FAX, Send & Receive.

See you have the guts to go! Now, I wish you good success, and I can assure you that it can be done. I've done it several times. It really works quite well.

As far as I remember there were four classes of issues, that could, however, all be solved easily:

- privileges; initially the spooling directories are protected against access from non-privileged users; this includes client software
- faxmodem incompatibilities; with current Hylafax versions it's normally no longer an issue; just run your faxmodem in Class 1 mode (even if the manufacturers tells you that it is Class 2 or Class 2.0), when faxsetup asks you; Class 1 means, that most of the work is done on the computer by Hylafax, instead of the faxmodem; this enables Hylafax to send and receive faxes with almost any faxmodem.
- auto-answering the phone when a fax call comes in, but not when it is a data or voice call; this is the only thing that has never worked perfectly well in my installations, but it didn't work with Windows software either, so it's probably to blame on my telephone connection
- forgot to enable faxgetty in /etc/inittab

In case you get stuck somewhere, I'd recommend that you subscribe to the Hylafax mailing list. You'll get friendly, quick and competent support, there.

Of course, you can also post here at LQ.

Good luck!

gargamel

Having recently setup a fax server for our office, there are four specific areas that need to be addressed. There is a tiny bit of overlap between two of them.

1. Fax server -- As many have mentioned, hylfax is a very good fax server, the best IMHO to use for an office. Get it setup with your modem and I suggest using Class 1 (as the other poster mentioned, lets hylafax do all the hard work on negotiating what can and can't happen during faxing).
2. Fax management -- Inbound faxes need to go somewhere to be "managed". The best application I've come across for this is AvantFax. It's a web application, so you can access it from any machine in your office. It integrates with hylafax by replacing three hylafax binaries. The three replacement scripts add functions that scan the incoming fax, puts the fax info into a database, creates pdfs for it, then makes it all available with a nice web interface. You can then manage the faxes (view, rotate 180, send in emails, add comments, archive, or just plain delete) along with managing users of the system, all via the web browser. The installation procedures are here on MentalBarcode's website. If anything, this was the most difficult part to set up simply because it involves futzing with both Apache and MySQL to get it working right. That's great if you do that all day long like me, can be a bit confusing if you're a first timer.
3. Fax routing -- There are some inbound faxes that come from specific senders that need to be routed to particular people. AvantFax takes care of this for you if you choose to configure it via an email to the chosen recipient. It does this by setting email recipients for recognized inbound fax numbers (it doesn't extract that info from the cover page or anything like that).
4. Fax sending -- You need to primarily be able to send a fax by priting from your application. The best HOWTO I've found for this is on the Suse website: Suse Fax HOWTO. Basically, it configures your KDE to know about the hylafax server and use it by configuring apps to use 'kprinter'. Second option, you can configure a fax server directly in OpenOffice.org. You'll only need to add one option to the command they say to use (-h servername), 'man sendfax' for more info. Finally, users may also send faxes from the AvantFax web application. They can enter fax numbers, enough info to create a cover page, select a PDF, and AvantFax will send it through hylafax. (It can send a ps or tiff too, but how many of us manipulate those? Really.)

This provides a complete office solution. The step that gives you the best feel for a windows environment is step 4, where you configure your clients to be able to send faxes from their applications.

Please remember to support AvantFax development if you use it for your business by donating a little bit to MentalBarcode Software, the programmers behind AvantFax. It would help them to keep the software free. There is a link on their webpage to donate. Google for AvantFax and it's the first hit.

I can confirm almost everything, mrballcb, only that I don't know AvantFax.

In particular I would like to recommend the "SuSE support database"

http://sdb.suse.com

for other subjects, too. It contains lots of well-written articles on various subjects. And SuSE really did it right: The articles explain the basic principles of any subject, before they explain how something can be done in SuSE. The general part of each article is useful for just about any distribution.

In many cases when I got lost with the "official" FAQs and HowTos, the SDB helped me out. Highly recommended, even for non-SuSE users!

gargamel

Problem solved!
Thank everyone so very much.
I couldn't have done it without you!
Thanks, again.

Glad you made it!

Just for interest: What exactly was your problem, and how did you solve it?

(Because I'm planning to install Hylafax soon, again, on one of my machines...)


gargamel

Couldn't get HylaFax to work. I ended up using efax-gtk.
Thanks, again, for all your help.

The easiest way to install avantfax is to download the AdminsParadise VoIP PBX and fax server.

They have an iso that automatically installs the software including avantfax for you.

The default password is adminsparadise.

Recommended hardware is to have a computer and install a digium card for with an fxo port (its cheaper than most modems)

Now you will have a complete corporate solution.

Other features include scheduled phone conferencing,
music on hold, ivrs, etc.

It even has flash based tutorials.

Check it out.
There's even a LIVECD to give it a test run.

And best of all Free.

Try out the Adminsparadise Voip PBX and Fax software
Free!!!

There is a livecd for preview and an installation cd that automates the install for you.

This is an enterprise grade full featured solution.

The web based fax allows you to preview incoming and outgoing faxes via thumbnails on a web page.
It also automagically installs sambafax, hylafax, avantfax.

It will also work with winprinthylafax so you can fax from your desktop.

Avantfax has been tweaked so that not only can you do the standard pdf and tiff but also upload practically all word,excel formats..

save yourself the time and trouble.

it does it all for you... there are screenshot previews..
flash tutorial that walk you through it.

Check it out at www.adminsparadise.com

later

For many years (8 or 9?) I've run efax on a Slackware system. That hardware is retiring (486-50 processor). When I first investigated fax software, I also got Hylafax running. I decided to stay with efax. It has worked great for me, although it has less features than hylafax.

As I mentioned, the old 486 is retiring, and the new system doesn't have a ISA slot, so I needed to find a hardware modem that would run in a PCI slot. I bought a USR5610B. I don't have it working yet. It will connect in data mode, poorly, but it works. In class 1 or class 2.0 mode it fails to negotiate. I've spent hours trying to find out what the problem is. USR is useless, and only wants me to install it on a Windows XP system to test it out.

So two messages: efax and hylafax work under Slack (in that case, Slack 3.5), AND the support for a USR5610B is poor. Perhaps I'll be able to post again with how I got it working, but I might smash it with a wood maul first!

Originally Posted by linuxbird [...] So two messages: efax and hylafax work under Slack (in that case, Slack 3.5), AND the support for a USR5610B is poor. Perhaps I'll be able to post again with how I got it working, but I might smash it with a wood maul first!

You'd better enjoy the fine weather, instead of trying to get USR modems working as fax devices. They simply won't. It's just about the only thing I came across that cannot send and receive faxes under the control of Hylafax. Even my toaster can, but that's because it runs Slackware, of course...

gargamel

Originally Posted by gargamel You'd better enjoy the fine weather, instead of trying to get USR modems working as fax devices. They simply won't. It's just about the only thing I came across that cannot send and receive faxes under the control of Hylafax. Even my toaster can, but that's because it runs Slackware, of course... gargamel

Unfortunately, I am just starting to learn this. I spent a little over 3 hours on the phone with USR, and there are some highlights:

1. They really don't think there is a modem problem, unless I can verify it by putting the modem into a computer running Windows, and test it with their software.

2. A good soul pulled his fax modem out of his linux box, and placed my modem in, and it failed to make fax connections.

3. Called them back, and they wanted me to go back to the good soul mentioned above, and get him to dump his modem settings.

4. Listening in on a modem call, with a speaker phone, I find that once the modem connects to the phone line, the line gets very noisy. With just the speaker phone on the phone line, the line is quiet. The line works with other fax modems. The cables, etc. have been swapped out, and are not a problem. Sounds like a problem on the analog side of the modem.

5. They reluctantly issued an RMA (at least a dozen calls, after my first call saying I had a DOA modem). I was again admonished for not putting the modem into a Windows system for testing purposes. I don't have Windows, and don't plan on getting it. The USR modem box claims support for Linux.

6. They refuse to cross ship the modem. Shut down my server, pull the card. Send it to them. 10 business days later they will return ship it to me, after their depot repairs or scraps the modem card. ARRGH. This was DOA out of the box, most everyone will cross ship a warranty item. Not USR.
---
I just learned allot, and it looks like I will probably never buy USR again. Anyone have some recommendations for hardware PCI modems for Linux?

if it requires mswin plus their software: it is not a hardware modem.
or more likely, they aren't actual techs and need the instruction
set in their handy-dandy scripts to offer any assistance.

i haven't been in the market for modems in *years*
running an ancient actiontec call-waiting pci modem
in this box. venus chipset. seems solid enough.
although it doesn't get much use anymore...

@linuxbird: Sorry for that trouble, but the Hylafax mailing list has plenty of stuff of that kind. USR claims to have Linux support, and in fact their modems make fast and stable data connections. But not a chance with faxing. Not even with Hylafax, which, as I mentioned, can even make some toasters send and receive faxes...

I know it's a waste of money and time, but I only can advise you to get yourself another faxmodem. Because any more of that trial and error game with USR will only increase your frustration, and your waste of money and time. Sorry to say that, but I have been through the very same several years ago...

gargamel

Have you seen the AdminsParadise VoIP Phone and FAX server
Here is one of the movie walkthroughs...
http://www.adminsparadise.com/walkth...adise-pbx.html

You can configure the system as only a fax server if you wish...
http://www.adminsparadise.com/walkth...vie-guide.html

Or use it for both a fax and phone system..

The fax system automagically installs and configures Hylafax, sambafax, avantfax (modified to recognize office docs) and iaxmodem..
There is a tweaked version of winprinthylafax for download so you can print to fax.

There is a livecd for you so you can test your hardware out and play with the system..

It is all free....