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Ask Slashdot: Linux Fax Servers w/ WinTel Clients?

Posted by Cliff on from the just-da-fax-ma'am dept.

JimMcc asks: "We are planning a new network installation with a Linux server running Samba and WinTel clients. One of the issues yet to be resolved is providing the users the ability to fax directly. We would like to offer a solution which provides shared fax modem(s) accessed through the network instead of a fax modem / analog line per user. The customer is a non-profit and is cost sensitive. Has anybody heard of a possible solution? Thank you for any pointers/ideas you may have. "

2 of 79 comments (clear)

  1. Hylafax and WHFC by Goner · · Score: 3

    I just set up a similiar system at work with one old AMD k5 and three microso~ win95 boxes. The AMD linux box is a samba server, gateway, and fax server. It runs hylafax which isn't too hard to install. The sucky machines which crash alot run WHFC. This works like a charm, you can print from WordPerfect and it brings up a little window asking you what the number is. You hit send, and it emails you if the fax went through (or if it didn't). It really put my boss over the edge with enthusiasm for Linux. Email me if you have specific questions on how to get this to work.

  2. Hylafax / Perl / Postscript by peril · · Score: 3

    I actually spent about a week working on a similar project, (creating a method for a workgroup to send faxes via a web page...) WHFC was REALLY shaky for me, it worked spotty on NT.

    The basic interface was a web page with an upload of a postscript file from the client machine (with the necessary attributes to send to the sendfax command line), then sendfax is invoked from a perl script that calls sendfax with proper arguments.

    I used the Apple Laserwriter PS printer drivers installed as file printers. DON'T TRY AND USE THE HP DRIVERS. It appears that they encapsulate the postscript in PCL, and that just won't work. (Hylafax chokes on this.)

    Step 1, Get Hylafax, install it, become good friends. (I have been told that there are numerous security holes in Hylafax; please take that into consideration.)

    Step 2, Write the cgi's, they are not long or complicated, I'll be happy to send you the tarfiles of what I did, however I am not responsible if you get burned using them. Email me if you are interested.

    Step 3, test test test, figure out the real needs of your clients and make sure your solution is workable for them.

    The more interesting problem to solve would be how to fax office documents by uploading thru some (web/other) interface. I was working with the applixware office suite to create a .doc/.xls -> .ps converter, and it was working fair/poor depending on the input file type. RTF worked great, Word 97 with lotsa pictures ended up looking significantly different from the original, so I gave up. Applixware may be up to the task now, if anyone knows any other methods I would LOVE to hear about them.

    Another neat idea would be to have an interface to the incoming faxes and have some administrative person be able to email them to the correct party. Kinda like efax for the small office situation. This would be really easy to do, just that I got busy with other stuff and couldn't get to this.

    peril@nospam.u_de_l.edu
    get rid of the nospam and the underscores for email.