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Python quick start for the Linux Barcode Scanner SDK

Build a lightweight barcode scanner in Python for Linux. The command-line interface accepts a single image path as input, and the Scanbot SDK license key is embedded directly in the source code.

Create the project and install the Scanbot SDK​

1. Install Python and OpenCV​

sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y python3-venv python3-opencv

2. (Optional) Install CUDA + TensorRT for GPU acceleration​

Requires Jetpack 6.1, CUDA 12.6, and TensorRT 10.3

sudo apt install -y nvidia-l4t-cuda libnvinfer10 libnvinfer-plugin10 libnvonnxparsers10

3. Create and activate a virtual environment​

python3 -m venv .env --system-site-packages
source .env/bin/activate
pip install --upgrade pip setuptools wheel

4. Install the Scanbot SDK​

Replace <SCANBOT_SDK_VERSION> with the version number you want to install.

export SCANBOT_SDK_VERSION=<SCANBOT_SDK_VERSION>
pip install https://github.com/doo/scanbot-sdk-example-linux/releases/download/standalone-sdk%2Fv${SCANBOT_SDK_VERSION}/scanbotsdk-${SCANBOT_SDK_VERSION}-py3-none-linux_aarch64.whl

5. Verify installation​

python -c "import scanbotsdk; print('scanbotsdk OK')"

Performance notes (Jetson only)​

To avoid throttling, temporarily max out clocks and fan:

sudo jetson_clocks --store
sudo jetson_clocks
sudo jetson_clocks --restore

Project layout​

Create a minimal project folder with a single entry-point script

mkdir -p barcode-quickstart-python && \
touch barcode-quickstart-python/main.py

Initialize the Scanbot SDK​

Before using any feature of the Scanbot SDK in Python, initialize the SDK.

import scanbotsdk
from scanbotsdk import LicenseStatus

SCANBOT_LICENSE_KEY = "<SCANBOTSDK-LICENSE-KEY>"

def initialize_sdk() -> None:
    scanbotsdk.initialize(SCANBOT_LICENSE_KEY)

    license_info = scanbotsdk.get_license_info()
    print(f"License Status: {license_info.status}")

    if license_info.status != LicenseStatus.OKAY:
        raise SystemExit("Invalid or expired license. Exiting.")

Create and run the Barcode Scanner​

After successful initialization, create a scanner configuration and run it on an ImageRef.

def run_barcode_scanner(image: ImageRef):
    config = BarcodeScannerConfiguration()
    scanner = BarcodeScanner(configuration=config)

    result = scanner.run(image=image)

    if not result.barcodes:
        print("No barcodes found.")
        return

    for idx, barcode in enumerate(result.barcodes, 1):
        print(f"{idx}) {barcode.text} [{barcode.format}]")

Complete example​

import sys
import scanbotsdk
from scanbotsdk import (
    LicenseStatus,
    DeviceSession,
    ImageRef,
    BarcodeScanner,
    BarcodeScannerConfiguration,
)

SCANBOT_LICENSE_KEY = "<SCANBOTSDK-LICENSE-KEY>"

def initialize_sdk() -> None:
    scanbotsdk.initialize(SCANBOT_LICENSE_KEY)
    license_info = scanbotsdk.get_license_info()
    print(f"License Status: {license_info.status}")
    if license_info.status != LicenseStatus.OKAY:
        raise SystemExit("Invalid or expired license. Exiting.")

def run_barcode_scanner(image: ImageRef) -> None:
    config = BarcodeScannerConfiguration()
    scanner = BarcodeScanner(configuration=config )
    result = scanner.run(image=image)
    if not result.barcodes:
        print("No barcodes found.")
        return
    for idx, barcode in enumerate(result.barcodes, 1):
        print(f"{idx}) {barcode.text} [{barcode.format}]")

def main():
    if len(sys.argv) < 2:
        print("Usage: python main.py <image_path>")
        return
    image_path = sys.argv[1]
    initialize_sdk()

    image = ImageRef.from_path(image_path)
    run_barcode_scanner(image)

if __name__ == "__main__":
    main()

Run​

python main.py /path/to/image_with_barcodes.jpg

🚀 That's it! You've built a minimal barcode scanner in Python on Linux.

💡 In this quick start guide, we use the SDK's default scanner settings. However, you can freely customize the configuration, supported barcode types, and performance options.

Get in touch​

If you need further information or are interested in licensing the Scanbot SDK, please get in touch with our solution experts.

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