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<TITLE>Linux simple fax printer server mini-HOWTO (faxsrv-mini-HOWTO): Questions & Answers</TITLE>
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<H2><A NAME="s2">2. Questions & Answers</A></H2>
<H2><A NAME="ss2.1">2.1 What is a fax printer server ?</A>
</H2>
<P> A fax printer server is a setup of few programs:
efax, and the print server, in such a way that sending a fax from
the computer is as simple as sending printout to a printer.
<P>
<H2><A NAME="ss2.2">2.2 How to set it up ?</A>
</H2>
<P>Setting efax as fax print server includes few problems
As I worked it out few times, I decided to collect this wisdom
in this small mini-HOWTO, comments are welcome at <CODE><erez@newplaces.com></CODE>.
I describe them here and the solutions, and all the instruction in short steps:
<P>
<H3>The efax Software</H3>
<P>make sure you have the efax package.
<P>On RPM based system use the command 'rpm -qv efax'.
<P>You can get the efax sources in tar.gz format from sunsite:
ftp://sunsite.unc.edu/pub/Linux/apps/serialcomm/fax/efax08a.tar.gz
or binary rpm package:
ftp://ftp.redhat.com/pub/redhat/redhat-4.2/i386/RedHat/RPMS/efax-0.8a-3.i386.rpm
<H3>The printcap entry.</H3>
<P>The efax documentation is missing the : at the end of the printcap entry.
<P>Solution: Add the following <CODE>/etc/printcap</CODE> entry:
<P>
<BLOCKQUOTE><CODE>
<PRE>
fax:\
:lp=/dev/null:\
:sd=/var/spool/fax:\
:if=/usr/bin/faxlpr:
</PRE>
</CODE></BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
<H3>The fax command</H3>
<P> Use hard link and not symbolic link to the fax command.
<P>Run the command:
<BLOCKQUOTE><CODE>
<PRE>
ln /usr/bin/fax /usr/bin/faxlpr
</PRE>
</CODE></BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
<H3>The /usr/bin/fax file.</H3>
<P> Edit the /usr/bin/fax to your preferences:
<P> choose the right Fax Class for your modem:
<BLOCKQUOTE><CODE>
<PRE>
CLASS=2.0
</PRE>
</CODE></BLOCKQUOTE>
Set the FROM="your international phone number" field
<BLOCKQUOTE><CODE>
<PRE>
NAME="Your Name"
</PRE>
</CODE></BLOCKQUOTE>
Add the line for conversion of international phone number to local
for example in Israel you would use:
<BLOCKQUOTE><CODE>
<PRE>
TELCVT='sed -e s/+972/0/ -e s/+/00/' # Israel
</PRE>
</CODE></BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>There is a problem in the file in line 586, change the
<CODE>cfile=...</CODE> with the following two lines:
<P>
<BLOCKQUOTE><CODE>
<PRE>
cfile=`/usr/bin/tail -1 lock`
cfile=`cat $cfile`
</PRE>
</CODE></BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>at lines 586,587 there shouldn't be '-' signs the lines are:
<P>
<BLOCKQUOTE><CODE>
<PRE>
0) echo "$l" | mail -s "fax to $num succeeded" $user@$host ;;
*) echo "$l" | mail -s "fax to $num failed " $user@$host ;;
</PRE>
</CODE></BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
<H3>The /var/spool/fax directory.</H3>
<P> create the directory /var/spool/fax
<BLOCKQUOTE><CODE>
<PRE>
mkdir /var/spool/fax
chmod 777 /var/spool/fax
</PRE>
</CODE></BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
<H3>The lock file.</H3>
<P>The lock file (<CODE>/var/spool/fax/lock</CODE>) is being created with
incorrect permissions, use the following command to set it correctly:
<P>
<BLOCKQUOTE><CODE>
<PRE>
touch /var/spool/fax/lock ; chmod 644 /var/spool/fax/lock
</PRE>
</CODE></BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
<H3>The /dev/modem special file.</H3>
<P>The efax program is expecting real device file at the <CODE>/dev/modem</CODE>
and will not work with symbolic link, so create a device file
with the same major and minor number as the <CODE>/dev/cua?</CODE> the is
connected to the modem. The file should have the rw-rw-rw- mode to enable
any user to use the fax software.
<P>
<BLOCKQUOTE><CODE>
<PRE>
ls -lL /dev/modem
rm /dev/modem
mknod /dev/modem c Mj Mi
chmod 666 /dev/modem
</PRE>
</CODE></BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>Mj is 5, and Mi is 64 for the cua0, 65 for cua1 and so on.
For example (for cua1):
<P>
<BLOCKQUOTE><CODE>
<PRE>
mknod /dev/modem c 5 65
</PRE>
</CODE></BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
<H3>The <CODE>/var/lock</CODE> directory.</H3>
<P>change the mode at the <CODE>/var/lock</CODE> directory
<P>
<BLOCKQUOTE><CODE>
<PRE>
chmod 1777 /var/lock
</PRE>
</CODE></BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
<P>
<H2><A NAME="ss2.3">2.3 How do I use it, for the server ?</A>
</H2>
<P>You should use the fax printer using the -P option
and the -J option with the fax number.
<P>use one of the following lpr commands:
<P>
<BLOCKQUOTE><CODE>
<PRE>
lpr -Pfax -J <Fax-Number> [file-names]
any command | lpr -Pfax -J <Fax-Number>
</PRE>
</CODE></BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
<H2><A NAME="ss2.4">2.4 Where do I specify the target Fax number ?</A>
</H2>
<P>After the -J option.
<H2><A NAME="ss2.5">2.5 How do I use it from other Unixes on the net ?</A>
</H2>
<P>Add the following entry into the <CODE>/etc/printcap</CODE> file and the client
Linux systems, create the spool directory, and so on ...
<P>
<BLOCKQUOTE><CODE>
<PRE>
fax:\
:sd=/var/spool/fax:\
:mx#0:\
:sh:\
:rm=host.domain:\
:rp=fax:
</PRE>
</CODE></BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>add the name of the client hosts into the <CODE>/etc/hosts.lpd</CODE> on the
fax server machine.
<P>
<P>use it as before.
<P>
<P>Note:
<P>The header string that efax adds to the fax pages is not effected
by the user name that sends the fax. (can be updated).
<H2><A NAME="ss2.6">2.6 Caldera, LPRng users</A>
</H2>
<P> The LPRng printing management software is using a different method to handle the control file.
<P>Thanks to Luca Montecchiani <m.luca@usa.net>, who found the problem and the solution.
Here is an update to the <CODE>/usr/bin/fax</CODE> file. The following line replace the two simple <B>cfile=...</B> lines at lines 586,587
<P>
<BLOCKQUOTE><CODE>
<PRE>
# Modified to work also with the LPRng package
# Luca Montecchiani (08/11/97 m.luca@usa.net)
if [ !-z "$CONTROL_FILE" ]
then
cfile=`cat tail -1 lock`
cfile=`cat $cfile`
else
cfile=$CONTROL_FILE
fi
</PRE>
</CODE></BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
<P>
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