Subject: efax (fax program) version 0.5 available
From: [email-masked] (Ed Casas)
Date: 29 Jan 1994 23:48:51 +0200
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.announce

I have uploaded efax version 0.5 to sunsite.unc.edu.  This is the
fourth release of a simple program that lets you send and receive
faxes using a Class 2 fax modem.  The changes from the previous
version are described in the README file that is appended below.

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			  Introduction

This is the README file for the version 0.5 release of efax.
efax is a program to send and receive faxes using a Class 2 fax
modem.

efax is a relatively small (1200-line) ANSI C/POSIX program that
provides the data transport function for fax applications.  A
simple shell script is included in this distribution to provide a
a way to create, send, receive, and print faxes.

Unlike FlexFax and NetFax, efax is not a network-based
client-server system.  As one user put it, ``EFAX is a nice
simple program for single user systems.''

In addition to efax you'll need Ghostscript (I used version
2.6.1), to create the fax image files and the PBMPlus utilities
to convert the received fax to a format that you can print.

This version of the program was written & tested under Linux
0.99pl14, gcc 2.4.5 and libc 4.4.4.  Previous versions have also
been compiled and used under BSD, OSF, SunOS, SysVR4 and ULTRIX
and should work with minor changes on any modern UNIX with an
ANSI C compiler and library and a termios(4) serial device
interface.

efax is distributed as a gzip'ed tar file, efax05.tar.gz.  It may
be obtained by anonymous FTP from sunsite.unc.edu in
/pub/Linux/Incoming or /pub/Linux/apps/comm.

	 Changes to efax from version 0.4 to version 0.5

- can detect incoming data calls and run a command (such as your
  system's getty(8)) to handle these calls

- optional use of UUCP lock files in binary or HDB formats

- additional modem interface options: hardware (RTS/CTS) flow
  control, 38.4 kbps DTE-DCE baud rate, variable delay between
  modem commands, and two stop bits.

- modems can be shared with outgoing calls by removing lock files
  while waiting for incoming calls

- option to not answer the phone if the modem will auto-answer
  (S0>0) or when another program has already answered the call

- converts 198 lpi images to 96 lpi when necessary

- three levels of log file verbosity

- shows byte and scan-line counts for each page sent or received

- includes a simple version of getopt() to ease porting

- option to add (when sending) or remove (when receiving) padding
  at ends of scan lines

- many other changes

	   Changes to the fax script from v0.4 to v0.5

- the fax `answer' command can be run by init(8) to create a
  daemon process that handles incoming fax and data calls.
  received faxes are stored in a spool directory and a notice can
  be mailed when a fax is received.

- efax can be run at a higher scheduling priority

- fax `queue' and `status' commands display received fax files
  and status of fax receive daemon

- fax `send' command automatically converts files to fax format
  when necessary

- fax 'send' command can retry busy numbers

- fax `test' interrogates the modem to determine its capabilities

			    Manifest

The efax distribution should contain the following files:

README   - this file
COPYING  - the GNU public license
efax.c   - the source code
efax.1   - a man page for efax(1)
fax      - a Bourne shell script to create, send, receive and
           print faxes.  Requires Ghostscript and PBMPlus
           utilities.
fax.1    - man page for fax(1)

			  Installation

You'll need an ANSI C compiler, such as gcc, to compile the code.
With gcc, do:

  gcc -O efax.c -o efax

Modify the variables at the beginning of the `fax' shell script
according to the comments. Copy the executable, script, and man
pages to appropriate directories (probably /usr/bin and
/usr/man/man1).  

The efax(1) man page has instructions on modifying /etc/inittab
(SysV) or /etc/ttytab (BSD) so init(8) can run efax to handle
incoming fax and data calls automatically.

			   Bug Reports

Please send bug reports or suggestions to [email-masked].  Please
include copies of the session log and details about the modem and
operating system you are using.

[$Id: README,v 1.5 1993/11/20 17:34:59 edc Exp edc $]

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