Several years ago I tried Linux and felt it wasn't ready. I had been reading more and about a year ago decided it was time again. Mandrake was much better at hardware recognition and I thought "This could be good!" Having played more and more at it and getting an external modem I was able to get online and things were looking up. SUSE looked even more promising and was actually easy to install.
Well, now is the time for Linux to be usable, so I have been trying to get it to fax things. Everything I have tried isn't working with mgetty, sendfas, kdeprintfax, hylafax, etc.. Faxing shouldn't be that hard (Windows can do it!). I need a GUI so that a secretary can just type a document and fax it - as simple as that.
Well things are getting busy and I need a computer to work. I don't have time to learn and configure things. So I guess I'll leave Linux for now and try later.
It's been nice chatting with you! Take care.

Dual-boot!!!

But Linux is a migration. I've been heartened by hearing from other posters that it took them years to fully adopt. I've only just begun. Keep doing your work the way you know how - but continue the journey. As you've already pointed out, Linux has gotten much better over the years. I fully expect it to get better still.

Not a bad suggestion to dual boot. Work as you must, learn as you can.

First off, I wouldn't trust a secretary with linux unless you know them VERY well. There is just too much for them to mess up.

Second, It takes quite a while to get used to running Linux. I have been running it about a month, and have spent countless days trying to get one aspect of it to work. I could never go back to windows now though, because once you learn it, you start loving it.

I agree. I've only been using a funciontal Linux box for a few days and I could never go back to using Windows exclusively. I whole-heartedly second the dual boot suggestion if you can afford to do it.

This is part of the problem. Linux like any other operating system has some sort of learning curve. If you do not have time to learn how things work, then maybe its not the platform for you especially in a production environment.

I am dual booting with Windows, but was hoping to be able to stay in Linux for faxing. I have to agree, once you start learning Linux it is addictive and fun. I think we'll primary boot to Windows and when i get on to do things, I'll probably use SUSE. I guess I won't really stop trying, just need to get work done though.

On a side note, we have more or less ditched MSOffice for OpenOffice2.0. That part I really like!

I am trying to set up dial up server, FAX (send and receive), phone answering on a Pentium 100 with a minimal + install of Debian Sarge.
By simply adding the parameters I wanted for mgetty in /etc/inittab the computer receives dial in connections and FAXes. Since I am going step by step I am just checking out sending FAXes and phone answering.
I am able to connect to Linux at home from a remote VT420 connected to a hardware modem. The documentation seems to say I will be able to send formatted FAXes from the VT420 by using something like LaTEX.
Sorry you are having problems.

I couldn't disagree more! A normal user on a linux box with typical user rights and no root access could only mess up his own setup and only if he really tried.
Security is what linux is all about. I've seen it used in libraries and cyber cafes and believe me, I've tried to get in and simply see what the system was like, and there was no way to do any serious harm to the system. Not for a normal user, no matter how inept.

Well, you have the whole slant wrong ...

What you SHOULD have said is;)


Cheers,
Tink

I wouldn't trust a secretary with Windows you know them VERY well. There is just too much for them to mess up and Windows' security model (as implemented in practice, not in theory) makes it very easy for them to totally fudge up the works.

I don't know what kind of environment you are in, but I find that secretaries are often better with computers than many engineers.

When you set up a system for someone who is "Not going to learn ANYTHING about computers, thank you very much"---they are going to get in the same trouble with Windows or Linux. In Linux, I think it is easier to set up safeguards.

one thing I REALLY like: I'm running Ubuntu 5.10 with 3 login screens and three users. ctrl-alt-f7,f8,f9 to switch users and noone's work gets messed up by someone else.

True, but I have seen people with only user privileges mess up a system pretty badly. Sometimes people who are curious stumble onto dangerous things.

Its probably easier to stumble on dangerous things in Windows...I can see it now--

"Registry?! Someones registering my movements! DELETE!! DELETE!!"

If they can mess up the system they have too many privilegfes or the system isn't properly set up.
If accidental or intentional deleting of user files is deemed to be a danger efficient backups need to be configured.
Linux is only as vulnerable as you let it be.