo dpkg --audit
rjf-ThinkPad-P1:~$
--
-- Rob Fowler

On Fri, 2021-08-13 at 07:15 +0000, Manfred Hampl wrote:
> Your question #698359 on Ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/698359
>
>

The root cause of your problem is the fact, that you use foreign software from a PPA that apparently is broken.

Get rid of the otto-kesselgulasch/gimp PPA and xsane will correctly install.

And for the last paragraph in your original question text: please direct that to otto-kesselgulasch and not to the Ubuntu developers.

OK. I solved it. Some time recently, Gimp got added to the Ubuntu focal universe.

Meanwhile the version of libgimp2.0 in ppa:otto-kesselgulasch/gimp has not been updated.
Getting rid of that ppa and installing from the Ubuntu universe works.

Gimp is complaining about not loading the Canberra-GTK module, but it seems functional.
There are also messages about the Xsane plugin to Gimp being deprecated, but that's
a problem for another day.

Someone needs to go out and and supplant all the on-line cruft pointing folks at
ppa:otto-kesselgulasch/gimp when they search "install gimp ubuntu".

Sigh.

The warning about canberra does not harm the function, in any case it usually can be remedied with
sudo apt install libcanberra-gtk-module libcanberra-gtk3-module