Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!TWG.COM!mrose
From: mrose@TWG.COM (Marshall Rose)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.modems
Subject: FAX modems
Message-ID: <1873.603522118@twg.com>
Date: 15 Feb 89 05:01:58 GMT
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 45

Forgive the cross posting, but I haven't subscribed to either list for a
few years.

I am interested in writing a couple of programs for my UNIX workstation
which send and receive facsimile.  To do this, I need a FAX modem.
My requirements are simple: the modem should have three plugs: one to a
wall socket for power, another to an rj11 jack, and the third a rs232
connector to connect to any random UNIX box.  

For outgoing calls, I would run a program that would generate a fax
image for a cover sheet and each page of the file I want to send and
would then talk to the modem to dial the phone and send things.

On incoming calls, DTR or something should be raised so that a process 
hanging an open on the tty will start up, it can then store the fax
image in a spool area.  On a workstation with X, I could display the
image, or I could send it to a laser printer.  (I have programs for all
these things already.)

Later this year, when I get an X.400 mailer, I'll just use that to send
and receive fax through the modem.  On outgoing calls, the message will
be addressed to a fax recipient's phone number, which will cause the fax
program to fire.  (Since the mailer contains a spooling system, if the
number's busy, the message will be requeued and tried again later.) On
incoming calls, the fax program will give it to my local X.400 mailer
which will send it to the "fax receptionist" mailbox who can preview it
and then forward it to the right recipient.

Note that a board solution is inappropriate since I want this to run on
a number of UNIX machines of different architectures.  UNIX is the
commonality, not the bus or processor or whatever.

There are really two reasons for this project: 1) a lot of people waste a
lot of time feeding stuff to a fax.  While this is unavoidable for
things existing only in hardcopy, it's silly for me considering that I
generate everything online.  2) the X.400 thing is a reality, and having
FAX integrated with my mailer would be really neat.  For those
interested, the software would be openly available.  

So, is there any info about a modem such as this?  Please include my
address directly in the reply as I'm not on these lists.

Thanks!

/mtr