On 2003-09-17 09:19:19 +0100 nickheppleston@gmx.co.uk wrote:
I'm looking for suggestions for a fax server.
Some years ago, I wrote http://www.alug.org.uk/articles/2001a/lpr2fax.html which details how to do it with lpr and efax from GNU/Linux. I know that Brett developed a "PDF Printer" using samba which appeared as a network printer to MS Windows machines and left its output in a shared directory. It used some free Apple LaserWriter driver, I think, so that the clients sent Postscript.
I expect that someone can do something clever with samba and the lpr2fax idea to make a networked fax printer. Ask me if you need more details about the lpr2fax bit and I expect we have some samba experts on the list. The tricky bit will be extracting the fax number to send to. If your organisation uses a standard cover sheet, you could read the file with antiword -t and read it off of the cover sheet. It's a little more legwork for the sysadmin, but has to beat teaching users to drive a new dialogue box when it's avoidable.
Scared yet?