GNU/Linux faxserver manual

Dennis Leeuw

1. mgetty+sendfax

1.1 Introduction

The use of mgetty+sendfax is based on lpr and sendfax. The printcap file needs to describe where a fax holds it's faxfiles, but that is for later. Let's start simple.

1.2 Configuration

In the directory /etc/mgetty or /etc/mgetty+sendfax are the following configuration files:

1.2.1 dialin.config

1.2.2 faxspool.rules.sample

1.2.3 new_fax

1.2.4 faxheader

Faxheader contains the string on the top of a fax sheet. Change to your liking (watch out! the first line needs to be empty):

FAX FROM: Made IT TO: @T@ PAGE: @P@ OF @M@

1.2.5 login.config

mgetty needs to be compiled with AutoPPP so login.conf configuration should look like this:

/AutoPPP/ - a_ppp /usr/sbin/pppd auth -chap +pap login debug

* - - /bin/login @

1.2.6 new_fax.d

1.2.7 faxrunq.config

The faxrunq.config file contains information for the faxrunq program. A basic setup could look like this:

success-send-mail n

failure-send-mail n

maxfail-costly 5

maxfail-total 20

delete-sent-jobs y

fax-devices ttyS0

1.2.8 mgetty.config

The mgetty configuration file. Modem definitions and init strings can be found here. A basic setup might look like this:

debug 4

fax-id

speed 38400

issue-file /etc/issue.mgetty

1.2.9 sendfax.config

The sendfax configuration file. Default configuration:

verbose y

debug 5

fax-devices ttyS0

fax-id

max-tries 3

max-tries-continue y

1.3 Testing

1.3.1 Faxing PS files

A test might look like this. First we convert the PostScript file to G3 format:

gs -dNOPAUSE -dBATCH -sDEVICE=faxg3 \

-sOutputFile=/tmp/fax.g3.%d file.ps

Then we are sending it with sendfax

sendfax 0031123456789 /tmp/fax.g3.1 /tmp/fax.g3.2 /tmp/fax.g3.3

If that works we can test with the fax tools:

faxspool 0031123456789 /home/leeuw/file.ps

faxrunq

The easiest way for a definitive setup is by runnen faxrunq from cron. Use faxrunq -q for that so faxrunq -q doesn't output anything. Another option is faxrunqd, it needs perl and isn't as well tested as faxrunq.

1.4 Setting up LPD

Now create a printcap entry and restart lpd:

fax|fax on appel:\

:sd=/var/spool/lpd/fax:\

:lp=/dev/null:\

:if=/usr/bin/faxspool:

About this document ...

GNU/Linux faxserver manual

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