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From: allen@ethz.UUCP (Mike Allen)
Newsgroups: alt.fax,comp.misc
Subject: Looking for a solution: Unix <-> fax
Keywords: fax, unix
Message-ID: <2186@ethz.UUCP>
Date: 6 Oct 89 16:42:35 GMT
Organization: ETH Zuerich
Lines: 38

We are interested in the possibilities of having a fax machine directly
accessible from our network of Unix machines. In particular, we are
looking for a hardware independent solution (ie no AT cards, no binary
only programs!).

I envisage a solution with a fax modem connected to either a Vax or
a Sun with a serial line. With the machine running some simple server 
program (and/or integrating the service in with existing ones - eg mail, 
lpd, etc), to allow faxes to be sent from anywhere on the net. 
We can probably develop any software we need to connect from remote
machines to the 'fax server'.

The only fax modem that I have found so far that is independent of 
a PC-AT bus is the Worldport 2496 Fax Modem.  However I do not have enough 
information about it. For example, what format is used to send & receive faxes?
Could I use this device ? Are there any other devices which fit this bill ?

Having looked at the standard for Group III fax encoding, it doesn't seem
that converting this to/from a standard bitmap would be particularly hard
to do. Is there any good public domain software to do this ? I have seen
that the latest version of pbm has a g3topbm program which claims in the
manual page that "Doesn't work yet" is a bug ...

Has anyone already done what I want to ? 

Thanks for any hints,

Mike.

------------------------------------------------
Mike Allen, ETH Zuerich. Tel +41 1 256 3542
	..!mcvax!cernvax!ethz!allen
	allen@ethz.ch
-- 
------------------------------------------------
Mike Allen, ETH Zuerich. Tel +41 1 256 4163 
	..!mcvax!cernvax!ethz!allen
	allen@ethz.ch