[ALUG] FAX with Linux

[James Freer]

Hi Mark

I read your post with interest - i'd also like to know the best way of 
faxing with Linux. Winfax i don't think is your best choice. I also have 
tried winfax and it is quite a complicated app with telephone answering 
m/c etc. Difficult to incorporate with Wine i would have thought - but 
i'm only a newbie to Linux.

For several years i've used an excellent small programme called FaxNow - 
printer driver sending any doc from any application (simple but 
effective). I got it on a pc mag CD. Receiving is the problem as one has 
to switch the line manually to receive. So i used eFax to receive [free 
for 20 faxes a month] and this last year Faxtastic [free but needs to 
receive at least one fax per quarter to keep account open]. I always got 
better quality faxes than a fax machine and no costs. These were .tif 
files. I noticed you mentioned pdfs - the ones i've looked at were tiff 
but pdf you probably pay for.

Reading faxes is the problem - what they are read with must be able to 
read MULTIPLE PAGES. Most viewers are able to read a single sheet e.g. 
PhotoImpact, XnView. I used the efax messenger for a while just to view 
- they make their money on sending. I did find a multiple page viewer 
http://www.tiffsuite.theimageanvil.co.uk/
No one else mentioned this. I can't see how converting files is going to 
allow for multiple pages. I found the Tiff Viewer basic but reliable - 
useful for looking through received faxes. Alternatively, when i started 
using FireFox found a tiff viewer as an addon to FireFox - 
www.alternatiff.com [this is excellent].

This was in windoze so as far as Linux goes... hopefully someone may know?
a] Use alternatiff in Linux (it says only for windows but i've imported 
my windows themes into Linux Firefox so could work) and use Gfax or 
Faxnow (through wine) to send. If alternatiff won't work i'm sure the 
Tiff viewer would as it is a basic .exe app.
b] Ubuntufax.com on VmWare - this is quite NEW i haven't investigated 
this yet but if it sends a pdf to your email problems solved. Ideal 
solution!
b] Simple solution - pay £10-£20 per month for the variety of paid 
services. I will be keeping windows on a machine for some time so will 
probably just continue until a Linux solution comes along and i've 
stopped using windows.


I knew an IT consultant a few years back who recommended not using 
WinFax as he'd had known a lot of problems with it - you're welcome to a 
copy of FaxNow and the Tiff viewer if they'll run in Wine. I'm not as 
knowledgeable as some on the IT side but i don't think the answer is 
converting files or using WinFax.

james