:~># Fax scanned papers via KDE utilities
Ksendfax has no interface to scanner AFAIK. Actually, the only program
with scanner interface i am avare of is GIMP. This could be very easily
added, because scanning should always be done with 200dpi in grayscale,
and scanning the whole pages is OK, i.e. there is no need for any
interactive interface - just a button which will start "scanimage" in the
background.
:~># Scan papers via the new xsane package, and fax them right away
No idea. Never tried it. I have set-up a simple alias which scans A4 page
using 200 dpi resolution and grayscale mode ( scanimage ), converts the
output to g3 formate and sends it to the telephone number given as a
parameter. Used like:
"scanfax 123456"
Sure, one could add a graphic interface but...
:~># Fax local ascii files via Ksendfax (its default fax command is missing
:~> from Mandrake...)
Yup. ksendfax defaults to using the "Hylafax". However, it can be very
easily re-configured to use mgetty+sendfax. Description given in "HELP" is
in my opinion very good.
:~># Insert fax covers
Hmpf. Read the "coverpg" man-page. Then get the source-package, and find
one of the make.coverpage files. Sorry, I do not use these.
:~># Receive faxes, i.e. have the computer wake up on ring, to accept all
:~> and only fax calls, refusing incoming PPP connections, or stepping
:~> aside if it's a voice call.
This should be setup in mgetty.config. Defaults are a bit wrong in my
opinion - one should not allow login over mgetty per default, because it
poses a certain risiko for those who only want the fax server, while those
who really want to log-in over modem, can easily turn it on.
"Stepping aside" may be a bit of the problem. At work we have a dedicated
phone line, while at home my "mgetty" answers after 4 rings... Not
perfect, but I am satisfied.
In my opinion, if you are aiming at "home users", the default
mgetty+sendfax configuration should have an empty "fax-deny" file,
some reasonable "new-fax"(*) script in place, like "send to default
printer" and/or "send e-mail to fax-admin and erase", and the
graphical clients should be pre-configured to work with it.
Having a lpr2fax gateway, would be great, too - this makes the fax
so much easier to use(**)... I was able to get one old faxprinter-filter
working at home, but it does not work over network :-((
Attached to this letter are my /etc/mgetty+sendfax directory, and
directory with new_fax modules, just in case someone wants to try it
himself. I can send the printer-configuration+filter when I get home, if
anyone is interested.
Hope this helps
Denis
(*) i am using the "new_fax" script written by Darko Krizic - it is built
modulary, so one can easily change the actions. Modules are a bit
outdated, so I had to apply some changes, but other than that it is a
really nice script.)
(**) unfortunately "faxspool" cannot be used in pipes. Besides, allmost
every program can send file to printer, and at least some of them allow
you to use something like "lpr -Pfax -Cnumber" as a print command - in
particular, the gv does.
-----------------------------------------------------
Mag. Denis Havlik <http://www.ap.univie.ac.at/users/havlik>
University of Vienna ||| e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Austria (@ @) tel: (++431) 4277/51179
-------------------oOO--(_)--OOo---------------------
sendfax-config.tar.gz
