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From: glenn@heaven.woodside.ca.us (Glenn Reid)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.next
Subject: Re: Abaton Interfax Modem Problems
Message-ID: <457@heaven.woodside.ca.us>
Date: 13 Mar 91 08:07:02 GMT
References: <12395@adobe.UUCP>
Sender: glenn@heaven.woodside.ca.us
Lines: 53

In article <12395@adobe.UUCP> orthlieb@adobe.COM (Carl Orthlieb) writes:
> Agghhh, this modem has created some severe hair pulling!
> I just got my Interfax connected to my station and managed to fax out
> a couple of test pages and now when I fax I get these strange errors 
> on the console:
> 
> Software Version 2.0 (Warp6.4)
> Mar 11 23:27:56 Workspace[275]: ...Ready
> CS 03/11/91 23:30  0pg   0m 00s Software error. rm="                    " 
> dial="9613769"
> Mar 11 23:31:11 localhost login: 1 LOGIN FAILURE ON ttyda, lh_,zx8~zx}}z}ky
> [stuff deleted]
> Mar 11 23:34:53 localhost login: 1 LOGIN FAILURE ON ttyda, W||k{}zx}z}ky||+
> 
> Subquestion: I would like to use the fax modem as a fax and a modem on 
> serial port A. So far this has not been possible.  I can fax on port A 
> (except for these errors that are now showing up), switch the serial line 
> to port B and use it as modem with kermit.  If I try to use it as a modem 
> on port A I get the /dev/cua device busy link down error.  I checked for 
> locks in /usr/spool/uucp/LCK but there aren't any.
> 
> Does anybody have a clue to what's going on? 

My guess is that you have the wrong cable (one that does not support DCD
correctly) and you have a "getty" process running.  Your fax software and
your login process are competing for the serial port and confusing each
other.

Look in /etc/ttys and make sure that /dev/ttyda and /dev/ttydb are both
"off" (last column).  If they aren't edit them so that they are, and
then type "kill -1 1" at a Terminal window (be careful to get the numbers
right).  I think you have to be root to do this.

The other possibility is that you at one time configured a printer to look
at that serial port, and TranScript is still lurking in the background
waiting for the printer to appear, sending random queries to the serial
port now and then.

The "dev/cua device busy link down" error very strongly indicates a
getty process running and/or a bad cable.  Try getting a cable from
NeXTConnection (or ComputerWare; I've had good luck with theirs).  Without
the right cable, you're going to have lots of problems no matter what
else you do.

It's worth reading the NeXT Technical Document on serial ports, too, if
you are feeling brave.  There's lots of info in there.

Good luck.

--
 Glenn Reid				RightBrain Software
 glenn@heaven.woodside.ca.us		NeXT/PostScript developers
 ..{adobe,next}!heaven!glenn		415-851-1785 (fax 851-1470)