Re: [TCLUG:7113] network fax machine

[^chewie <chewie@nerp.net>]

On Fri, 23 Jul 1999, Ben Luey wrote:

> We would still need a fax to machine to receive faxes and allow users to
> send physical papers, right? Also, how would this work if the fax-modem in
> the linux box is also used for dial on demand. Will ppp and the fax stuff
> just wait until the modem is free if it is in use? Or should I get a
> second modem and put it in the linux box (is this hard?) If we get a
> second modem, and put it on the fax line, will a user using the physical
> fax mess up a tranmission from the linux box and visa versa?

Ben, go to this web site.  Heh.  You've got me excited about putting
this up on our site as well. :)  http://www.hylafax.org/ I did a
little more research on it.  HylaFax is a client/server program that
can handle hi-demand faxing and pager messages (whee).  The server
program installs on Linux and the client programs install on Linux
(hylafax-client), Windows 3.1/9x/NT, and Mac.  I was wrong about the
OCR thing, but incoming faxes can be printed out automatically or
spooled up for viewing w/a postscript or tiff viewer.  In addition,
email can be sent to a user notifying them that a fax has been
received/sent.  It looks pretty cool.

Now, a different approach was detailed in the Fax-Server.gz HOWTO.
Using efax to create a virtual FAX printer.  Use this in conjunction
with samba, and you've created a Windows accessible network printer
that sends out faxes from the desktop.  When you add the printer in
windows, you add a printer with a postscript driver.  For printing
remotely to the faxserver, you simply have to edit your printcap to
point to the remote fax printer.

The efax solution actually seems like the cleanest, since there's less
software to maintain.  I'm thinking that this might be the solution I
pursue.

The only thing you're missing now is the scanner.  Our business
just leased a copier/network printer from Marco in St. Cloud.  It
seems nice enough.  I haven't hooked it up to the network yet, but it
should be fairly easy.  Currently, I've got one Linux machine that
spools up all the jobs for the network printers and shares them over
the network via Samba. :)

^chewie

http://nerp.net/~chewie  <<--- Check it out!  I'm selling my truck!