Nebula/nebula.bin/Documents/FAQ/Fax/Fax.faq

Text File | 1993-04-29 | 67KB | 1,609 lines

Newsgroups: comp.dcom.fax,alt.fax
Path: rde!uunet!gatech!asuvax!ncar!destroyer!cs.ubc.ca!merlin!reynard!pajari
From: [e-mail] (George Pajari)
Subject: Fax (comp.dcom.faq) Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Organization: Faximum Software, Vancouver, B.C., Canada
Date: Tue, 27 Apr 1993 06:18:58 GMT
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~Newsgroups: comp.dcom.fax,alt.fax
~Subject: Fax (comp.dcom.fax) Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Summary: Frequently asked questions about fax communications, protocols,
    standards, modems, products, and publications.
~Reply-To: [e-mail] (FAQ Comments)
Followup-To: comp.dcom.fax
Distribution: world
Organization: Faximum Software, Vancouver, B.C., Canada
Keywords:

comp.dcom.fax FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
----------------------------------------------

26 April 1994

This article contains the answers to some Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
often seen in the USENET newsgroup comp.dcom.fax relating to facsimile
standards, software, and hardware.  It will be posted approximately monthly.

If you would like to make any submissions or corrections to the FAQ, please
contact [e-mail].  Your input is greatly appreciated.  Suggested
questions need not be accompanied by suggested answers.  Areas that are in
particular need of contributions are marked "<Need more information>".
Flames and other comments (constructive or otherwise) are also welcomed.

****************************************************************************
**
** HOT NEWS (26 April 1993)
**   The Class 2 fax modem standard (EIA/TIA-592) has finally received all
**   necessary board approvals and is expected to be available from Global
**   Engineering Documents on May 3rd, 1993.  (See below for information on
**   Class 2, EIA/TIA-592, and the phone number for Global.)
**
****************************************************************************

regards
g.
                              [e-mail]
George Pajari / Faximum Software / Tel: [phone] / Fax: ... [phone]
     1497 Marine Drive, Suite 300 / West Vancouver, BC / Canada  V7T 1B8


Std. Disclaimers:
----------------

The content of this article is the sole responsibility of the author(s) and
contributors, and does not necessarily represent the opinions or policies
of their employers or other companies mentioned.

The information provided herein is believed to be correct but the author and
contributors cannot accept any liability for errors and omissions.  Readers
are cautioned to verify any information before making decisions or taking
action based upon this information.

While every reasonable effort has been taken to maintain an objective and
unbiased approach in the collection and presentation of this information,
readers are advised that the author and possibly some of the contributors
work for or have an interest in commercial organisations involved in the
fax industry.


=================
TABLE OF CONTENTS
=================

G.    Glossary

Q.    Frequently Asked Questions
Q.1    Can I use my * data modem to send/receive faxes?
Q.1A    Can my fax modem transmit data?
Q.2    How can I fax PostScript or PCL documents using computer-based fax?
Q.3    How can I view incoming faxes on my computer?
Q.4    How can I print incoming faxes on my computer?
Q.5    Can fax modems also handle data or voice calls?
Q.6    What resolution are fax images?
Q.7    Can I take a fax file and edit it?
Q.8    Is there a standard program interface (API) for fax communications?

I.    Sources of Information
I.1    Standards Related to Facsimile Communication
I.2    Where to Obtain Standards Documents and Related Information
I.3    Magazine Reviews of UNIX Fax Software
I.4    Magazine Reviews of DOS/Windows Fax Software
I.5    Magazine Reviews of Mac Fax Software
I.6    Publication Devoted to Fax
I.7    Other Sources of Information on Fax

P.    Product Information
P.1    List of UNIX Fax Software
P.2    List of MS-DOS Fax Software
P.3    List of MacIntosh Fax Software
P.4    List of Windows Fax Software
P.5    List of OS/2 Fax Software
P.6    List of Fax Modem Vendors


===============================================================================
~Subject:    G.  GLOSSARY
===============================================================================

ANSI/AIIM MS53-1993
  The American National Standard File Format for Storage and Exchange of
  Images - Bi-Level Image File Format: Part 1 (ANSI/AIIM MS53-1993) has
  recently been approved.  The standard defines a format for a file containing
  one page with one image.  Page sizes and image sizes can be specified.
  Both definite length and indefinite length are supported.  Clipping of the
  image can be specified.  Image coding may be according to CCITT Recs. T.4
  (one- and two-dimensional) and Rec. T.6.  Bitmap may also be specified.
  Both facsimile style least significant bit and industry style most
  significant bit mapping are supported.
  (Definition courtesy of [e-mail] (herman.r.silbiger))

BFT or
Binary File Transfer
  A method of transferring files using fax modems (as an extension to the
  fax protocol).  This standard, which will be approved shortly, will be
  referred to as T.434.

CAS
  An API for fax devices invented by Intel and DCA and tied to the Intel
  and MS-DOS architectures. More detailed information is available from the
  Intel BBS listed below.


CCITT
  Comite Consultatif International Telegraphique et Telephonique (a.k.a. The
  International Telegraph and Telephone Consultative Committee) is a body of
  the I.T.U. (International Telecommunication Union) which is a body of the
  United Nations.  The CCITT is responsible for setting the international
  standards for telecommunications equipment.  Its members are the national
  authorities in each country responsible for regulating and providing
  telecommunication services. The standards are called Recommendations and
  the recommendations of relevance to the fax world are the T series which
  govern the fax protocols and the V series which govern modem operation.
  (See also ITU, T.*, and V.*, below.)


CED or
Called Station Identifier
  The distinctive tone generated by a Group III fax machine when it
  answers the phone (2100 Hz).


Class 1
  The Class 1 fax modem standard describes an extension to the "Hayes Modem
  Command Set" to permit computers to send and receive faxes using fax modems.
  The Class 1 standard is a low-level specification in which most of the
  protocol work (i.e. T.30) as well as image generation (rasterising and T.4
  compression) must be done by the computer (in software) while the modem only
  handles the basic modulation as well as converting the asynchronous data
  from the computer into the synchronous packets used in fax communications.

  The primary advantage of Class 1 modems is that fax protocol is implemented
  in software which means that new extensions to the fax protocol standard
  (i.e. T.30) can be implemented without requiring a ROM change in the modem
  (or without waiting for the modem manufacturer to get around to supporting
  the new feature).

  The primary disadvantages are (a) the software vendor has to handle the
  complexity of the T.30 protocol and (b) Class 1 (almost by definition)
  is very sensitive to timing and multi-tasking operating systems (such as
  *IX) have great difficulty in reliably meeting the tight timing constraints
  and maintaining the fax connection.  Lifting this timing limitation is the
  primary motivation behind the new proposed Class 4 standard.

  The official standard for Class 1 is EIA/TIA-578.

  Although the official standard is copyright EIA/TIA/ANSI, a draft version
  has been published electronically by Supra and is available from their
  BBS (see below for the number) and from Sam Leffler at SGI (retrieve his
  FlexFax package, described below).


Class 2
  The Class 2 fax modem standard describes an extension to the "Hayes Modem
  Command Set" to permit computers to send and receive faxes using fax modems.
  The Class 2 standard is a higher-level specification in which most of the
  protocol work (i.e. T.30) is done by the modem while the computer is
  responsible for managing the session and providing the image data in the
  appropriate format (i.e. T.4).

  The primary advantage of Class 2 is that the low-level detail work is
  handled by the modem.  Not only does this mean that software developers
  do not have to be burdened with having to support the T.30 protocol, it
  also relieves the host computer of all of the time-critical aspects of
  fax communications, making support of Class 2 modems under *IX systems
  possible.

  The biggest headache for software developers is that the Class 2 standard
  took a long time to be approved (more for political than technical reasons,
  IMHO) and many companies did not wait for the final version to be approved
  before shipping modems.  As a result we have a situation (as of 93Q1) in
  which all shipping Class 2 modems adhere (more or less) to the first draft
  of the TR29.2 committee (document SP-2388) and not to the standard as it
  was approved. To compensate for this, the "new" Class 2 is referred to as
  Class 2.0 and the "old" as plain Class 2.

  (Warning - flame from a frustrated fax programmer on...)
  Even more disconcerting is the fact that most companies who have implemented
  (the old) Class 2 have done one or more things wrong (they must have been
  smoking *and* inhaling) so we have a further division of the standard into
  "true, old Class 2" (which includes the Everex 24/96D and MultiTech modems)
  and everything else (mostly based on the Rockwell chip which differs from
  SP-2388 in a number of ways, although some other chip makers, such as EXAR,
  have found even more ways than Rockwell to depart from SP-2388).  It's so bad
  that most modem companies now implement the Rockwell version of Class 2 just
  because so many of the *%#& things have been shipped (i.e. Multitech has a
  special command which switches their modem from proper Class 2 operation to
  Rockwell-like operation just so they can interoperate with DOS software that
  expects Rockwell-like operation).  And of course no one at Rockwell or EXAR
  or the other companies bothered to write down the difference between their
  version of Class 2 and the TR29.2 document. (Flame off.)

  The draft standard for the "old" Class 2 is SP-2388, Document
  TR-29/89-21R8, dated March 21, 1990.  This is available by contacting the
  EIA/TIA directly.  This is the standard implemented by all Class 2 modems
  currently on the market (true to the best of my (pajari) knowledge as of
  26 Apr 93).

  The official standard for the "new" Class 2.0 (also referred to as
  Class 2.0) is EIA/TIA/ANSI-592.  This document ought to be available from
  Global Engineering Documents (see below) by May 3rd, 1993. As far as I
  (pajari) am aware, there are no true Class 2.0 modems yet shipping (as of
  26 Apr 1993).

  Note that although many modems that implement Class 2 also support Class 1,
  Class 1 is *not* a subset of Class 2. Also, there are some modems that only
  support Class 2 and many that only support Class 1.

  Although the official standard is copyright EIA/TIA/ANSI, a draft version
  has been published electronically by Supra and is available from their
  BBS (see below for the number) and from Sam Leffler at SGI (retrieve his
  FlexFax package, described below).


Class 3
  A class number reserved for a project to define a standard for fax modems
  that would, in addition to handling the T.30 protocol (i.e. Class 2), also
  handle the conversion of ASCII data streams into images (i.e. T.4). Although
  there are a couple of fax modems that handle the ASCII to fax conversion,
  no draft document has been circulated and the future of this project is in
  doubt.


Class 4
  Class 1 with intelligent buffering to reduce the need for the host
  computer to respond instantly to the fax modem. This standard is expected
  to go out to ballot in 93Q2.


Class 8
  Not a fax standard at all but an extension to the Hayes command set to
  support voice.


CNG or
Calling Tone
  The distinctive tone that a fax machine ought to generate when placing
  a fax call (1100 Hz on for 1/2 second, off for 3 seconds).


CSI or
Called Subscriber Information
  The "name" of the answering fax machine.  An optional frame of information
  sent to the calling fax machine during Phase B (see T.30 below). Although
  many fax machines permit ASCII information, the T.30 standard states that
  this is to contain the international phone number of the fax machine,
  including the plus symbol, the country code, the area code, and the
  subscriber number using only digits, the plus symbol, and a space.
  (i.e. the North American fax number [phone] ought to be programmed
  into the fax machine as [phone]).


ECM or
Error Correcting Mode
  An extension to T.30 to permit the receiving fax machine to request that
  portions of an image that were received with errors be retransmitted.

  Normally the T.4/T.30 protocol is error detecting but not error correcting.
  The receiving fax machine can usually tell when an error has impaired the
  image but cannot selectively request retransmission of the damaged portions
  of the image.  The only options are to (a) ignore the errors (if few in
  number), (b) request that the page be resent (ignored by most fax machines),
  or (c) give up.


EIA/TIA
  The Electronics Industry Association and the Telecommunications Industry
  Association.  The U.S. bodies responsible for the development of standards
  related to telecommunications in general and for fax in particular.


EIA/TIA-465
  The US version of T.4 (will probably be accepted as T.4 in the near
  future).


EIA/TIA-466
  The US version of T.30 (will probably be accepted as T.4 in the near
  future).


EIA/TIA-578
  See the definition of Class 1 (above).


EIA/TIA-592
  See the definition of Class 2 (above).


EIA/TIA-602
  The ANSI/EIA/TIA standard for the "Hayes Command Set" for modems.


FaxBios
  An industry consortium (including companies such as HP, WordPerfect, etc.)
  that has published a specification for a FAX API.  Versions for
  DOS and WINDOWS have been developed and discussions continue on adapting
  this API to other operating systems.

  FaxBios Association, 2625 Alcatraz Avenue, Suite 275, Berkeley, CA, 94705
  Fax: [phone].  See also the Compuserve forum GO FAXBIOS.


Group I Fax
  An old (now obsolete) standard for fax machines in which a page was
  transmitted in about six minutes at a resolution of 98 scan lines/inch.
  Group I devices frequently worked by attaching the page to be transmitted
  to a rotating drum (at 180 rpm) along which a photocell moves.  Either
  amplitude modulation (the blacker the pixel the louder the tone) or
  frequency modulation (the blacker the pixel the higher the tone) can be used.
  The gory details may be found in CCITT Recommendation T.2.


Group II Fax
  An old (now almost obsolete) standard for fax machines in which a page was
  transmitted in about three minutes at a resolution of 100 scan lines/inch.
  Group II uses vestigial sideband amplitude modulation with phase shifts.
  A white pixel is represented by a louder tone.


Group III
  One of the current standards for fax machines in which a page is transmitted
  in about one minute.  See the definition of T.30 (below) for more details.


Group IV
  A standard for fax transmission using ISDN at 64kbps.


ITU
    The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is the United Nations
    specialized agency dealing with telecommunications.

    The purposes of the ITU as defined in the Convention are:
        - to maintain and extend international cooperation for the improvement
      and rational use of telecommunication of all kinds;
        - to promote the development of technical facilities and their most
      efficient operation with a view to improving the efficiency of
      telecommunication services, increasing their usefulness and making
      them, so far as possible, generally available to the public;
        - to harmonize the actions of nations in the attainment of those
      common ends.

    The ITU works to fulfil these basic purposes in three main ways:
        1. international conferences and meetings;
    2. technical cooperation;
    3. publication of information, world exhibitions.


    The ITU is an organization, a union, of Member countries. At present there
    are 166 Members.

    The Union's headquarters are in Geneva, in the Place des Nations. In this
    building are to be found the five permanent organs:

    General Secretariat
    1. Co-ordination and publication of telecommunication service data
       needed for operation of services.
    2. External and legal representation of the Union.
    3. Planning and management of technical cooperation and related
       development programmes for developing countries.
    4. Provision of secretariat of conferences.
    5. Administration, finance, computer, conference and public
       information services.
    6. Membership protocol.

    International Frequency Registration Board (IFRB)
    The IFRB consists of five independent radio experts, all from different
    regions of the world, elected by Plenipotentiary Conferences and
    working full-time at the Union's headquarters in Geneva. They elect a
    Chairman and a Vice-Chairman for each year from among their own number.

    The Board's main task is to decide whether radio frequencies which
    countries assign to their radio stations (and which they have notified
    to the Board) are in accordance with the Convention and the Radio
    Regulations and will not cause harmful interference to other stations.
    If the Board's finding in a particular case is favourable, the
    frequency is recorded in the huge Master International Frequency
    Register kept by the IFRB and thus obtains formal international
    recognition and protection. An average of more than 1200 frequency
    assignment notices, covering new assignments or changes to existing
    assignments, arrives at the IFRB each week.

    International Radio Consultative Committee (CCIR) and
    International Telegraph and Telephone Consultative Committee (CCITT)
    The two CCIs are separate bodies dealing respectively with technical
    radio problems and technical telegraph and telephone problems. All
    Member countries of the Union can participate in their work, and also
    certain private companies operating telecommunication services.

    Each CCI holds a Plenary Assembly every few years. The Plenary Assembly
    draws up a list of technical telecommunication subjects or "Questions",
    the study of which would lead to improvements in international
    radiocommunication or international telegraphy and telephony. These
    Questions are then entrusted to a number of Study Groups, composed of
    experts from different countries. The Study Groups draw up
    Recommendations which are submitted to the next Plenary Assembly. If
    the Assembly adopts the Recommendations, they are published. CCIR and
    CCITT Recommendations have an important influence with
    telecommunication scientists and technicians, operating Administrations
    and companies, manufacturers and designers of equipment throughout the
    world.


    Telecommunications Development Bureau (BDT)
    The BDT was set up by the Nice Plenipotentiary Conference (1989) with
    the aim of strengthening technical assistance and cooperation
    activities with the developing countries. It is part of the federal
    structure of the Union and has the same status as the other organs
    which deal with regulations, standardization and coordination.  The
    duties of the Bureau are in principe to fulfil, in the field of
    technical assistance to the developing countries. It is also
    responsible for making other funding arrangements so as to facilitate
    and enhance telecommunications development by offering, organizing and
    coordinating technical cooperation and assistance activities.  Within
    the framework of these projects, hundreds of experts share both their
    skills and their long-standing experience with the local counterparts
    they are training.


MH or Modified Huffman compression
  Also known as Group III one-dimensional compression.  See T.4.


MR or Modified READ compression
  Also known as Group III two-dimensional compression.  See T.4.


One-Dimensional Compression
  See T.4


SP-2388
  The first draft standard for Class 2 that was implemented by many
  companies while waiting for the final standard to be approved
  (see also the definition for Class 2 above).


T.1
  See Group I Fax.


T.4
 One of the <CCITT> recommendations (i.e. standard) for Group III fax.
 In particular, this recommendation covers the page size, resolution,
 transmission time, and coding schemes supported for Group III fax.
 (See also the definition of T.30 below.)

 The basic coding scheme (called in the recommendation "One-dimensional coding
 scheme" but also known in the industry as MH or Modified Huffman) takes each
 scan line of pixels and compresses it by (a) converting the raster in a
 sequence of run lengths (the number of white pixels followed by the number
 of black pixels followed by the number of white pixels etc. and etc. until
 the entire raster has been converted into runlengths) and (b) encoding each
 run length into a unique variable-length bit string.  The code words used
 for white and black runlengths are different and have been chosen in order
 to do a reasonable job of compressing a "typical" fax page.

 For example, in one dimensional encoding the following raster:

         OOOOOOOOOO****OOOOOO**OOOOOOO*OOOOOOOOO***...
    converted into run lengths:
         10 4 6 2 7 1 9 3 ...
    encoded into MH bit strings:
         00111 011 1110 11 1111 010 10100 10
    (spaces have been added for readability and are not part of the
     MH bit string)


    Since our example has unusually short white run-length it does
    not accurately illustrate the degree of compression which can
    be achieved.  For example, a normal fine resolution fax image
    contains about 3,800,000 pixels (464K).  Using one-dimensional
    encoding this can be reduced to between 20K - 50K.

  In two-dimensional encoding, the first line of a group of lines is compressed
  using one-dimensional coding (see above) and subsequent lines are compressed
  using an algorithm that describes line n in terms of line n-1.  Since there
  is usually a high-degree of correlation between the pixels of adjacent scan
  lines, this usually results in significant compression.

  Since the basic fax protocol (T.30) is error detecting (but not error
  correcting), there is a limit on the number of two-dimensionally compressed
  scan lines that can follow a 1-D line.  This is to limit the propagation
  of errors through an image.  This limit is referred to as 'k' in the
  standard and is 2 for standard-resolution faxes and 4 for high-resolution
  faxes.

  Unfortunately, this method of compression is computationally intensive and
  most (inexpensive) fax machines do not support it.


T.6
  The recommendation that covers the image compression algorithm used for
  Group IV fax machines.

  T.6 is essentially the two-dimensional compression algorithm from T.4 (see
  above) except that 'k' is infinite (i.e. all lines are two dimensionally
  compressed). This can be done because Group IV fax machines operate over
  an error-free communications channel.


T.30
 One of the <CCITT> recommendations (i.e. standard) for Group III fax.
 In particular, this recommendation covers the protocol used to manage
 the session and negotiate the capabilities supported by each fax machine.
 The details of the image format are covered by the T.4 recommendation
 (see above).

 The protocol describes each fax call as proceeding through five phases:

    A:    Call Set-Up

    This phase covers the placing of the call on the PSTN and the
    distinctive tones the calling and called stations are to emit.


    B:    Pre-Message Procedure for Identifying and Selecting Facilities

    During this phase the two fax machines:
      - agree on whether to use tones or binary codes to exchange
        information on capabilities (most current fax machines use
        binary codes)
      - (optionally) the called machine sends a CSI frame identifying
        it to the calling machine.
      - the called machine sends a DIS frame telling the calling
        machine what capabilities it has (i.e. resolution, page
        size, receiving speed, etc.)
      - (optionally) the calling machine sends a TSI frame identifying
        it to the called machine.
      - the calling machine sends a DCS frame telling the called
        machine what capabilities are in effect for this document
        (based on the calling machine's capabilities and the information
        received in the DIS frame).
      - the two machines determine the maximum baud rate that the
        communications link will reliable sustain (training & phasing)


    C:    Message Transmission

    The fax is sent.  The end of the last scan line is marked by a
    RTC code (return to control).


    D:    Post-Message Procedure including End-of-message, Confirmation,
    and Multi-Page Procedures

      - the calling machine indicates what it wants to do next
        (send another page, terminate the call, request operator
        intervention, etc.).
      - the called machine indicates its response to the page and command
        just received (o.k., o.k. but retrain, not o.k., give up, etc.)

    At this point the machines go to one of phase B, C, or E depending
    on the exchange of commands and responses during phase E.


    E:    Call Release

    Hang up the phone.

T.434
  The standard for Binary File Transfer Format (a method of encoding documents
  and sending them by fax without converting them to image format first.

T.611
  A standard for high-level fax API.
  <More information needed>


TSI or
Transmitting Subscriber Information
  The "name" of the calling fax machine.  An optional frame of information
  sent by the calling fax machine during Phase B (see T.30 above).  See
  CSI (above) for details on the recommended format.


Two-Dimensional Compression
  See T.4.


V.17
  The CCITT recommendation for 14,400 bps *synchronous* half-duplex
  modems.  Used during the image transmission phase of fax
  communications. Optional (most fax machines do not support V.17).


V.22bis
  The CCITT recommendation for 2400 bps asynchronous full-duplex modems.
  (Not used in fax but frequently supported by modems that handle fax.)


V.27ter
  The CCITT recommendation for 2400 and 4800 bps *synchronous*
  half-duplex modems.  Used during the image transmission phase of fax
  communications.


V.29
  The CCITT recommendation for 7200 and 9600 bps *synchronous*
  half-duplex modems.  Used during the image transmission phase of fax
  communications.


V.32
  The CCITT recommendation for 9600 bps asynchronous full-duplex modems.
  (Not used in fax but sometimes supported by modems that also handle fax.)


V.32bis
  The CCITT recommendation for 14,400 bps asynchronous full-duplex
  modems.  (Not used in fax but sometimes supported by modems that
  also handle fax.)


V.42
  The CCITT recommendation for error-checking and correction.
  (Not used in fax but sometimes supported by modems that also handle fax.)


V.42bis
  The CCITT recommendation for data compression.
  (Not used in fax but sometimes supported by modems that also handle fax.)


===============================================================================
Q.    Frequently Asked Questions
===============================================================================

Q.1    Can I use my * data modem to send/receive faxes?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In a word, no.  Unless your data modem has specific additional support for fax,
you cannot communicate with fax devices using a data (only) modem.

Simply put, the problem is that the modulation methods (tones) used to
communicate data are different from those used to communicate faxes.

Typically the modulation schemes used for fax are synchronous half-duplex
while those used for data (at least by most UNIX and PC people) are
asynchronous and full-duplex.

Also, data modems, once they have negotiated a modulation scheme, tend to
continue with the same one through out the session.  Fax modems switch
before and after each page between a high-speed modulation scheme used
to transmit the image data and a lower (300 or 2400 bps) scheme to exchange
control information.

The following table outlines this briefly  (see also above for definitions
of V.*).

  Data Rate                   Data Modulation Std.       Fax Modulation Std.
  ========================+==========================+========================
   9,600 bps              |            V.32          |       V.29
  ------------------------+--------------------------+------------------------
  14,400 bps              |            V.32bis       |       V.17
  ========================+==========================+========================


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q.1A    Can my fax modem transmit data?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In a word, maybe.  There is a standard proposed by the EIA/TIA/ANSI called
Binary File Transfer (BFT) that extends the fax Group III modulation and
protocols for bulk data transfer.

The problem, of course, is that few fax modems or software package provide
support for this mechanism.


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q.2    How can I fax PostScript or PCL documents using computer-based fax?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In addition to the basic software to drive your fax modem/board, you will need
specific software that can convert PostScript or PCL files into a raster image
format compatible with your fax software package.

GhostScript, for example, is a publically available software package that
can convert PostScript into raster image format (although there are varying
opinions on the quality of the font support).

In the commercial world, most of the vendors of fax software provide software
that can handle PostScript and/or PCL.

When purchasing such software (a) check how many different fonts are supported
(it's a pain to be able to use, say, NewCentury on your laser printer only to
find it is not included in your fax package), and (b) in the case of PCL, check
which level of the language is supported (PCL-4 does not support scalable
fonts, PCL-5 does).


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q.3    How can I view incoming faxes on my computer?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In the PD world, there are a number of image-viewing packages available for
X (such as xv).

In the commercial world, most fax vendors provide support for the commonly
available devices (in the case of UNIX, X; in the case of PC-UNIX, VGA
and HGA support. Some vendors support other graphics-capable terminals such as
the Wyse WY-160.)


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q.4    How can I print incoming faxes on my computer?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Most fax software packages include software to convert fax images into print
data streams compatible with dot matrix, HP PCL, or PostScript printers.

Also the publically available (where?) pbmplus filter kit will handle most
image formats.


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q.5    Can fax modems also handle data or voice calls?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Not all fax boards can handle data (some are fax only).  Most (all?)
external fax modems can handle data as well as fax.

Some (but not all) fax modems and software can automatically distinguish
between data and fax calls and answer them appropriately

Some DOS/WINDOWS based products can automatically distinguish between voice and
fax/data calls and operate as a digital answer machine as well as a fax machine.

Also, several companies sell devices which can switch incoming calls between a
fax machine, a telephone answering machine, and a modem.

[Suggestions anyone?]


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q.6    What resolution are fax images?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The standard resolution for faxes is 3.85 scan lines/mm (approx. 98 dpi
vertically) with 1728 pixels across a standard scan line of 215 mm (approx.
204 dpi horizontally).

The optional "fine" resolution is 7.7 scan lines/mm (approx. 196 dpi
vertically) with the same horizontal resolution.

Many Group III fax machines use non-standard frames to negotiate higher
resolutions (typically 300x300 dpi and 400x400 dpi) with other fax machines
by the same manufacturer.

Two fax machines (or modems) must negotiate a common resolution, page width,
and page length before sending each page.  The standard requires that all
Group III fax machines suppport at least standard resolution and A4 size
so that common ground can always be found.

Extensions to the Group III standard to support these higher resolutions
in a standard way have been proposed.  Their current status is not known
<Need more information>.

<Need more information on resolutions supported by Group IV>.


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q.7    Can I take a fax file and edit it?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When faxes exchange information, it is done in the form of compressed images
(with the exception of BFT).  If you wish to edit or otherwise manipulate a
received fax file you have two options:

 1 - edit the file using a "paint" program that will accept the fax file
     (unfortunately there is a wide range of file formats for image files
     and you may have to work to find a format that is common between your
     fax application and your paint program).

 2 - pass the file through an OCR program that will attempt to convert the
     image into ASCII (or word processing file format).  The problem here is
     that most OCR programs are tuned to work with 300x300dpi images and faxes
     are either 98x204 or 196x204.


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q.8    Is there a standard program interface (API) for fax communications?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

There are many API's that are used for fax communications. Words marked by
-word- are further explained in the glossary above.

At the hardware level, the two standards that govern the exchange of commands
between a host computer and a fax modem are EIA-578 (-Class 1-) and EIA-592
(-Class 2-).

At the software level there is one "official" standard and a number of
"industry standards".  The one "official" standard is CCITT T.611
(<need more information on this standard>).

The most widely known industry standards are -CAS- (Communicating Applications
Standard (?)) invented by Intel and DCA and tied closely to the Intel
architecture, and -FaxBios- (developed by an industry consortium) which is less
machine-dependent (implementations for MS-DOS and WINDOWS have been published
and sporadic work on UNIX and other bindings is underway).


===============================================================================
~Subject:    I.  Sources of Information
===============================================================================


I.1    Standards Related to Facsimile Communication
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CCITT
 The Blue Book, Volume VII - Fascicle VII.3 Recommendation T.0 - T.63

EIA/TIA/ANSI
 EIA/TIA-602 Data Transmission Systems and Equipment-Serial Asynchronous
 Automatic Dialing and Control
     "This is the standard for the basic Hayes command set."

 TIA PN-2388 Asynchronous Facsimile DCE Control Standard (DRAFT), Service
 Class 2, (also known as Document TR-29/89-21R8, March 21, 1990)
     "The first draft of the Class 2 standard, voted down, but the basis for
     all current (93Q1) Class 2 modems."

 EIA/TIA-578 Asynchronous Facsimile DCE Control Standard, Service Class 1

 EIA/TIA-592  Asynchronous Facsimile DCE Control Standard, Service Class 2
     (Expected to be available from Global Engineering Documents by
     June 3rd, 1993).


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I.2    Where to Obtain Standards Documents and Related Information
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Global Engineering Documents
  [phone]  fax: [phone]
  Distributor for published EIA/TIA standards, as well as CCITT and standards
  docs from 400 other organisations and institutions.
  EIA catalog of standard available at no charge


EIA/TIA
 [phone] (Yvette Bottoms)
 Source of draft EIA/TIA standards (final stds available from Global)


UN Bookstore
  CCITT Publications
  [phone] or [phone]


Philips Business Information Inc. (has acquired assets of OMNICOM)
    [phone] or 1 [phone], FAX: [phone]
    Source of CCITT and ISO publications


Action Consulting
  Source of draft communications standards


Human Communications
  [phone]   FAX: [phone]
  Source of draft communications standards

International Telecommunications Union electronic document distribution
  service (TELEDOC)
  For more information, send a message with the line HELP in the body to:
  [e-mail]



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I.3    Magazine Reviews of UNIX Fax Software
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

UNIX WORLD, August 1991, pp. 52-60, "Four Fitting Fax Packages", Rick Farris
    Reviews DigiFax, Faximum, TruFax, and VSI-Fax

UNIX REVIEW, V10n11, Nov 1992, pp. 63-76,  "Just the Fax, Ma'am", Tim Parker
    Reviews ArnetFAX, DigiFax, Faximum, FaxLink, FaxTrax, VSI-Fax


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I.4    Magazine Reviews of DOS/Windows Fax Software
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PC Magazine, 8 Dec 1992, v11n21, p275-342, "The Fax Solution", by Joel Dreyfus
    Reviews BitFax, DosFax Pro, Eclipse FAX, FAXability Plus, Faxit for DOS
    Faxit for Windows, FaxMaster, Fax Talk Plus, The Fax Window,
    Mirror III Fax, MTEZ Standard with ExpressFax, PaperWorks, and SuperFax
    for Windows.

BYTE, Jan 1993, v18n1, p62-64, "First Impressions", by David Andres
    Discusses Delrina's WinFax Pro 3.0

BYTE, Jan 1993, v18n1, p68, "First Impressions", by Dick Pountain
    Discusses Trio's Datafax

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I.5    Magazine Reviews of Mac Fax Software
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

<Need information>

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I.6    Magazine Reviews of Fax Modems (see also O/S specific reviews)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PC Magazine, 8 Dec 1992, v11n21, p343-361, "Negotiating the Fax Modem Jungle"
    by Rick Ayre
    Reviews Computer Peripherals, Hayes, Intel, Practical Modem, Supra,
    U.S. Robotics, and Zoom.


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I.7    Publications Devoted to Fax and Telecommunications
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Communications Standards Review [10-12/year, $695/year in N.A.; partial or
                shorter subs avail., contact publisher]
  757 Greer Road,
  Palo Alto,
  CA 94303-3024 USA
  Phone: [phone]  Fax: [phone]  e-mail: [e-mail]
  Communications Standards Review is a journal providing current technical
  information on work in progress on communications standards (including
  fax) in US and international standards forums.


EMMS  [Bi-weekly, $595 per year]
  published by Telecommunications Reports
  1333 H Street, 11th Floor
  Washington DC 20005
  Phone: [phone]  Fax: [phone]


Human Communications Digest, [Quarterly, $195 per year within US,
                contact publisher for outside US]
  published by Human Communications
  12 Kevin Drive, Danbury CT, 06811-2901
  Phone: [phone]   FAX: [phone]
  A digest of recent developments with fax and related standards.


NetFax News, published by Davidson Consulting [Monthly, $contact publisher]
  530 N. Lamer Street, Burbank, CA, 91506
  Phone: [phone] FAX:   [phone]
  Also publishes Scouting Reports and Buyers' Guides


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I.7    Other Sources of Information on Fax
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ZyXEL Modem FAQ Archived at: ftp.cs.psu.edu in /pub/fenner/ZyXEL

ZyXEL BBS: [phone]

Supra BBS: [phone]

Intel BBS: [phone]


===============================================================================
~Subject:    P.    Product Information
===============================================================================

P.1    List of UNIX Fax Software
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

COMMERCIAL
==========

<company>        <product>
    <voice #>    <fax #>        <e-mail>
--------------------------------------------------
               - North America -

Arnet            ArnetFAX
    [phone]            [e-mail]

COS Inc.        TruFax
    [phone]    [phone]    [e-mail]

DigiBoard        DigiFAX
    [phone]            [e-mail]

Faximum Software    Faximum ELS, Faximum PLUS
    [phone]    [phone]    [e-mail]

Intuitive Technology    FaxLink
    [phone]

UniSal System        FaxTrax
    [phone]

V Systems        VSI-Fax
    [phone]            [e-mail]


               - Europe -

Signify Software Products    i(F)x Faxsoftware for UNIX
    [phone]    [phone]     [e-mail]

QUEST systems GmbH    FaxX
    [phone]    [phone]    [e-mail]

netCS GmbH        netFAX
    [phone]

smoFax            SMO GmbH
    [phone]

comFax            Com-M-Tex
    [phone]


PUBLICALLY AVAILABLE
====================

FlexFAX
=======
    FlexFAX Release Version 2.1.0 Available
    ---------------------------------------

    This note has the following sections:

    Overview
    Supported Systems
    About the Distribution
    Class 1 Modem Support
    Commonly Asked Questions
    How to Obtain the Distribution by FTP
    How to Obtain the Distribution by Mail
    How to Obtain the Distribution within Silicon Graphics
    What to do Once You've Retrieved Stuff (source distribution)
    What to do Once You've Retrieved Stuff (binary distribution)
    FlexFAX Mailing List
    Use and Copyright


    Overview
    --------
    FlexFAX is a facsimile system for UNIX systems.  It supports:

    o sending facsimile
    o receiving facsimile
    o polled retrieval of facsimile

    Facsimile can be any size (e.g. A4, B4), either 98 or 196 lpi, and
    transmitted/received as either 1D-encoded or 2D-encoded facsimile data
    (2D-encoded data is frequently more compact and hence takes a shorter
    time to communicate).

    Outgoing documents can be any format; the sendfax program uses a
    rule-based definition file similar to the System V /etc/magic file
    to deduce document types and to decide how to convert each document
    to a form suitable for transmission (either PostScript or TIFF/F).
    Automatic cover page generation is supported and users can easily
    tailor cover pages to their environment.  A simple text-based
    phonebook database is supported by sendfax.  Information is also
    provided on how to trivially setup an email to fax gateway service.

    Incoming facsimile are stored in a receiving area as TIFF/F files and
    may be automatically delivered by mail and/or printed.  A fax server
    status program, faxstat, can be used to monitor the send and receive
    queues, as well as the state of facsimile servers.

    Fax modems may be shared with outgoing data communication applications
    that honor the "uucp locking protocol".  These applications typically
    include: cu, tip, kermit, uucp, slip, and ppp.  The system can also be
    configured so that incoming data calls cause the system to invoke the
    standard system getty program.

    The software is structured around a client-server architecture.  One
    facsimile server process exists for each fax modem on a network.
    Clients may send facsimile from any machine that can communicate with
    the machine(s) on which the server(s) reside.  Client software is
    designed to be lightweight and easy to port; imaging can be offloaded
    to the server or done on the client.  (Imaging is, however, typically
    done on the server because it simplifies administration.)  Multiple
    modems may be located on a single machine.  An access control mechanism
    is included to control which users on which machines may submit
    documents for transmission.

    The system supports a wide variety of fax modems.  Any Class 1 or
    Class 2 modem should work with the system.  The following modems have
    been used successfully with the software:

    Class 1 modems:
        Digicom Scout+        (firmware revision 2A19/2931 or newer)
        Nuvo Voyager 96424PFX    (firmware revision AF-C2500-E0)
        SupraFAX v.32bis    (firmware revision V1.200-H or newer)

    NOTE: SEE THE SECTION "Class 1 Modem Support" FOR IMPORTANT INFO ON THE
          CLASS 1 MODEM SUPPORT

    Class 2 modems:
        Boca M1440E        (firmware revision V1.270 or newer)
        Dallas Fax <something>    (no longer sold, not recommended)
        Everex 24/96D        (no longer sold)
        Hayes Optima 24+Fax96   (firmware revision TR00-J260-001 XXX or newer)
        Multi-Tech 1432BAI    (firmware revision 0307 I or newer)
        SupraFAX v.32bis    (firmware revision V1.200-C or newer)
        Telebit WorldBlazer    (firmware revision LA7.01)
        Twincom 144/DF        (firmware revision V1.200 or newer)
        ZyXel U1496E        (firmware revision 5.01 or newer)

    Other modems:
        Abaton InterFax 24/96    (no longer sold)

    Note however that some modems perform better than others.  The file
    MODEMS included in the distribution provides information about each
    modem that has been tried.


    Supported Systems
    -----------------
    The software has been ported to the following systems:

    sgi        Silicon Graphics 4D machines w/ AT&T C++ compiler or gcc 2.3.3
    sun        Sun3/Sun4 w/ SunOS 4.1.X and GNU gcc 2.3.3
    bsdi    BSD/386 1.0 w/ GNU gcc 2.3.3
    386bsd    386bsd 0.1 on an Intel 486 w/ GNU gcc 2.3.3+patches
    svr4    System V Release 4 on an Intel x86 w/ GNU gcc 2.3.3 (incomplete)
    solaris2    Solaris 2.x on a Sun4 with GNU gcc 2.3.3 (incomplete)
    sco        SCO ODT 2.0 (incomplete)

    Systems that are marked (incomplete) compile properly and can be used
    to send and receive facsimile, but may have known problems or may be
    lacking some utilities such as the faxaddmodem installation script.

    Porting the software is usually straightforward provided there is a
    working C++ compiler (e.g. gcc), PostScript imaging facility (e.g.
    ghostscript), and support for a limited subset of the POSIX system call
    interface.  System requirements are described more fully in the source
    code distribution.



    About the Distribution
    ----------------------
    There are two distributions: a binary version that is directly
    installable on a Silicon Graphics IRIX 4.0.x system and a source
    distribution.

    The executables in the binary version of this distribution are only
    for Silicon Graphics 4D processor-based systems.  The distribution
    is sure to work on any IRIX 4.0.x system, though it may also work
    on pre-4.0 os versions.

    The source distribution includes all the source code in the system
    except a small bit of code used to build a Display PostScript-based
    imager (this code is useless unless you have a developers agreement
    with Adobe for Display PostScript).  The system is written almost
    entirely in C++.  I use the AT&T 2.1 compiler, as supported by Silicon
    Graphics.  GNU gcc 2.3.3 has been successfully used to build this
    software on all systems.

    A PostScript interpreter program is needed for imaging outgoing
    facsimile on the server machine.  The binary distribution for Silicon
    Graphics machines includes an imaging program that requires the Display
    PostScript execution environment (dps_eoe) that is available with most
    versions of IRIX.  The source distribution includes a device driver for
    use with Ghostscript version 2.5.2 or later.



    Class 1 Modem Support (Caveat Emptor)
    -------------------------------------
    Most contemporary fax modems provide one of two command interfaces for
    communication between the host and modem: Class 1 or Class 2.
    (Actually, many modems that provide a Class 2 interface also provide a
    Class 1 interface.)  These interfaces are specified by the Electronic
    Industries Association/Telecommunications Industry Association
    (EIA/TIA).  The Class 1 standard provides minimal hardware support for
    fax communication while Class 2 adds many commands and places more
    functionality in the modem.

    FlexFAX includes drivers for both Class 1 and Class 2 modems.  Robust
    support for Class 1 modems places two requirements on the host system:

    o low latency for serial line input
    o near realtime response

    In a UNIX environment both these requirements can be problematic.  In
    particular, many UNIX systems increase the latency for data received on
    a serial port in order to reduce system overhead.  That is, input data
    are typically held in a low level device driver for some period of time
    before they are passed to the user so that bursts of input data can be
    delivered to the user together.  This behaviour is known to occur under
    the Silicon Graphics IRIX and SunOS 4.1.x operating systems; it may
    also occur under other systems.  It is important for the proper
    operation of the Class 1 driver that input data be delivered to the
    facsimile server as quickly as possible.  This may require making a
    non-standard call of some sort to the operating system.  For SGI
    systems this call is automatically done.  For SunOS systems it appears
    that the only way to minimize the input latency is to create a stream
    i/o module that accesses an internal interface (see the comments in the
    routine setInputBuffering in faxd/FaxServer.c++).

    The response time requirements are important for insuring that T.30
    protocol messages are received in a timely fashion.  On a loaded
    system the protocol process may be preempted by other activities and
    not be run fast enough to satisfy the protocol timing requirements.
    This can usually be guarded against by assigning the facsimile process
    a high scheduling priority.  Unfortunately most UNIX systems do not
    provide support for such facilities and so even if it is possible to
    receive serial line input with the minimum of delay, protocol timing
    requirements may not be met because of delays in scheduling the
    execution of the fax server process.  For this reason the facsimile
    server process attempts to raise its scheduling priority while it is
    actively sending or receiving facsimile.  At other times, such as when
    it is doing queue management operations, it runs at a normal priority.
    On Silicon Graphics systems the ``high priority'' is a nondegrading
    scheduling priority that is above the priorities of the normal system
    processes.  On other systems the server currently always runs at the
    same (normal) scheduling priority.  For more details consult the
    setProcessPriority routine in faxd/FaxServer.c++.

    In summary, if you want to use a Class 1 modem with this software and
    your system does not provide support for low latency serial line input
    you are likely to have troubles.  If your system does not provide a
    mechanism for raising process scheduling priority (note that this is
    not the same as the UNIX ``nice'' parameter), then you may see problems
    when the server is under load.  Exactly how much load will cause trouble
    is dependent on the system configuration and processing power.



    Commonly Asked Questions
    ------------------------
    Q: How is FlexFAX related to netfax (aka GNU fax)?
    A: Netfax is a simple fax package developed by folks at MIT and freely
       available under the terms of the GNU software agreement.  FlexFAX is
       a totally independent project that was intended to provide a robust
       facsimile service that supports a wide variety of modems and systems.
       FlexFAX is also publicly available, but with a different copyright
       agreement (see the copyright at the bottom of this note).

    Q: My modem is not listed as supported, will it work?
    A: If the modem conforms to the draft Class 2 standard that most vendors
       used to implement their ``Ersatz Class 2'' modems, then it should work
       with the software; probably with some minor modifications to one of the
       modem configuration files distributed with the system.

       If the modem conforms to the EIA-578 "Class 1" programming interface,
       then it will only work if the intended host provides certain system
       facilities.  At present the only machine that is *known* to provide
       the necessary facilities is the Silicon Graphics Indigo.

       Otherwise it is possible to support a modem by writing a new ``modem
       driver'' that is compiled into the facsimile server.

    Q: What's the best modem to buy/use with this software?
    A: First, if your system is incapable of supporting a Class 1 modem, then
       you need to use a Class 2 modem.  The best Class 2 modem that I have
       had experience with is the Everex 24/96D, but it is no longer sold and
       it does not support the v.17 standard for transmitting and receiving
       at 14.4KB.  I have had good success with all the Class 1 modems listed
       above; though the Supra modem exhibits the usual problems known to exist
       with modems built around the Rockwell RC144DP (data pump).



    How to Obtain the Distribution by FTP
    -------------------------------------
    The source code is available for public ftp on
    sgi.com            sgi/fax/v2.1.src.tar.Z
        (192.48.153.1)

    You can also obtain inst'able images for Silicon Graphics machines from
    sgi.com            sgi/fax/v2.1.inst.tar
        (192.48.153.1)

    For example,
    % ftp -n sgi.com
    ....
    ftp> user anonymous
    Password: <use mail address as password>
    ftp> cd sgi/fax
    ftp> binary
    ftp> get v2.1.src.tar.Z
    ....
    ftp> quit

    In general, the latest version of the 2.1 release of the software is
    always available as "v2.1.src.tar.Z" or "v2.1.inst.tar" in the ftp
    directory.  This file is a link to the appropriate released version (so
    don't waste your time retrieving the linked file as well!) Any files of
    the form v2.1.*.patch are shell scripts that can be used to patch older
    versions of the source code.  For example, the file v2.1.0.patch would
    contain patches to update v2.1.0.tar.Z.  Patch files only work to go
    between consecutive versions, so if you are multiple versions behind
    the latest release, you will need to apply each patch file between your
    current version and the latest.


    How to Obtain the Distribution by Mail
    --------------------------------------
    Do not send me requests for the software; they will be ignored (without
    response).  If you cannot use FTP at all, there is a service called
    "ftpmail" available from gatekeeper.dec.com:  you can send e-mail to
    this machine and it will use FTP to retrieve files for you and send you
    the files back again via e-mail.  To find out more about the ftpmail
    service, send a message to "[e-mail]" whose body
    consists of the single line "help".


    How to Obtain the Distribution within Silicon Graphics
    ------------------------------------------------------
    Internal to Silicon Graphics there are inst'able images on the host
    flake.asd in the directory /usr/dist.  Thus you can do something like:

    % inst -f flake.asd.sgi.com:/usr/dist/flexfax

    to install the latest version of the software on your machine.


    What to do Once You've Retrieved Stuff (source distribution)
    ------------------------------------------------------------
    The source distributions come in a compressed tar file.  To extract the
    software do something like:

    % mkdir fax; cd fax
    % zcat <somewhere>/v2.1.src.tar.Z | tar xf -

    (uncompress and extract individual files in current directory).  Then
    follow the instructions in the file README in the top of the source tree.

    What to do Once You've Retrieved Stuff (binary distribution)
    ------------------------------------------------------------
    The binary distribution comes as a tar file that contains images for
    use with the standard Silicon Graphics installation program inst(1).
    To unpack the inst images do something like:

    % mkdir dist; cd dist
    % tar xf <somewhere>/v2.1.inst.tar

    Next, run inst to install the appropriate pieces that you want.  The
    key documentation from the source distribution is included in the
    subsystem flexfax.man.readme.  When this subsystem is installed the
    README file and other useful pieces of information are placed in the
    directory /usr/local/doc/flexfax.  Otherwise the software is broken
    into two areas: flexfax.client.* for software needed on client machines,
    and flexfax.server.* for software needed on a machine where a fax
    modem is located.  To unpack and install the client portion:

    % mkdir dist; cd dist
    % tar xf ../v2.1.inst.tar
    % cd ..; inst -f dist/flexfax
    ...
    inst> go

    (Note, the dist subdirectory is because some versions of inst fail if
    the files are in the current directory.)  Note that server binaries are
    not installed by default, so to get them also you need to do:

    % inst -f flexfax
    ...
    inst> install flexfax.server.*
    inst> go

    Remember that to install a server on a Silicon Graphics machine, you
    need to have already installed the Display PostScript execution
    environment product (dps_eoe).  Otherwise, the fax server will not be
    able to convert PostScript to facsimile for transmission.


    FlexFAX Mailing List
    --------------------
    A mailing list for users of this software is located on sgi.com.
    If you want to join this mailing list or have a list-related request
    such as getting your name removed from it, send a request to

    [e-mail]

    Submissions (including bug reports) should be directed to:

    [e-mail]

    When corresponding about this software please always specify what
    version you have, what system you're running on, and, if the problem is
    specific to your modem, identify the modem and firmware revision.



    Use and Copyright
    -----------------
    Silicon Graphics has seen fit to allow me to give this work away.  It
    is free.  There is no support or guarantee of any sort as to its
    operations, correctness, or whatever.  If you do anything useful with
    all or parts of it you need to honor the copyright notices.   I would
    also be interested in knowing about it and, hopefully, be acknowledged.

        Sam Leffler    ([e-mail])


    Copyright (c) 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993 Sam Leffler
    Copyright (c) 1991, 1992, 1993 Silicon Graphics, Inc.

    Permission to use, copy, modify, distribute, and sell this software and
    its documentation for any purpose is hereby granted without fee, provided
    that (i) the above copyright notices and this permission notice appear in
    all copies of the software and related documentation, and (ii) the names of
    Sam Leffler and Silicon Graphics may not be used in any advertising or
    publicity relating to the software without the specific, prior written
    permission of Sam Leffler and Silicon Graphics.

    THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS-IS" AND WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND,
    EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR OTHERWISE, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, ANY
    WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

    IN NO EVENT SHALL SAM LEFFLER OR SILICON GRAPHICS BE LIABLE FOR
    ANY SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, INDIRECT OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OF ANY KIND,
    OR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER RESULTING FROM LOSS OF USE, DATA OR PROFITS,
    WHETHER OR NOT ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF DAMAGE, AND ON ANY THEORY OF
    LIABILITY, ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OR PERFORMANCE
    OF THIS SOFTWARE.


GNU NetFax
==========
on uunet.uu.net as systems/gnu/fax-3.2.1.tar.z (gzip format)
    To answer all the queries on NetFax:

    - I have taken over maintenance of NetFax.
    - I am currently integrating numerous fixes provided by various
      people which include:
        - support for Zykel Modems
        - Use more standard Class 2 commands
        - Setup configuration files for modems
        - support for Xenix
          (This isn't a priority, except that I'm already doing it
           for a client)
        - Better compilation and installation
    - There are a lot of problems with the current release, I don't
      expect that it will work on the majority of modem/system combinations
      without work.
    - If you have any fixes, or improvements please send them to
      me [e-mail] or [e-mail]
    - I hope to have a new release out in a few weeks.

    Following are some hints on getting the current version of
    NetFax working (for the impatient :)  I haven't tried all of these
    but they may help.

    - Use GNU make
    - It won't work on Xenix
    - If when you send a fax, it gets received twice as long as it
      should (22 inches instead of 11) try:
        - Use dfaxlow driver with Ghostscript (easiest) or
        - Change the source to use the +FDCC=xxxx/+FDCS=xxxx instead of
          +FDT=xxx

    The following modems are reported to work with NetFax 3.2.1

    Supra FaxModem 14.4 (v. 1.20C or later)
    Vivi 2496ef FaxModem (Has the resolution problem described above)
    Everex 24/96 D

    If you'd like to help me testing the new version, especially if you
    have something other than Supra Faxmodems, drop me a line.

    Jim
    --
    Jim Mintha                       Home: [phone] or 737-6094
    [e-mail]               Work: [phone] or 465-5074



fax.3.2.1
=========
prep.ai.mit.edu has fax-3.2.1.tar.z
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P.2    List of MS-DOS Fax Software
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P.3    List of MacIntosh Fax Software
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P.4    List of Windows Fax Software
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P.5    List of OS/2 Fax Software
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P.6    List of Fax Modem Vendors
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Company               Classes    Phone        Fax
=====================  =======    ==============    ==============

    -- North America --

AT&T Paradyne        1    [phone]    [phone]
Computer Peripherals    2    [phone]    [phone]
Hayes            1    [phone]    [phone]
Intel            1    [phone]    [phone]
MICC            2    [phone]    [phone]
Macronix        2    [phone]
MultiTech Systems    2    [phone]    [phone]
Practical Peripherals    1,2
Supra Corporation    1,2    [phone]    [phone]
Telebit            2    [phone]    [phone]
The Complete PC        1,2    [phone]    [phone]
U.S. Robotics        1    (800) DIAL-USR    [phone]
Zoom            2    [phone]    [phone]
ZyXEL USA        2    [phone]    [phone]

    -- Australia  (courtesy of [e-mail] )--

Supplier            Model          Class     Phone/Fax
==================  =============  ========  ==================

NetComm             M4F, M7F        2,2.0    [phone]
Dataplex            DPX-223         2        [phone]
            DPX-225         2
Interlink           Fax Modem 3     2        [phone]
Maestro             9600XR          2        [phone]
Banksia             BitBlitzer      2        [phone]

    -- Europe --

Dr. Neuhaus         ?               ?        [phone]/[phone]



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--------------------------------------------------------------
Contributors to and/or Sources of Information Used in this FAQ
--------------------------------------------------------------
[e-mail] (Adam Donnison)
[e-mail] (Daniel I. Rosenblatt)
[e-mail] (Gerard Huysmans)
[e-mail] (herman.r.silbiger)
[e-mail] (John M Hughes)
[e-mail] (Rob McKeever)
[e-mail] (Jim Mintha)
[e-mail] (Christian Weisgerber)
[e-mail] (Lennart Regebro)
[e-mail] (KlausRosenauer)
[e-mail] (Sam Leffler)
[e-mail] (Udo Klimaschewski)
[e-mail] (Uli Zug)
[e-mail] (Wes Chalfant)

and of course, the author/editor of this FAQ:
    [e-mail] (George Pajari)

-------------------------------------
Posters of Questions Used in This FAQ
-------------------------------------
[e-mail] (Hei Tao Fung)
[e-mail] (Scott Le Fevre)
[e-mail] (David R. Love)

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This material is not copyright.  Permission to copy freely granted.
Acknowledgement citing George Pajari, Faximum Software appreciated.
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