File: mgetty.info, Node: Top, Next: Intro, Prev: (dir), Up: (dir)
mgetty + sendfax
****************
This is the online documentation for the mgetty+sendfax package written
by Gert Doering.
* Menu:
* Intro:: Introduction
* mgetty:: Using `mgetty'
* Fax:: Fax Operations
* voice:: Voice Operations
* Problems:: Common problems and solutions (TROUBLESHOOTING)
* Thanks:: Credits
File: mgetty.info, Node: Intro, Next: mgetty, Prev: Top, Up: Top
1 Introduction
**************
`mgetty' allows you to make optimum use of your modem or fax modem in a
unix environment. `mgetty' handles incoming calls without interfering
with outgoing calls. If the modem can do fax class 2 or 2.0, `mgetty'
can also receive faxes.
`sendfax' is a standalone backend program to send fax files.
This manual explains how to configure and install the package on
various operating systems and modems, and how to use those programs.
* Menu:
* Copying:: Copying conditions and (lack of) warranty
* Overview:: Features of `mgetty' and `sendfax'
* Supported:: Supported systems and modems
* Install:: Configuration and installation
* intro-runtime:: Runtime Configuration: an Overview
File: mgetty.info, Node: Copying, Next: Overview, Prev: Intro, Up: Intro
1.1 Copying conditions and (lack of) warranty
=============================================
*WARNING:* This package is still BETA software. Use it at your own
risk, there is *no* warranty. If it erases all the data on your hard
disk, damages your hardware, or kills your dog, that is entirely your
problem. Anyway, the program works for me and quite a lot of other
people.
The `mgetty+sendfax' package is Copyright (C) 1993-2002 Gert
Doering, Klaus Weidner, Marc Eberhard, Marc Schaefer, and others.
It is distributed on terms of the GNU General Public License, which
you can find in the main mgetty directory in the file `COPYING'.
If you want to redistribute `mgetty+sendfax' under a different
license (like in "selling it to your customers"), contact me, and we
will work something out.
File: mgetty.info, Node: Overview, Next: Supported, Prev: Copying, Up: Intro
1.2 Features of `mgetty' and `sendfax'
======================================
This package contains two major programs, `mgetty' and `sendfax'.
This is what you can do with `sendfax' if you have a standard class
2 fax modem:
* send faxes directly or using shell scripts
* do "fax polling", this means you can call the weather station and
get them to send you a fax containing the current weather map.
(Not all modem manufacturers implement this feature in their
modems!)
* create a "fax queue", outgoing faxes get sent automatically, the
user is informed by mail about the result.
`mgetty' allows you to use your modem line for receiving fax and
data calls, without hindering dial-out on the same line.
* `mgetty' knows about "smart" modems, and will make sure that the
modem is always in a defined state (specific modem initialization
possible)
* Incoming calls are answered manually (`RING' -> `ATA' ->
`CONNECT') instead of using auto-answer (`ATS0=1'), this way the
modem won't pick up the phone when the machine is down or logins
are not allowed.
* `mgetty' incorporates all features of uugetty: it honours `LCK.*'
files created by `uucico' and other comm programs, this way it will
prevent dial-outs while a caller is online and it won't be
confused if other programs use the modem.
* `mgetty' can receive faxes (if your modem supports fax class 2 or
2.0).
* `mgetty' knows about incoming FidoNet calls.
* `mgetty' has extensive logging / debugging features
* do "fax poll sending", that is, you can setup your machine as fax
poll server, to send some fax pages to "fax poll" callers. (Send
informations about your system, the current wheather map, ...). Be
warned, even less modems support this feature.
* `mgetty' can selectively refuse calls based upon CallerID, if your
local Telco supports it and your modem knows how to decode and
report it. CallerID is also logged.
* `mgetty' has facilities to allow you to refuse incoming FAXes when
available disk space is low.
If you have any bug reports, suggestions, please report them to
(or, if [and only if!] that doesn't work, to
).
Also, I have created a mgetty mailing list, for discussion of
problems and suggestions. You can subscribe by sending a request to
(forwarded to Crynwr.com for precessing) and you
can send articles to the list by sending them to . The
list manager will write you back for verification of your address, so
make sure it is correct.
The mailing list is currently gated bidirectionally into the
newsgroup de.alt.comm.mgetty. In spite of being in the German language
hierarchy, the language in the group is English. Posts in German should
be ignored.
The mailing list is archived on a WWW site, look at
`http://www.elilabs.com/mgarc/index.html' (many thanks to Robert J.
Brown, ). It's also archived by Marc Schaefer, on
`http://search.alphanet.ch/' *(NEW!)*. The latter search engine
indexes somewhat more than only the mgetty list, so you might want to
add 'mgetty' to your query to restrict it.
File: mgetty.info, Node: Supported, Next: Install, Prev: Overview, Up: Intro
1.3 Supported systems and modems
================================
Mgetty has been successfully installed and run on the following systems
(though older systems might need work to get current mgetty versions to
compile):
SCO Unix 3.2.1 (ODT 1.0) (well tested)
SCO Unix 3.2.4 (ODT 2.0 + 3.0) (very well tested)
SCO Open Server 5.0 (well tested)
Linux (everything from 0.99pl1 up) (very well tested)
ISC Unix 3.0 (tested)
SVR4 Unix (well tested)
SVR4.2 Unix (needs more testing)
AT&T 3B1 3.51m (tested)
HP-UX 8.x and 9.x (well tested)
AIX 3.2.5, 4.1, 4.2 and 4.3 (very well tested)
SunOS 4 (well tested)
Solaris 2.x (well tested)
NetBSD / FreeBSD (all versions) (very well tested)
Apple Darwin (Kernel 5.1) (tested)
It should be possible to run mgetty on any other Unix with `termio.h'
or `termios.h'. For best results, use of the library functions
`select(S)' or `poll(S)' is recommended, but there's a workaround if
your system hasn't either. (Warning: for Unix SVR3.1 or earlier, _do
not use poll()_, it will not work on tty devices.)
Up to now, it has been successfully used with the following modems
(no exhaustive list) in fax mode:
ZyXEL U1496 (various ROM releases)
(very well tested, a couple of problems remain, depending on the
ROM release)
ZyXEL 2864/2864I (various ROM releases)
(very well tested, some firmware versions have problems)
USR Courier/Sportster series
(well tested, Couriers work great, Sportsters are ok for data)
MultiTech (various models)
(tested, works very well, very good fax implementation)
SupraFAX v32bis
(tested, works well, no fax polling available)
GVC FM144/+
(tested, works well, no fax polling available)
TKR DM-24VF+ (Deltafax)
(tested, works quite well)
Zoom V.FAST 24K/28K
(tested, works, some problems with fax/data distinction)
ELSA MicroLink (various)
(tested, usually works well, some firmware versions have issues)
It _should_ work with all class 2 faxmodems. Maybe the DC2 character
sent at the beginning of a page by `faxrec.c' must be changed to XON,
for very old class 2 modems (implementing very old drafts of the
standard). *Note Modems::.
In Data mode, it will work with every Hayes-compatible modem.
File: mgetty.info, Node: Install, Next: intro-runtime, Prev: Supported, Up: Intro
1.4 Configuration and installation
==================================
Compiling of the package should be quite straightforward. You have to
copy `policy.h-dist' to `policy.h' and edit it to set some local policy
options, see the comments in that file. (Most default values should be
fine, though).
Then, edit the `Makefile', to specify installation paths, some
system defines and some system dependent libraries (explained there).
After that, a `make' should build the programs and the documentation.
Before you can run `make install' to setup and install everything,
make sure that the user that you specified for `FAX_OUT_USER' in
`Makefile' exists in your system. This user will be needed to run
`faxrunq' or `faxrunqd', and owns all the outgoing fax queue (this has
been changed for 1.1.29 - earlier versions had the fax queue world
writeable, which was a security problem).
If your compiler complains about the `#ident' lines I use for `RCS',
please run `make noident', that will take care of those lines (this is
only needed if the compiler refuses to go on - some compilers complain,
but go on anyways).
If you get an error message about "unresolved symbols" when linking,
you may have to tell the package whether you have the select(S) or
poll(S) system calls, by defining `-DUSE_SELECT' or `-DUSE_POLL' flags
in the `Makefile' (If you don't know it, try both, until the error goes
away). If it's not related to `select' or `poll', please check the
systems man pages which libraries to link, and add appropriate
`-l' statements to `LIBS'.
If your system has neither the select(S) call nor the poll(S) call,
mgetty is not fully operational--these functions are the only way to
prevent mgetty from eating up characters when some other process is
trying to dial out.
You can use mgetty anyway, by specifying `-DUSE_READ' in the
Makefile, but beware: with this, mgetty will eat up at least one
character of the modem response when another program is dialing out.
That may lead to disastrous results if e.g. the `CONNECT' string is
thus corrupted, but most of the time, the character that `mgetty' eats
away will be an `cr' or `nl' or part of the command that the modem
echoes back.
If you have any problems compiling mgetty and sendfax (on a Unix-like
system--I do not support MS-DOS or Windows!), please contact me. _But
make sure that you have read the documentation!_
Later on in this document you can find some more detailed
instructions about specific operating systems (Linux, FreeBSD, and so
on).
File: mgetty.info, Node: intro-runtime, Prev: Install, Up: Intro
1.5 Runtime configuration: Overview
===================================
If `mgetty' or `sendfax' are run "as is", they will use their
compiled-in defaults from `policy.h'.
If the configuration files `mgetty.config' (*note runtime-mgetty::)
and `sendfax.config' (*note runtime-sendfax::) exist (and are
readable), both programs will get their run-time configuration from
there. Items not specified there will still be taken from the
compiled-in defaults. Command line switches will always override those
settings. The configuration files are usually located in
`/etc/mgetty+sendfax/'.
If you specify command line arguments (see the mgetty(1) and
sendfax(8) man pages for details), this will override both compiled-in
and config file defaults.
File: mgetty.info, Node: mgetty, Next: Fax, Prev: Intro, Up: Top
2 Using `mgetty'
****************
You can't simply call `mgetty' from a shell script (like `/etc/rc') or
interactively, because login is not possible unless mgetty is called
directly by the `init' process. The next sections explain how to do
this.
* Menu:
* How:: How `mgetty' works
* Inittab:: The `/etc/inittab' entry
* Devices:: Choosing the right device
* Logs:: Log files
* Deny:: Denying logins (and scheduling)
* Direct:: Direct serial lines
* Interaction:: Interaction between `mgetty' and other programs
* Caller-ID:: Using Caller-ID to selectively accept or reject calls
* runtime-mgetty:: Runtime configuration: `mgetty.config'
File: mgetty.info, Node: How, Next: Inittab, Prev: mgetty, Up: mgetty
2.1 How `mgetty' works
======================
To help you understand how mgetty works, here is an example of what
happens in various circumstances when you use it to control a modem
connected to a serial line, e.g. `/dev/tty2a'.
When the computer is booted, the operating system starts the `init'
process, which is responsible for making sure that gettys are running on
the appropiate i/o devices, e.g. virtual terminals, serial lines and
modems. `init' reads its configuration file, `/etc/inittab' (on System
V), which tells it that the line `/dev/tty2a' should be controlled by
mgetty. It then creates an entry in `/etc/utmp' (`login' needs this,
that's why you can't log in if you try to start mgetty by hand), and
forks a new `mgetty' process, using the command line specified.
When mgetty is started, it first checks if a valid lock file held by
another process exists. If it does, this means that the port is in use,
and mgetty will wait until the lock file goes away. Invalid lock files,
e.g. for nonexistent processes ("stale" locks), are ignored.
Once the port is free, mgetty creates its own lockfile, initializes
the modem and removes its lock file again. Then it waits for something
to happen on the port. Note that it does not _read_ any characters, it
just checks if there are any available for reading by using `poll()' or
`select()'.
There are two possibilities once characters arrive, either a
different program (e.g. `uucico') has started dialing out or a `RING'
was sent by the modem. In the first case, mgetty should leave the port
alone. This is easy _if_ the program dialing out has created a valid
lock file: mgetty will find it, wait for it to go away and then exit
(which will cause `init' to start a fresh `mgetty' process, which will
then wait for the next call).
In the second case, when there is no lock file, mgetty assumes that
the phone is ringing, creates a lock file and reads the characters
available. If it finds a `RING', it picks up the phone by sending `ATA'
and waits for the `CONNECT' message. If the caller is a fax machine, it
saves the fax in the directory `FAX_SPOOL_IN' (usually
`/var/spool/fax/incoming') and exits. If it is a modem, it prints
`/etc/issue' and displays a login prompt. Once it has received a login
string, it calls `/bin/login' and lets it handle things from here.
`login' will read the password and will then start the user's login
shell, `uucico', a dialup SLIP link or whatever, but mgetty doesn't
care about that. The lock file remains so that no other programs will
try to use the modem while somebody is logged in.
(If the `login.config' configuration file is used, mgetty can also
call other login programs than `/bin/login'. See below for more details)
Once mgetty has terminated for whatever reason, `init' might
reinitialize the port (this is why mgetty waits for lock files to go
away instead of quitting immediately) and will then start a new
`mgetty' process, which will remove lock files left over from the last
login.
The lock file handling is tricky, but very important. It is essential
that _all_ programs that use the modem agree on one locking protocol,
otherwise one program might not know that the modem is in use and will
try to dial out anyway. A typical lock file is a file called
`/var/lock/LCK..ttyxx', containing the process ID (PID) of the process
currently using the modem. Other processes can read it and tell if the
lock file belongs to an existing process or if it is "stale" and can be
removed. This will obviously not work if the processes look for lock
files in different places, or if one of them writes its PID in ASCII
and another one tries to read it as a binary number (while mgetty and
sendfax do not care whether foreign lock files are written in binary or
ascii format, other programs do! mgetty can sometimes detect this
problem, and will then log a warning).
File: mgetty.info, Node: Inittab, Next: Devices, Prev: How, Up: mgetty
2.2 The `/etc/inittab' entry
============================
An typical `inittab' entry for `mgetty' looks like this (on
SystemV-style OSes):
:rlevel::/usr/sbin/mgetty [options]
where `tt' is a short form of the `device' name, used by `init' and
`who' for internal purposes. Usually this is something like `S0' or
`2A' or so.
`rlevel' specifies the runlevel that the command in the fourth field
is run at, this may be `23' or `56' or so, look at `man init' and the
existing `/etc/inittab' on your system.
The next field tells `init' whether that entry is active (`respawn')
or not (`off'), and the fourth field specifies the full path of the
program to run.
The following options are available for `mgetty':
`-x ' sets the debugging level. This is very important for
diagnosing problems, as with higher levels, `mgetty' will write very
detailed informations about its internal workings to its log file.
`-s ' sets the port speed. If not specified, the default from
`policy.h', (definition `DEFAULT_PORTSPEED') will be used.
`-k ' sets the minimum number of kbytes required on the
incoming FAX spool directory. If there isn't this much space in the
spool directory, the connection is terminated. The default is 1
megabyte.
`-m 'EXPECT SEND ...'' sets the modem initialization sequence.
`-r' for direct lines (no modem chats are done)
`-p ' sets the login prompt (various escapes are
allowed)
`-n ' sets the number of `RING' messages to expect before
sending `ATA' to answer the phone. Default is one `RING'.
`-R ' tells mgetty to enable "ring-back" or "ring-twice" mode.
This means that mgetty won't pick up a call immediately, but the caller
has to hang up after the first ring, and call again in the next
seconds.
`-i `/etc/issue'' specifies the issue file to display before
prompting for login.
`-S `'' specifies the document(s) to send to polling
fax machines (full path required). `' has to be in G3
format (as for `sendfax'), or a text file listing G3 fax files (one
file per line).
A sample entry in `/etc/inittab' might look like this:
F1a:23:respawn:/usr/sbin/mgetty -x 3 tty2a
For a more detailed explanation of all the options, please look into
the `mgetty(1)' man page.
File: mgetty.info, Node: Devices, Next: Logs, Prev: Inittab, Up: mgetty
2.3 Choosing the right device
=============================
Some operating systems provide two separate devices for each serial
line, one of which is intended especially for gettys. This is _NOT_ a
good idea, because it won't work with `mgetty'. It is meant for modems
used in auto-answer mode.
`mgetty' picks up the phone by hand, this will only work properly if
you use the _same_ device you would use for dialing out. (Some people
like to create a symlink `/dev/modem' for this, but you have to be
consistent and use this for _all_ comm programs if you do - otherwise
you'll run into problems with the lock file names).
Here are some examples for different systems:
* SV Unix systems using the FAS serial driver:
Use `ttyF01' etc., (minor number 80+(port number). Do _not_ use
`ttyFMxxx'--mgetty will open the device anyway, but then an open
to the "normal" port (without carrier detect) will block.
* SCO Unix systems with the stock serial driver:
Use the modem-control port (`tty2A'), _not_ `tty2a', because
hardware flow control and carrier detection do not work on
"lowercase" tty devices.
The same holds for "smart" serial boards, as specialix, digiboard,
..., because they mimic the behaviour of SCO's sio driver.
* Linux:
Use `/dev/ttyS*', _not_ `/dev/cua*'. *Note Linux::.
* SunOS, FreeBSD, NetBSD:
Use `/dev/cua*', not `/dev/ttyS*'. Don't ask me why it has to be
this way, but the other way won't work. (On SunOS or Solaris, you
can find some gory details in the `man zs' man page).
File: mgetty.info, Node: Logs, Next: Deny, Prev: Devices, Up: mgetty
2.4 Log files
=============
`mgetty' will normally write all actions into a logfile, named
`LOG_PATH.' (LOG_PATH is defined `policy.h'), e.g.
`/var/log/mgetty.log.ttyxx', so you can easily see what's happening in
your system. (If a fatal error occurs, the error message is also
written to the console, and if that is not possible, mailed to
`ADMIN'). The name of the log file can be changed in `policy.h'.
If `mgetty' is compiled with `-DSYSLOG', auditing and error log
messages will also go to `syslog' (if your system supports it).
File: mgetty.info, Node: Deny, Next: Direct, Prev: Logs, Up: mgetty
2.5 Denying logins
==================
If you want to prevent mgetty from accepting calls, you can do so by
creating a file called `/etc/nologin.' (e.g.
`/etc/nologin.tty2a'). If mgetty detects an incoming call, and sees
this file, it will _NOT_ answer the phone. This way the caller does not
lose money for a useless call when logins are not allowed anyway. (You
can change the filename that is checked by changing `NOLOGIN_FILE' in
`policy.h')
This can be used for quite sophisticated scheduling purposes -
imagine a modem attached to a line used for voice during the daytime.
So, you want the modem only to answer the phone during 9 pm and 7 am.
What you do is to have `cron' create a `/etc/nologin.DEVICE' file at 7
am (so the modem won't answer the call during the day) and remove it at
9 pm (so the modem can answer the phone at night).
Naturally, this can be easily extended - e.g., answer the phone only
on weekends (similar cron job), don't answer the phone if there are less
than 5 Mbyte free on disk (have a process check for free disk space
regularily and create `/etc/nologin.*' file(s) accordingly), ...
File: mgetty.info, Node: Direct, Next: Interaction, Prev: Deny, Up: mgetty
2.6 Direct serial lines
=======================
If you have a direct serial line between two unix machines, or a unix
machine and something else, and want to run a getty program on the unix
side that should not interfere with outgoing traffic (e.g.: two unix
machines, both sides running gettys, both sides able to initiate an uucp
connection), you can also use mgetty. Start it with the `-r' flag (as
with uugetty), and it will not try to initialize the modem or wait for
RINGs. It will just sit silently on the port and wait... You won't see
`/etc/issue' on the other side until mgetty gets at least one
character, this prevents two mgettys from talking to each other.
This may be valid for leased lines with modems in leased line mode
as well, but that may depend on your modem setup.
File: mgetty.info, Node: Interaction, Next: Caller-ID, Prev: Direct, Up: mgetty
2.7 Interaction between `mgetty' and other programs
===================================================
Normally, after a caller enters his login name, `mgetty' calls
`/bin/login' to do the password checking and system login.
In some special cases, you may want to call other programs instead of
`/bin/login'. For example, you could want to call `/usr/lib/uucp/uucico
-L ' for all login names starting with `U*' (to have `uucico'
do the authentication, works only with taylor uucp 1.05 or taylor uucp
1.04 with my patch in `patches/taylor.p1'), or `/usr/lib/fnet/ifcico'
for incoming FidoNet calls (using `ifcico' from Eugene Crosser's
`ifmail' package).
`mgetty' can do all this. It's controlled by a configuration file
`login.config', normally located in `/etc/mgetty+sendfax/' (definition
`LOGIN_CFG_FILE' in `policy.h'). I have provided a sample file with
lots of comments, please look into that file for the syntax to use. To
make `mgetty' understand incoming fido calls, you have to compile it
with `-DFIDO'.
If you are worrying about security, you can also use this mechanism:
just call `/bin/login' only for trusted, known users, and `/bin/false'
for every other login name - so, only those listed in `login.config'
will be able to log in.
This mechanism can also be used to automatically start up a `PPP'
server if an incoming client sends PPP packets. This feature is called
_AutoPPP_. For it to work, you have to compile `mgetty' with
`-DAUTO_PPP' (added to CFLAGS in Makefile). After this, `mgetty' will
detect incoming PPP packets, and run the program that is specified in
`login.config' by the special user name "/AutoPPP/". See the sample
`login.config' file for an example.
Which options should be specified depends on your PPP server program
and your local setup. Don't ask me about that - I wouldn't know.
Instead, please check the relevant man pages.
File: mgetty.info, Node: Caller-ID, Next: runtime-mgetty, Prev: Interaction, Up: mgetty
2.8 Using Caller-ID to selectively accept or reject calls
=========================================================
Some telephone companies provide a service to the subscriber, called
"Caller ID", where the phone number of the caller is transmitted while
your phone is ringing. Not all providers support it, and you'll have to
ask for it.
If your modem is able to retrieve callerid information, and `mgetty'
is compiled with `CNDFILE' defined in `policy.h', `mgetty' can check
the caller's number before answering the phone. (Right now, it works
for most variants out there, ZyXEL, Rockwell, ELSA and isdn4linux among
them). If `CNDFILE' is undefined, or if the file specified does not
exist, all calls will be allowed.
One important thing: for most analog modems, you *must* set the
number of RINGs to wait for to two (2) or higher (set `rings 2' in
`mgetty.config'), because the ID code is sent between the first and the
second RING. If mgetty picks up the phone too soon, the modem can't get
this information.
Whether a call is accepted or denied is controlled by the
configuration file set with `CNDFILE' in `policy.h'. The usual default
is `/etc/mgetty+sendfax/dialin.config' (a sample file is installed per
default).
That file contains a series of tokens separated by newlines, commas,
tabs and spaces. The callerid number is compared with each token in
turn, until a match occurs. A match occurs when the token compares
equally to the callerid information up to the length of the token. If
the token is prefixed with a "!", a match means "do not answer the
phone". The token "all" matches any telephone number, and will
terminate scanning of the cndfile. If no callerid number is present, it
is assumed to have the value "none". A line starting with "#" is a
comment. There is an implicit "all" at the end of the file.
For example:
# list of my friends' data lines
3433535, 7445343, 5551212
# dad's fax
4164646777
# disallow [other] calls from numbers matching the following prefix:
!416
# disallow that speed dialer that keeps hitting my machine
!3444444
# allow all calls with the following prefixes
832, 555
# don't allow calls when there's no callerid:
!none
# It's okay to accept calls from out of area
# ("OUT_OF_AREA" token seems ZyXEL specific)
OUT_OF_AREA
# disallow all other calls
!all
For the future, Chris Lewis is planning on adding special modem
initialization strings (e.g., 2400 bps only, fax-only, ...) dependant
on the caller number.
For most applications, this kind of static configuration is enough.
If you have special needs, you can choose to run an external program to
decide this. The program name is configured with the `cnd-program'
statement in `mgetty.config'. Its command line arguments are:
`CallerID' is the number of the caller, if known, or `none', if not.
`Name' is the name of the caller, or empty (") if unknown.
`dist-ring-nr.' is the RING type, if you have "distinctive RING" on
your telephone line and your modem supports this, or "0" for an
unidentified call. `Called Nr.' is the number that was called (this is
only meaningful if you have ISDN, and your modem signals the complete
number called to the host - e.g. ELSA or ZyXEL 2864I do that).
For example, a call from 12345 to 56789, using ISDN, coming in on
ttyS3, could lead to a program called like this:
check.cnd ttyS3 12345 '' 0 56789
The program return value decides whether the call should be accepted.
Currently, the following values are defined:
0 - accept call, no specific preferences
1 - reject call
Future versions will allow external selection of the way
mgetty/vgetty is supposed to answer the call (data/voice/fax/...), but
that's not implemented yet.
Note: this can not only be used to decide whether to accept a call
or not. You could as well use it to display the caller ID on an
external LCD screen, in an X11 window, print it, initiate a D-Channel
Callback, or do whatever you want that needs the Caller ID data.
*Note2: be careful what kind of programs you call! They run with
user id 0 (root), so that could easily be a security risk if you're not
careful.*
File: mgetty.info, Node: runtime-mgetty, Prev: Caller-ID, Up: mgetty
2.9 Runtime configuration for mgetty: `mgetty.config'
=====================================================
`Mgetty' works quite well with the compiled-in defaults (it has been
the only way to configure it for a long time), but that's quite
unflexible, and especially if you use different modem types, it's
extremely unhandy. The built-in defaults can be modified by command
line options, but that's not perfect either, because it makes
`/etc/inittab' entries very long and difficult to read.
If compiled with _config file_ support (define `MGETTY_CONFIG' in
`policy.h'), `mgetty' can use a configuration file, quite similar to
those which "Taylor UUCP" uses, which make dynamic setup far easier.
The config file is usually located in `/etc/mgetty+sendfax/' and
named `mgetty.config'. Its format is very simple. Each line contains one
keyword, and possibly arguments for it, separated by whitespace. Empty
lines, and comment lines (lines starting with `#') are allowed.
The config file is grouped into port-specific sections, separated by
`port ' lines. Everything before the first `port' line
specifies global defaults, everything between two `port' statements
specifies configuration items valid only for exactly this device. Let
me show you an example:
# global defaults:
# fax station id is always the same
fax-id ++49-89-1234
# per port stuff
port tty1a
# This modem can't fax
modem-type data
port tty2a
# more verbose logging for this modem
debug 9
The data part of each line, following the keyword, can be a string
(in most cases), a chat sequence (a series of strings, separated by
whitespace, that specify the "modem talk" to do. It starts with
"expect" string, then "send", then "expect" again, and so on), an
integer (interpreted as decimal, octal or hexadecimal, depending on the
leading character [1-9/0/0x]), or boolean (`y(es)' or `t(rue)' vs.
`n(o)' or `f(alse)'). If no argument is specified, this will be
considered "value not set" (if allowed) or "error" (if value is
mandatory), except for boolean values. In that case, it's interpreted
as `true'.
Many of those configuration items can be overriden from the command
line. In that case, command line options take precedence over
configuration file settings (and those take precedence over built-in
defaults). In many cases, the built-in defaults can be set in
`policy.h'.
The available configuration items are (command line options, if
available, given in brackets):
- `speed' [-s] PORT SPEED
Specify, as integer value, the port speed to use. Default is
`DEFAULT_PORTSPEED'. If the given speed is not valid, `mgetty'
complains loudly and exits.
- `switchbd' FAX RECV. SPEED
Some modems, mainly Rockwell chipsets, switch to 19200 bps when
entering fax mode. Others may need other speed switches (but I
know none). If your modem is Rockwell based, try `switchbd 19200'
if fax reception doesn't work. (*Warning:* if this is set wrongly,
fax reception will definitely fail. For most sane modems, you do
*not need* this.). Default is `FAX_RECV_SWITCHBD'.
- `direct' YES/NO [-r]
Tells mgetty that it is running on a direct line. Mgetty won't try
to initialize any modem, nor will it wait for `RING'. It will just
wait for any character, and then output the issue file and login
prompt. This option is used if you want to connect to machines via
nullmodem cable. Default is NO, since `mgetty' is designed for
modems...
- `blocking' YES/NO [-b]
Tells mgetty to open the device in `blocking' mode, that is, the
`open()' system call won't succeed until carrier detect is set.
This is set if `mgetty' is called as `getty'. I'm not sure whether
it's very useful, but I include it for completeness. Default is NO.
*Do not activate this unless you understand all implications!*
- `port-owner' USERNAME/USERID
If set, mgetty will `chown' the tty line to the given username (you
can specify a string or an integer uid, but the integer must be
valid). This is highly recommended for security purposes: only
give port access to those users you trust not to misuse your modem
lines! Default is `PORT_OWNER'.
- `port-group' GROUPNAME/GID
If set, mgetty will `chgrp' the tty line to this group id (which
can be given as group name, or as integer gid). If it's not given,
or not valid, the primary group id of `port-owner' will be used.
Default is `PORT_GROUP'.
- `port-mode' PERMISSONS
Specifies the permissions to `chmod' the device to. *Never* make a
modem device world-accessible, better use `0660' or even `0600'.
Default is `PORT_MODE'.
- `toggle-dtr' YES/NO
Tells mgetty whether it should lower the DTR line upon startup to
reset modem. Default is `yes', but some (few) modems react
allergic to that and crash.
- `toggle-dtr-waittime' MSECS
Specifies the time to hold the DTR line low. Default is 500
milliseconds.
- `data-only' YES/NO [-D]
Tells `mgetty' to forget about faxing and only use the data part of
the modem. Default is `false'. You need this if your modem can't
distinguish incoming fax and data calls.
- `fax-only' YES/NO [-F]
Tells `mgetty' to put the modem in fax-only mode. You need this if
your modem can't distinguish incoming fax and data calls, but you
need fax more important than data; and you need it if you want to
disable data calls for security reasons (this could be achieved
via `login.config' as well)
Watch out: if you have setup some unusual `answer-chat', incoming
calls might still come through. So check your setup!
- `modem-type' [-C] MTYPE
Specifies the kind of modem connected to the port. Default is
`DEFAULT_MODEMTYPE'. Valid options are:
* auto
Mgetty will detect the modem type itself (which may
occasionally be not desirable, or it may fail on old modem
equipment). Mgetty will use the `ATI' command to find out
the modem type, and select the proper fax class accordingly.
If that fails (unknown modem type), mgetty will try class 2.0
and then class 2.
* c2.0
Modem is a CLASS 2.0 fax mode. Works better than class 2, if
both are available, because its better standardized. Known to
work with USR, ZyXEL 1496 and 2864 series, and ELSA modems.
* cls2
Modem is a CLASS 2 fax modem, mgetty will not try class 2.0.
* c2.1
Modem conforms to the new ITU T.32 standard (class 2.1). To
my knowledge, there are no such modems available yet, but
supporting them will be easy as class 2.1 is very similar to
class 2.0.
* cls1
Modem can only do class 1 fax. NOT IMPLEMENTED YET. (And
not recommended anyway).
* c1.0
Modem can do class 1 fax conforming to ITU T.31 standard.
This isn't much better than class 1 (use class 2 / 2.0 if
available!), but is better standardized. NOT IMPLEMENTED YET.
* cls2ok
(obsolete, use `modem-quirks 02')
* data
Do not try fax initialization, same as if `-D' given.
There is no way (yet) to tell mgetty to use *only* fax mode and
refuse data calls with this option, use the `fax-only true'
statement for that.
- `modem-quirks' BITMASK
Some modems have a very peculiar interpretation of the fax
standards. Some of the internal operations of `mgetty+sendfax'
can be adapted to that. The argument is a number, constructed
from valies in `fax_lib.h', one bit per "quirk". Usually you
won't need this option, because those modems really needing it are
auto-detected and handled properly anyway.
Right now, the following quirks are defined:
0x01 leave the modem in class 2 mode instead of switching
to class 0 before sending ATA (you might try this if
adaptive fax/data answer doesn't work).
0x02 class 2 bit order is correct (MultiTech) - unimplemented
0x04 do not trust +FPTS:x,lc,blc values
0x08 do not wait for XON character when sending pages
0x20 AT+FCC/+FMINSP bug workaround for (very) old USR Courier V.32
0x40 display incoming informations about 'non standard frames' - this
might be necessary on some USR modems to work around logic bugs
- `init-chat' [-m] EXPECT SEND EXPECT SEND ...
Tells mgetty the chat sequence to use for initializing the modem.
*Warning*: the sequence starts with *expect*, which will in most
cases be `""' (nothing). This ordering was chosen because UUCP
does it this way, and I wanted to avoid confusion here.
Example:
init-chat "" ATQ0E1V1H0 OK ATL0M0S0=0 OK AT&K3 OK
- `force-init-chat' EXPECT SEND EXPECT SEND ...
In some cases, the modem can get stuck in a mode where it won't
react to a simple `AT' command. Usually this happens because the
modem is set to ignore a DTR drop and still has a data connection
to the other side. If you use a voice modem, it could be stuck in
voice mode.
In these situations, the normal `init-chat' will time out, because
the modem won't send the proper responses back.
To get the modem back into a sane state, you can use the
`force-init-chat' chat sequence. The default setup will send the
DLE ETX characters, to get voice modems back to life, and then the
`(pause)+++(pause)ATH0' sequence to get the modem back from data
mode to command mode.
You could prepend this sequence to `init-chat' (it wouldn't harm),
but especially the pauses around the +++ sequence makes this
undesirable slow.
- `post-init-chat' EXPECT SEND EXPECT SEND ...
Some modems forget parts of their settings when going from data to
fax mode and back during modem initialization. For example, some
USR models forget the settings of "Caller ID delivery" (AT#CID=1),
and some ELSA modems forget their current DTE port speed when
going from voice to data mode, thus leading to RING messages being
delivered with the wrong baud rate.
For those modems, you can use this command to set up some AT
commands that are executed after all other fax and voice
initialization has been done. Be careful with what you do! If
you send an ATZ (modem reset) or something similar here, all your
fax/voice settings will be lost!
- `modem-check-time' SECONDS
Some modems have the nasty tendency to crash silently. With this
option, you tell `mgetty' to check every SECONDS seconds with a
simple `AT...OK' sequence whether the modem still reacts. If not,
`mgetty' will restart itself and do a full modem reset. Default is
`MODEM_CHECK_TIME'
- `rings' [-n] NNN
Sets the number of `RING' messages to wait for, before mgetty
picks up the phone. Default is 1. *Warning:* if your modem
auto-answers, for whatever reason, set this to something
*different* than the value set with `ATS0=mmm', otherwise the
modems autoanswer and mgettys manual answer will collide (most
modems hang up if a command is received during auto-answer)
- `msn-list' MSN1 MSN2 MSN3...
If you have an ISDN modem that signals the called party number
(MSN) to the host, you can use this statement to map the MSN
numbers to distictive RINGs. The MSN called will be compared the
list, and the first match is used for the distinctive RING number.
The list is searched from left to right.
This is known to work with ELSA and ZyXEL ISDN terminal adaptors.
- `get-cnd-chat' CHAT SEQUENCE
This is needed if you have a modem that supports "caller ID"
detection, but needs a special command to get the CID information.
Right now, this is only needed for some ELINK ISDN adaptors (*note
Elink-ISDN::), most other CID-capable modems send the CID on their
own and don't need this.
Don't forget to set `rings' to at least 2, otherwise the CID
grabbing code won't work.
- `cnd-program' PATHNAME
Specify a program to be run before answering an incoming call.
Use this if the static Caller ID selection in CNDFILE (policy.h)
is not sufficient, or if you want to use the Caller ID data for
other purposes (displaying, for example). *Note Caller-ID::.
- `answer-chat' CHAT SEQUENCE
This is the command sequence that is used to answer a phone call.
Usually you can leave it at the default ` "" ATA CONNECT \c \r ',
but for some modems you need `ATS0=1' in place of `ATA' (ATA not
allowed). The extra `\r' expect string is needed that the code can
grab the full CONNECT XYZ\R string. It will work without the \r,
but then the logging information will be less detailed. *Right now,
\r won't work at all, it's not implemented yet. Don't use it.*
- `answer-chat-timeout' SECS
During the ANSWER-CHAT, each "expect" string must be seen in the
time specified here. Default is 80 seconds. This time should be at
least some 5 seconds longer than the time set with the `ATS7=...'
modem setup command.
- `autobauding' YES/NO [-a]
Some modems switch their DTE line speed to the communication line
speed after connecting, e.g., after sending `CONNECT 2400', the
modem switches to 2400 bps. Newer modems usually have a switch to
"lock" a DTE baud rate, which is strongly recommended. If your
modem insists on doing this speed switch, setting `autobauding' to
TRUE will make mgetty behave accordingly.
- `ringback' YES/NO [-R]
If you have to put your modem and your telephone on the same phone
line, you can switch on "ringback" or "ring-twice". This means,
mgetty won't answer the phone on the first call, but remember the
call, and pick up on the second call (if it comes in the time
specified by `ringback-time').
- `ringback-time' SECS
This setting specifies how much time may pass between the first
and the second call if "ringback" is active. Default is 30 seconds.
- `ignore-carrier'
If your Modem does not assert the DCD (carrier detect) line, or the
serial port or cable or serial driver is broken, it is possible
that `mgetty' or `login' will block after a successful CONNECT
(that means: everything seems to work, but suddenly nothing is sent
to the port anymore. Depending on the operating system used, this
can be before printing the `/etc/issue' file or not before printing
the `password:' prompt.
To work around this, you can switch off the carrier detection in
the kernel: set `ignore-carrier true'. Default is `false'.
*WARNING:* If you use this, your system won't be able to detect
when a caller just hangs up instead of cleanly logging out. This
may result in hanging modems, etc.
- `issue-file' [-i] FILE
This is the file printed before the login prompt. Default is
`/etc/issue'. Some special characters are substituted by connect
speed, date, etc. - see below (login-prompt) for a list.
Note: maximum line length after substitution is 300 characters, so
be careful with ASCII art banners with lots of color settings and
such.
- `prompt-waittime' MSECS
This specifies how long `mgetty' will wait for modem and line to
settle down before printing issue file and login prompt. Default
is 500 milliseconds.
- `login-prompt' [-p] PROMPT
This specifies the login prompt that mgetty will output. Some
special characters in this string (and in the issue file, btw) are
recognized and replaced by something else:
* @ system name
* \n newline
* \r carriage return
* \g bell
* \b backspace (ascii 010)
* \f form feed (ascii 013)
* \t TAB
* \s operating system (OS)
* \m hardware name
* \V OS version
* \R OS release
* \P (and \L) port name (e.g. ttyS0)
* \C date and time, in "ctime()" format
* \I Connection string (e.g. 2400/REL)
* \N (and \U) number of users currently logged in
* \S Port speed (e.g. 38400)
* \D current date in dd/mm/yy format
* \T current time in hh:mm:ss format
* \Y CallerID of the current caller
* \DIGIT character with the specified octal code
The maximum lenght of the login prompt is limited to 300
characters (after expansion).
- `login-time' SECS
This specifies the maximum time the user can take to log in. If no
login has occured after that time, `mgetty' will hang up. Default
is `MAX_LOGIN_TIME' from `policy.h'.
- `fido-send-emsi' YES/NO
Only relevant when mgetty was compiled with `-DFIDO'. Controls
whether mgetty should send a FidoNET style "EMSI_REQA77E" packet
before prompting for login. Default is on. Switch this off if you
have FIDO support compiled in but experience weird problems with
some PPP clients (or users!) being confused by that string.
- `login-conf-file' PATHNAME
Specifies the path and filename of the 'login.config' file that
tells mgetty which program to call for login. See the example
login.config file to get some ideas what to do with it.
The file name given will be ignored for security reasons if the
file is not owned by 'root', or is readable or writeable by
anybody else than 'root' (that is, it must be mode 0600 or 0200).
- `fax-id' [-I] LOCAL FAX NUMBER
This sets the fax station ID used in fax mode to identify your
site to the caller (usually this is simply your fax phone number).
Default is `FAX_STATION_ID'.
- `fax-server-file' [-S] POLL CONTROL FILE
Specifies the fax file(s) that is to be sent if someone else calls
your modem in _fax polling mode_, that is, the caller _receives_ a
document.
Normally, the file given is a text file, containing the list of G3
files to send to the calling machine, one file per line. Comment
lines (starting with "#") are ignored. For backward compatibility,
`mgetty' does check whether the named file is a G3 file itself, in
which case this file is sent directly (but then, you can only send
one page).
Not all modems support fax poll _server_ mode, I know that the
ZyXEL and MultiTech do, and USR does not.
- `diskspace' [-k] KBYTES
This setting tells mgetty the minimum amount of disk space that
has to be available in the fax spool directory for fax reception
to be allowed. Default is 1 Mbyte.
- `notify' MAIL ADDRESS
This is the address that will get mails if a fax is received. If
you do not want e-mail notification, specify `notify' without an
e-mail address.
- `fax-owner' USERNAME/UID
- `fax-group' GROUPNAME/GID
- `fax-mode' PERMS
Similar to `port-owner/group/mode', these settings specify the
owner, group and file mode mgetty will use for incoming faxes.
Defaults are taken from `FAX_IN_OWNER', `FAX_IN_GROUP', and
`FAX_FILE_MODE'.
- `fax-spool-in' DIR1:DIR2:DIRN
Specifies a directory, or list of directories, where incoming
faxes are saved. Multiple directories are tried in order until,
the first one that has enough disk space and is writeable is used.
The default setting is taken from `FAX_SPOOL_IN' in the Makefile
usually `/var/spool/fax/incoming:/tmp' (/tmp is used as fallback).
- `debug' [-x] DEBUG LEVEL
This sets the amount of logging `mgetty' will do. A good value is
4, more details are seen with `5', and `9' is really noisy. Try
it! The log data is written to the file specified by `LOG_PATH' in
`policy.h', usually this is something like
`/var/log/mgetty.log.ttyxx'.
- `gettydefs' GD TAG
If you use the gettdefs feature of `mgetty' - which is _not_
recommended! - this specifies the gettydefs tag to use for the
given line. See MAN GETTYDEFS, MAN MGETTYDEFS.
- `term' TERMINAL TYPE
If you are on Linux or similar OSes that have `getty' set the
`TERM=xxx' terminal type variable, and have no other method to set
it (e.g. from `/etc/profile' or `$HOME/.profile'), `mgetty' can do
it for you. Just specify ``term' vt100' or so. I don't think it's
a good idea to specify the terminal type on a per line base (what
if all your callers use different terminal types?), so the default
is UNSET.
File: mgetty.info, Node: Fax, Next: voice, Prev: mgetty, Up: Top
3 Fax Operations
****************
Both mgetty and sendfax deal exclusively with raw "g3" fax files ("g3"
stands for "group 3", which is the CCITT standard for encoding images
for fax transmission). You will have to use external programs to
create, view or print these.
There are two kinds of g3 files, the high resolution type with
204x196 dpi and the low ("normal") resolution ones with 204x98 dpi. If
you mix up the two, the recipient will get a fax page that is either
twice or half the proper length. You have been warned.
The width of a fax page is always 1728 pixels, the length is
arbitrary (though there are some plain paper fax machines out there
that limit the page length to A4 paper). A typical full page has a
length around 2100 pixels in high-resolution mode.
* Menu:
* Convert:: Converting fax files
* Receiving:: Receiving faxes
* Sending:: Basic `sendfax' usage
* Polling:: Fax polling using `sendfax'
* Queuing:: Automated fax queuing
* Fax-Tools:: Additional tools provided for handling g3 files
* Scanner:: Using an external fax as a scanner
* runtime-sendfax:: Runtime configuration: `sendfax.config'
File: mgetty.info, Node: Convert, Next: Receiving, Prev: Fax, Up: Fax
3.1 Converting fax files
========================
I recommend getting the `pbmplus' package written by Jeff Poskanzer,
which includes lots of small programs to convert various bitmap formats
into a portable intermediate format (`pbm') that can easily be
converted to fax format with the `pbm2g3' program. Further, it comes
with lots of tools to scale, flip, and otherwise manipulate the `pbm'
bitmaps. Be warned: it includes its own version of G3 conversion
programs (`pbmtog3' and `g3topbm'), so be careful which one you use.
The programs in the `mgetty' package (`pbm2g3' and `g32pbm') behave
slightly different (that is, they work!), and are significantly faster.
Note that the `pbmplus' package does not include a graphical front end.
The `pbmplus' package can be found on most major FTP sites, e.g. on
ftp.x.org in the `/contrib' directory. *Note ftp::.
If you want to view the images using X11, you should get one of the
many image viewers, like `xview', `xloadimage' or `xv'. *Note
Fax-Tools::. A simple, but very fast fax viewer can be found in
`mgetty/frontends/X11/'.
Here are some examples for viewing fax files using `g32pbm':
* You can print a fax on a PostScript printer (try `lpr -Pps' if you
don't have `lp'):
cat $faxfile | g32pbm | pnmtops -noturn | lp -dest postscript
* or on an Epson-LQ, scaled for fine resolution (use -yscale 1.84 for
normal resolution):
cat $file | g32pbm | pnmscale -xscale 1.76 -yscale 0.92 |\
pgmtopbm | pbmtodot -360x180| lp -o epson -
* or you could view it using X11 via one of the following commands:
$ viewfax -v $file
$ cat $file | g32pbm >/tmp/fax.pbm ; xloadimage /tmp/fax.pbm
$ g32pbm $file | xv -
There are three easy ways to create g3 fax files, either use `pbm2g3'
(included in this package. Do not use `pbmtog3' from the pbmplus
toolkit. *Note pbmtog3::.), use GhostScript (GNU Software, can be found
on prep.ai.mit.edu) which contains a "digifax" driver that will produce
the required format, or try Chris Lewis' `hp2pbm' package which will
convert HP Laserjet print files into g3 fax files (`hp2hig3' program).
Once you have the right tools, there are lots of ways to create fax
files for a wide variety of applications. Here are some examples:
* Ascii files can be converted using `pbmtext | pbm2g3' (use a
_large_ font, and don't convert texts longer than about 50 lines).
Alternatively, you can convert ascii files to PostScript using
`psify', the `pslp.ps' program from the ghostscript distribution,
or similar tools, and feed their output into GhostScript.
* PostScript input can be converted by GhostScript (version 2.4 or
higher), using the digifax (`dfaxhigh' and `dfaxlow') drivers. It
will generate a plain g3 file with a 64 byte additional header,
which will be skipped automatically. (You have to generate
separate g3 files, one per page).
A typical call to ghostscript would look like this:
gs -sDEVICE=dfaxhigh -sOutputFile=/tmp/fax.g3.%d yourdocument.ps
Do _not_ use the "tiffg3" or similar drivers, they will create
output files with headers that sendfax does not understand, thus
causing the receiving fax machine to reject the data (it will
assume that the transmitted headers are garbled data).
If you use Ghostscript version 3.01 and up, you can use the `faxg3'
driver as well, its output is identical to the output of the
`dfaxhigh' driver except for the 64 byte header. Besides this,
there should not be any difference.
I have observed that with Ghostscript 5.01, the output of the
`faxg3' driver is rendered better than that of the `dfaxhigh'
driver. In addition, the former is compiled-in by default, while
the latter is not. Thus, the default driver used by `faxspool' is
now (starting with 1.1.7) the `faxg3' driver.
* Bitmaps can be converted using the `pbmplus' tools, but you'll have
to do the proper scaling by hand. Use a pipeline with `pbm2g3' at
the end.
* TeX dvi files can be converted to PostScript using `dvialw' or
`dvips'. If you want to get the best possible output quality, you
can use Metafont to create a set of 204x196 dpi fonts, which will
look a lot better than scaled 300 dpi fonts (look into
`contrib/dvi-fax' for instructions how to do this). You can use
the `epsf' macros to include encapsulated PostScript files, e.g. a
scanned signature.
* Another way for TeX file conversion is Ralf Schleicher's `faxdvi'
package, found at
`ftp://ftp.leo.org/pub/comp/os/unix/networking/mgetty/faxdvi-1.1.tar.gz'.
Don't ask me about, ask him!
* HP-Laserjet files can be translated with Chris Lewis' `hp2pbm'
package. It contains a program `hp2hig3' that will read
HP-Laserjet `PCL4' files and produce G3 output.
*Warning:* the G3 files that hp2hig3 emits lack the leading EOL
code, thus causing `sendfax' to complain and possibly fail. As a
quick fix, you can pipe those files through `g3cat', it will fix
the data.
A rather crude sample conversion program (`faxcvt') is provided in
the fax directory.
Better conversion, including guessing of the format of the input
files, is done by the `faxspool' program, also provided in the fax
directory. *Note Queuing::.
File: mgetty.info, Node: Receiving, Next: Sending, Prev: Convert, Up: Fax
3.2 Receiving faxes
===================
If everything has been set up properly, faxes will be received
automatically. Obviously, mgetty has to be listening to the proper modem
line. Then, if a fax arrives, mgetty will store it in the directory
`FAX_SPOOL_IN' (or the directory configured in `mgetty.config', *note
runtime-mgetty::) and send a mail to `MAIL_TO' (defined in `policy.h').
The file name format is somewhat tricky (the reason behind it is
that I have to create something unique without using `mktemp()',
because that would make it impossible to find out which pages belong to
which fax). It is:
f[-].
`' is `n' or `f', depending on the resolution of the fax.
`' is a sequence number, 7 digits wide, somewhat related to the
reception time. `' are the last two letters of the tty device,
e.g. `S1'. If the sending side specified a fax station id, it comes
next, after a leading dash (all blanks are replaced by dashes).
Finally, after a dot, you'll see the page number.
If you want to process incoming faxes automatically, for example,
print them, re-send them to another fax, send them by mail to you when
you're on vacation, you could use what I call "notify programs":
If you define `FAX_NOTIFY_PROGRAM' in `policy.h', mgetty will call
this program (or shell script) when a fax has been completely received.
It will be called with the following command line arguments:
FAX_NOTIFY_PROGRAM '' \
...
is 0 if the receive was successful, non-zero
otherwise. is the fax identification string received from
the other side. is the full path name for each
received page.
A sample command line might look like this:
/usr/bin/new_fax 0 "+49 89 3243328" 1 /var/spool/fax/ff-01.a123
In addition, some environment variables are provide: `CALLER_ID',
`CALLER_NAME', `CALLED_ID' (Caller ID and destination ISDN MSN, if
available and supported by your modem), and `DEVICE' (the full name of
the tty device, if you want to process faxes differently depending on
the line they came in).
Such a "notify program" could print out the fax, convert it into a
MIME metamail and send it away, display it in an X window (this a
little bit tricky), or whatever. (A friend of mine uses it on his Linux
box to call a program that will make the keyboard LEDs blink when a fax
has arrived - as you can see, maximum flexibility is possible).
I provide a few examples (printing on HP laserjet, mailing as
gzip'ed, uuencoded pbm file, ...) in `samples/new_fax.*'
If you have the `dialog' shell tool, you can use the `faxv' program
("faxview") that I provide in `frontends/dialog/faxv' to browse through
all faxes in the incoming spool directory, view them, print them,
rename and move them, .... `faxv' is really more a sample program to
show you how to do it, and you have to configure the X11 viewer and the
printing program in the source code, but I use it for my faxes, and it
works. Because of limitations on some operating systems, the list of
faxes displayed is limited to the last 50 faxes received.
File: mgetty.info, Node: Sending, Next: Polling, Prev: Receiving, Up: Fax
3.3 Basic `sendfax' usage
=========================
Sendfax is very primitive--no spool management, no format conversion,
etc. It is designed to be able to send exactly one fax (consisting of
multiple pages) to exactly one fax machine, but it is usable from
within shell scripts. Its input are pages in "g3" format, either
created with ghostscript or with pbm2g3.
It is called like this:
sendfax [-v] [-n]
e.g.
sendfax 0893243328 /tmp/to_gert_1.g3 /var/spool/fax/outgoing/picture.g3
It will then attempt to open the fax device and send all the pages to
the remote fax machine, in the given order.
It will print little or nothing to stdout or stderr, except if it
cannot find or open one of the named files, or if some transmission
errors occur.
(There are a few stubs in the code to put headers on the pages at
run-time, but since most class 2 faxmodems do not implement the command
set properly, putting a header on a page does not work with them -
because of that, I had to disable the corresponding code. `faxspool'
works around this problem by using `g3cat' (*note Fax-Tools::) to
"paste" a header line on top of each page)
If you specify `-v', sendfax will output more verbose progress
messages.
If you specify `-n', it will try to send the fax data in normal
resolution, default is fine resolution. (No conversion is done, so make
sure that your input data is already in the proper format.)
Detailed reports can be found in the log file (usually
`/var/log/sendfax.log') -- but they may be of little more than
technical interest since virtually all conversation with the fax modem
is logged. (Nevertheless, if you send me any bug report, _please include
all log files_)
*Warning:* Watch sendfax closely when sending the first few faxes. I
had it abort a transfer a couple of times, not being able to recover
and _not_ hanging up the modem (the modem was completely locked up,
with the phone line off-hook)! In my case, it was a problem of the
modem that went away when I upgraded the firmware. Very old ZyXEL
releases sometimes stopped the DTE and forgot to re-start it again.
The return codes of the sendfax program were chosen to make it easy
for external programs (i.e. faxrunq) to decide whether to try again or
not:
0: all pages transmitted successful
1: error on command line
2: cannot open fax device (typically happens if fax device is
locked, but could also be a permission problem)
3: error initializing the modem
4: dial failed, "BUSY"
5: dial failed, "NO DIALTONE"
10: dial failed, "ERROR" or "NO CARRIER"
11: waiting for XON failed (should never be seen)
12: transmitting page(s) failed (or polling failed)
15: some catastrophe hit (termination signal or blocked modem)
If the error code is less than 10, the attempt didn't cost anything,
so an external program should try again to send the files. If it is 10
or higher, the failed attempt probably cost something, and the program
should decide whether to try again (thus expending more money) or mail
the operator and tell him something went wrong. My `faxrunq' program
will suspend the job after five unsuccessful tries with error codes >=
10.
File: mgetty.info, Node: Polling, Next: Queuing, Prev: Sending, Up: Fax
3.4 Fax polling using `sendfax'
===============================
Sendfax can also be used for fax polling (that is, you call someone and
initiate a fax connection, and then _receive_ a document. Don't confuse
it with fax-on-demand, this is something different), the syntax is:
sendfax -p
or for sending a fax and then switch to polling:
sendfax -p
(in this case are sent, and then the documents from
the other modem are polled, if there are any)
the received pages are written to the current directory, so make sure
you have write access...
*Warning:* Fax polling does _not_ work with ZyXEL Modems with ROM
releases before 6.00 - with the 6.01 and 6.10 Eproms it works, but
6.11a is broken again. 6.12 and 6.13 work fine.
It definitely doesn't work with some Rockwell-based Faxmodems
(Supra), since many versions of this chipset does not support polling.
Some work, though, so you simply have to try it.
Could anybody try this with an Everex Faxmodem?
File: mgetty.info, Node: Queuing, Next: Fax-Tools, Prev: Polling, Up: Fax
3.5 Automated fax queuing
=========================
For fax spooling and processing the queue, four additional utility
programs are provided:
* `faxspool' will spool a number of files (accepting various formats)
and put them into the fax spool directory. Its syntax is:
faxspool [options] phone-number input-file(s)
`phone-number' can be an alias, in this case the private and global
alias files `$HOME/.faxnrs' and `/etc/mgetty+sendfax/faxaliases'
will be searched for a line starting with this alias. The
remainder of this line will then be used as fax number.
`faxspool' interacts with the `file' program and `/etc/magic' to
determine the file type of the input files. If your `/etc/magic'
lacks entries for the various bitmap files, take a look at
`fax/etc-magic', it contains the most important magic numbers.
`faxspool' reads the text to put on top of each fax page from a
text file. The text file is (in order of precedence) the argument
of the option -h, the `$HOME/.faxheader' and as system-wide default
`/etc/mgetty+sendfax/faxheader'. This file must contain pure ASCII
text. Some tokens are replaced by the actual values: @T@ becomes
the destination phone number, @P@ becomes the actual and @M@ the
total page number, and @U@ is replaced by the user name. If your
fax modem cuts of a few lines on top of each page, it may be a good
idea to put a blank line before the header line itself, and it is
also a good idea to indent the line about 5 spaces.
For the available options, please read the `faxspool.1' man page.
* `faxrunq' will read this directory and try to send all the faxes
queued there (time scheduling is available, but primitive). If
faxrunq succeeds, the fax is deleted and the sender is mailed. If
it does not succeed after five tries (`BUSY' or a locked fax modem
do _not_ count for this) it will send a mail and not try any
further to send this fax. (This should prevent your faxmodem from
making you bancrupt...).
`faxrunq' should be called at regular intervals from `cron' to
process the queued jobs. It should only be executed by _root_, to
make sure that all the files in the fax spool directory are read-
and writeable.
* `faxq' will display all entries in the fax queue. If called with
the `-o' parameter, it will also display completed, but not yet
deleted jobs (JOB.done files). If called with the `-v' parameter,
the output will be more verbose.
Jobs that are just being sent are not shown (`faxq' doesn't see
locked jobs)
* `faxrm' can be used to remove fax jobs from the queue. It is called
with the job ids of the to-be-removed faxes as command line
argument. The job ids are those that `faxq' returns.
These utilities do still have some rough edges, but I think they are
fairly usable by now.
Earlier variants of those utilities had to be configured in the
source code, from release 0.20 on, this is done by `make'. Please check
the scripts nevertheless, whether all directories and files are set up
properly.
File: mgetty.info, Node: Fax-Tools, Next: Scanner, Prev: Queuing, Up: Fax
3.6 Additional tools for working with g3 files
==============================================
Some additional tools are provided for manipulating G3 fax files:
* `g3cat' (in the `g3/' directory) concatenates multiple G3 fax
files. It accepts "raw" g3 files and digifax files and outputs a
"raw" g3 file without headers. Its syntax is analogous to `cat',
except that you _have_ to specify `-' to read from `stdin'.
`g3cat' recognizes two flags: `-l', to separate the fax files with
a thin black line, and `-a' to byte-align the end-of-line codes in
the file (Warning: some modems do not like this).
* To convert an incoming fax to Jef Poskanzers `portable bitmap'
(`pbm') format, you can use the `g32pbm' program that is also
provided in `g3/'. It's advantages over Jef's `g3topbm' program
are that it's approximately five times faster and takes only one
eigth as much virtual memory (on machines with low virtual memory,
it can thus be up to 100 times faster!). Its disadvantage is that
it produces only "raw" (i.e., binary) `pbm' files; and it's not as
stable when handling erroneous `g3' data (means that if one line
is severly corrupted, it can happen that the next line will not be
decoded properly. The rest of the file will then be OK again).
Syntax:
g32pbm [-r] [-s] [-l] [-d ] [g3-file]
If no g3 file is specified, standard input is used.
The `-s(tretch)' option causes `g32pbm' to double each row of the
g3 file. You can use this to adjust the aspect ratio of a "normal"
resolution fax file to match that of a "fine" resolution fax. Of
course you can use other `pbmplus' tools for this instead, but
`-s' is sure to be faster.
If you have a HP Laserjet printer, you can make `g32pbm' output HP
LJ data with the `-l' switch. The desired resolution is chosen with
the `-d 75|150|300' switch.
* For the other direction, I have provided a `pbm2g3' program that
will convert Jef Poskanzer's Portable BitMap format into G3 fax
data suitable for faxing with `sendfax'. The `pbm' files can be
produced by various sources, e.g. drawing programs (`xpaint'),
bitmap manipulation programs (`xv'), or simply be converted from
other file formats by means of the `pbmplus' tools.
As above, my variant is a lot faster than Jef's, and unlike his, it
produces g3 data that adheres to the T.4 standard (if you don't
fiddle too much with the options...), so you don't have to apply
any patches to make it work together with `sendfax'.
Syntax:
pbm2g3 [-r] [-a] [-w page with] [-h blank lines] [pbm-file]
if no pbm file is specified, standard input is used.
For a detailed description, see the `pbm2g3(1)' man page.
* `viewfax'. To view G3 data files under X11, Frank D. Cringle has
written a very nice and fast tool that will display the files on
screen, turn them, zoom them in and out, ...
The source code can be found in the `mgetty/frontends/X11'
directory. It's not (yet) built and installed by default, but
it's straightforward.
For a detailed description, see the `README' and `viewfax.man'
files in that directory.
* To convert an incoming fax into X-Windows `xwd' bitmaps, you can
use Chel van Gennip's `g3toxwd' program, found in the `contrib/'
directory.
* If you want to print out faxes on a HP laserjet printer, you have
two opions: you can use Chel's `g3tolj' program (also in the
`contrib/' directory), or you use my `g32pbm' program with the
`-l' option, which will make it output LJ data.
File: mgetty.info, Node: Scanner, Next: runtime-sendfax, Prev: Fax-Tools, Up: Fax
3.7 Using an external fax as a scanner
======================================
It is possible to tell mgetty to answer the phone even if it is not
ringing (I call this "virtual rings"). Just send mgetty a signal
`SIGUSR1', this is usually done with `kill -USR1 '. Mgetty
will then pick up the phone and try to make a connection.
If you have a normal fax machine connected to the fax modem, it
should be possible to have that fax machine dial any digit (to turn off
the dial tone), and then have mgetty answer the phone to receive the
"incoming" fax, thus using the fax machine as scanner without paying
for a call. For a description of an sample setup (thanks, caz!), please
see `doc/scanner.txt'.
Whether it works may depend on your phone company's setup, but it
should.
If you have a modem that has a `data/voice' button, it should also be
possible to hit that button to make the modem pick up the phone. Mgetty
will automatically notice that and handle it properly. (I've tested this
only with ZyXELs - could somebody else please test this with other modem
types and send me a logfile? Thanks)
File: mgetty.info, Node: runtime-sendfax, Prev: Scanner, Up: Fax
3.8 Runtime configuration for sendfax: `sendfax.config'
=======================================================
Basically, `sendfax' can work very well with the compiled-in defaults
(from `policy.h'), sometimes slightly modified by command line options.
If you use more than one fax modem, possibly of different type, this
is very awkward, because the command line will get very long. For that
reason, there is a configuration file which will control nearly every
detail of sendfax' behaviour.
It is usually named `/etc/mgetty+sendfax/sendfax.config'.
The config file consists of multiple sections, separated from each
other by the keyword `port'. All configuration options given before the
first `port' statement specify global options, and everything between
two `port' statements applies only for the device with the given name
(`port' takes an argument). Let me show you an example:
# global defaults:
# fax station id is always the same
fax-id ++49-89-1234
# always have the speaker on
modem-init ATM1L3
# port specific: for /dev/tty1a, switch the speaker off
port tty1a
modem-init ATM0L0
# port specific: for ttyS1, use another fax station id
port ttyS1
fax-id ++1234567
As you can see, empty lines and comment lines (starting with "#") are
allowed.
Every line in the config file that is not a comment - or empty -
starts with a keyword (listed in detail below), followed by a "data"
field. In the example above, `fax-id' is the keyword, `++49-89-1234' is
the corresponding data, the fax ID for the sending machine. Most data
fields are strings, but there are a few boolean and integer items.
The available keywords are (if it's possible to set this item from
the command line, the flag is given in brackets).
- `fax-devices' [-l] TTYS
Sets the fax modems to use, e.g. `tty1a:tty2a'. Default is
`FAX_MODEM_TTYS' from `policy.h'. The device names given here are
used to look up the corresponding `port' section later. Watch out
for upper-/lowercase.
It is not very useful to specify this in the per-port section, so
it is ignored if met there.
- `modem-init' [-m] COMMAND
Specifies an `AT...' command that is to be sent to the modem right
at the *beginning* of all modem talk (even before setting the modem
into fax mode, so this could be an `ATZ' if you want to reset the
modem).
- `modem-handshake' COMMAND
Specifies an `AT...' command that will be sent to the modem at the
*end* of the modem initialization, right before dialing. *Do not
use ATZ or such here*, since resetting the modem will switch off
fax mode. Default is `FAX_MODEM_HANDSHAKE'.
- `modem-type' [-C] TYPE
Force the modem command set to use. Default is `auto' (auto-detect,
which may not work on very cheap modems), possible other values are
`cls2', for "class 2 only" modems, and `c2.0' for "class 2.0"
faxmodems. Default is `DEFAULT_MODEMTYPE'. *Note runtime-mgetty::.
- `modem-quirks' BITMASK
Same as in `mgetty', this can be used to adapt `sendfax' to some
peculiarities in certain modems. *Note runtime-mgetty::.
- `max-tries' NNN
Specify the maximum number of tries per page if the receiving end
reports reception errors. If NNN tries do not suffice to
successfully transmit a page, `sendfax' will give up or simply go
on, depending on the setting of `max-tries-continue' (see below).
If this is set to `0', `sendfax' will ignore retransmission
requests and simply go on. Default is `FAX_SEND_MAX_TRIES'.
- `max-tries-continue' Y|N
After the maximum number of tries for one page are reached,
`sendfax' can report an error and abort (`max-tries-continue NO'),
or go on with the next page (YES).
For "mission critical" faxes, I'd set it to NO, but since the page
quality is most often quite good even if reported as "page bad",
the default is YES.
- `speed' BAUDRATE
Set the port speed to use for fax send operations. Usually,
`38400' is a good choice, but a few dumb modems (for example, some
based on rockwell chipsets) need `19200' or even `9600'. A few
modems can go higher, but `sendfax' may not support it, and it may
not always work. Default is `FAX_SEND_BAUD'.
- `switchbd' BAUDRATE
On some (very few) modems it is necessary to start with baudrate
"A" and switch to baudrate "B" after sending the `AT+FCLASS=2'
command. If you specify this, `sendfax' will switch from `speed' to
`switchbd' right after setting the modem to class 2/2.0. Default is
`FAX_SEND_SWITCHBD', I'd recommend *not* using it unless you're
sure that you need it.
- `open-delay' MSEC
A few modems respond to raising the DTR line (when opening the
device) with `OK'. This can confuse `sendfax', because it will see
this OK as response to the next command. In the log file, you can
see if your modem exhibits this problem if the echo of each `AT'
command can be seen when waiting for the response to the _next_
`AT' command. With `open-delay' you can give a number of
milliseconds to wait after the device is active until sendfax
flushes all incoming responses and goes ahead.
The only modems that need this so far are an ELSA 33.6 and an ELSA
MicroLink 56k, and delaying for about 1500 ms cured the problem.
- `ignore-carrier' Y|N
Some misbehaving modems lower the DCD (carrier detect) line briefly
between sending multiple pages. Depending on the operating system
used, this may cause all subsequent port accesses on this serial
port to fail. You'll recognize it if you get a "weird-looking"
sendfax log file that works fine up to the end of the first page,
and then aborts with `I/O error' or so.
In earlier versions, you could achieve this by setting
`FAX_SEND_IGNORE_CARRIER' in `policy.h', but this has been
removed. Use the config file instead.
Modems where this is known to be necessary include all USR modems
(Courier and Sportsters), some ZyXEL 1496 EG(+), and some GVC
models.
The default is `ignore-carrier yes', as there are just too many
users out there to read documentation, and it does less harm that
way.
- `dial-prefix' COMMAND
This is the command used for dialing out. Usually this will be
something simple, as `ATD' or `ATDP', but if you have an unusual
setup, it could also be something like `ATX0DP0;X4DT' (meaning:
switch off dial-tone detection, pulse-dial `0', back to command
mode, switch on dial-tone detection, and go ahead dialing with
touch tones). The phone number will be sent right after the
`dial-prefix'. Default is `FAX_DIAL_PREFIX'.
- `fax-id' [-I] YOUR FAX PHONE
specifies the "fax station id" used to identify your fax machine
to the receiving end. Usually this is the telephone number of your
own fax machine, but if you want to (and if your modem support
it), you can put up to 20 alphanumeric characters here, e.g.
`+1-11-222 Fred'. Default is `FAX_STATION_ID'.
Watch out: the `faxspool' program _only_ uses the _global_
definition from sendfax' config file, so the fax id it puts on the
header might not be the same as the one transmitted by sendfax, if
you use port specific settings for `fax-id' in `sendfax.config'
(Paul Sands).
- `poll-dir' [-d] FULL PATH
This is used to specify a directory where polled faxes (wheather
maps and such) are to be saved into. Default is the current
directory.
- `normal-res' Y|N [-n]
If set to `yes' or `true' (boolean), `sendfax' won't attempt to
make a fax connection in "fine resolution" mode. Normally you
won't need to use that option, since `faxrunq' will set the `-n'
switch if needed. Default is `no'
- `fax-min-speed' SPEED
Sets the lowest transmission speed that the modem will negotiate
with the receiving modem. (Not implemented yet).
- `fax-max-speed' SPEED [-M]
Sets the maximum transmission speed that the modem will negotiate
with the fax receiver. Usually, you don't need this, as decent
modems will pick the best speed automtically, but sometimes (e.g.
for the USR Courier series) this doesn't always works, and
transmission fails with +FHS:25. If you see that error, you might
want to try `fax-max-speed 7200'.
- `verbose' Y|N [-v]
If set to `yes' or `true', `sendfax' will output progress reports
on stdout, if set to `no', `sendfax' will only print error and
warning messages. Default is `no'.
- `debug' [-x] NN
controls the amount of information written into the fax log file
(`FAX_LOG' in `policy.h'). `0' means "totally silent" (not even
errors are written), `9' is really noisy. I usually use `3' or `4'
in normal use, and `6' for debugging. Default is `LOG_LEVEL'.
- `page-header' [-h] FILE
Yet unused (because of implementation shortcomings in all tested
modems)
To show you how it will look like, I have included a sample
`sendfax.config' file below. Three modem lines exist on my system, all
modems have different initialization and flow control commands, and on
one line I have to tell the modem to use pulse dial because the PBX is
too old.
#
# sample configuration file for sendfax
#
# global settings
verbose y
# the modems are attached to the following ports:
fax-devices tty1a:tty2a:tty4c
# this is my fax number
fax-id +49-89-xxxxxx
# generic defaults
modem-init ATL3M1
dial-prefix ATD
debug 4
# port specific overrides
# Zoom 28K8
port tty1a
modem-handshake AT&K4
# MultiTech
port tty2a
dial-prefix ATDP
modem-handshake
# ^^^ this means "no extra command to set modem handshake"
debug 9
# ZyXEL
port tty4c
modem-init ATM1L2
modem-handshake AT&H3
File: mgetty.info, Node: voice, Next: Problems, Prev: Fax, Up: Top
4 Voice Operations
******************
This chapter explains how you can use mgetty to implement an answering
machine if you have a modem that understands the voice command set
(i.e. the ZyXEL).
The first version of these extentions was written by Klaus Weidner.
Since February 1995 these extentions are now developed and maintained
by Marc Eberhard ().
Since late 1998, Marc Schaefer () took over vgetty
development. Please see
http://www-internal.alphanet.ch/~schaefer/vgetty.html for vgetty
specific information, patches and releases, and please send email about
the voice features to him, not to me.
*I have removed the whole chapter from the documentation for now, as
the voice stuff has changed too much, but the docs were not updated
accordingly. Please see the programs and examples in the `voice'
subdirectory for ideas how to get it going. Configuration is explained
in `voice.conf'*.
The `voice' subtree is *NOT* included in the official release 1.0,
because of the lack of documentation, and because Marc thinks it's not
stable enough yet. It _is_ included in the 0.99 and 1.1 beta
development trees, so if you want to play with it, get one of those
version. *BUT* keep in mind what "beta" means: lacking documentation,
problems, crashes, whatever.
File: mgetty.info, Node: Problems, Next: Thanks, Prev: voice, Up: Top
5 Common problems and solutions (TROUBLESHOOTING)
*************************************************
This chapter tries to describe some known problems that can occur when
installing or using this package. Don't worry, most of these have been
solved.
* Menu:
* Modems:: Modems
* Systems:: Operating Systems
* General:: General problems
* logfiles:: Sample Log files
* ftp:: Where to find the programs mentioned (FTP)
* get-uucp:: How to get the software via UUCP
File: mgetty.info, Node: Modems, Next: Systems, Prev: Problems, Up: Problems
5.1 Modems
==========
This section describes problems that can occur when using various types
of modems. Unfortunately, the class 2 fax implementations vary quite a
bit between different manufacturers.
Many of the instructions for certain modem types below still refer to
changing `#define's in `policy.h' instead of listing the appropriate
`mgetty.config'/`sendfax.config' lines, mainly because I haven't had
the time to figure it out myself and didn't get enough feedback from
config file users yet.
* Menu:
* Common:: Problems common to many modem types
* Zyxel:: ZyXEL U1496 modem series
* TelelinkIMS08:: Telelink IMS 08 Faxline + Modems
* Rockwell:: Rockwell-based modems, e.g. Supra
* Zoom-vfast:: Zoom VFP/VFX 24K FaxModem (V.FAST 24,000 Modem)
* Best14496EC:: Best 14496 EC Faxmodem
* GVC:: GVC FM-144Vbis+/1 (Rockwell-Based)
* creatix:: CREATIX modems (Rockwell-Based)
* Telekom:: German Telekom approved GVC modems
* Dallas:: Dallas Fax 14.4
* Everex:: Everex
* Exar:: Exar 9624 fax modem
* Tornado:: Tornado / Lightspeed modems
* Zoltrix:: Zoltrix Platinum Series 14.4 (Rockwell-Based)
* MultiTech:: MultiTech modems
* ELSA:: ELSA analog/ISDN faxmodems
* USR:: US Robotics Courier/Sportster Data/Faxmodems
* Elink-ISDN:: Elink ISDN Terminal Adaptors (``ISDN Modems'')
* i4l:: ISDN 4 Linux support
* i4l-capi:: ISDN 4 Linux with CAPI (capi4linux)
* Class 1:: Class 1 Faxmodems
File: mgetty.info, Node: Common, Next: Zyxel, Prev: Modems, Up: Modems
5.1.1 Problems common to many modem types
-----------------------------------------
* Disable auto-answer in the modem (`ATS0=0'), because it will
interfere with the manual answer done by `mgetty'. If you _have_
to use auto-answer, set the `mgetty' ring-counter (`-n ') high
enough that `mgetty' will never try to answer the phone manually.
* Make sure that your modem is set to return _verbose result codes_,
that is, set `ATV1'. Otherwise, the modem won't return `CONNECT'
or `RING' but `1' or `2' as result code, and mgetty definitely
doesn't understand that. By default, `mgetty' sets `ATV1'
automatically, but if you change the init sequence, watch out for
this.
* Make sure that your modem is set to the proper dialing type
(`ATT&W' for touch-tone, `ATP&W' for pulse dialing) -- `sendfax'
uses `ATD...' to dial out, assuming that the modem knows which
dialing method to use. Alternatively, set `FAX_DIAL_PREFIX' in
`policy.h' or `dial-prefix' in `sendfax.config' accordingly.
* If the default modem initialization string in `policy.h', which is
quite generic, doesn't work for your modem, you can either change
it according to your needs, or store all settings in the
non-volatile RAM (NVRAM) inside the modem and change the
initialization strings to plain `ATZ' (modem reset).
These settings ought to work with most modems:
`ATS0=0': do not auto-answer, `E1': echo on, `Q0': send modem
responses, `&D3': reset on DTR->low.
The following, for example, are ZyXEL specific things:
`&H3': set handshake to RTS+CTS, `&N0': "multi-auto" connect,
accept all known protocols, `&K4': enable v42bis/mnp5 compression.
Naturally, you can use any init string you want (but the modem has
to return OK) -- check with your modem manual.
* On USR and some ELSA Modems, it has occasionally been reported
that the initialization phase runs through fine, but incoming
`RING' messages are not recognized, and mgetty complains about
`junk on the line'. In all those cases, it were baud rate
problems. The modem was initialized with an init-sequence of `""
ATZ OK' only. Problem with this is, after ATZ, the modem changes
to the DTE baud rate that the last AT&W command was sent with. If
that baud rate differs from the `mgetty' port speed, a RING won't
be detected. Fix is easy: send another `AT' command after the
`ATZ'. For example, make the init sequence `"" ATZ OK AT OK'. The
second `AT' command will set the modem back to the mgetty port
speed.
* Some modems do not like the `+FDCC=1,5,...' command.
In the latest version, mgetty and sendfax will automatically
detect if the modem isn't able to do 14400 bps for faxing and will
use 9600 bps -- `+FDCC=1,3,...' -- instead. So don't worry about
the error message.
* Sometimes mgetty cannot initialize the modem, it times out waiting
for the first `OK'. (USR Sportsters are known to hit this).
I assume that the problem is the DTR-induced modem reset before
sending the first `+++ATH' to the modem. I know that some modems
need quite a lot time after a reset, so this should go away if you
add more delays before sending the first string to the modem:
In `conf_mg.c' (line 38 or so) change
char *def_init_chat_seq[] =
{ "", "\\d\\d\\d+++\\d\\d\\d\r\\dATQ0V1H0", "OK",
to
char *def_init_chat_seq[] =
{ "", "\\d\\d\\d\\d\\d\\d+++\\d\\d\\d\r\\dATQ0V1H0", "OK",
^^^^^^^^^ additional delays here
Or, if you don't want to modify the code, just set the `init-chat'
sequence in `mgetty.config' accordingly.
Alternatively, you can just switch off the toggling of DTR (since
the HUPCL flag is set, it should work as well) by setting
`toggle-dtr no' in `mgetty.config'.
* Some operating systems send their commands too fast for some
modems (Linux is known to do this). In that case it may be
necessary to increase the delay times for `DO_CHAT_SEND_DELAY' and
`FAX_COMMAND_DELAY' in `policy.h'.
* Some Modems toggle DCD between pages, possibly correlated to the
presence of the "high speed" page transmission carrier. `sendfax'
normally runs carrier-sensitive, and will then get a lot error
messages in the `read' and `write' calls, logging them as `I/O
Error' or something similar when sending the first or second page.
To work around this, set `ignore-carrier true' in `sendfax.config'.
If you run into this problem, `sendfax' will complain about `Error
+FHNG:-5 (Unexpected hangup / read() error / write() error)' and
abort.
* Some modems do not understand `ATH0', responding with `ERROR' to
that. Just modify the `init-chat' setting in `mgetty.config' to
send `ATH' instead of `ATH0'. This will fix it.
* Faxing to some modems works very well, faxing to "normal" fax
machines fails all the time.
In most cases, this error is caused by badly created G3 files. If
you use the old `pbm2g3' program, or an old copy of `hp2hig3', it
will cause bad G3 files.
Recently, a new problem appeared for postscript files created by
certain programs that insist on setting their ideas of the page
size (some versions of WinWord, FrameMaker, and dvipsk). If used
together with ghostscript 3.*, the resulting G3 file's width isn't
correct. For a fix, try creating the postscript file with a
different program, use a newer version of ghostscript, or an older
one (2.62 is fine). Quite often it helps to add `-sPAPERSIZE=a4'
to Ghostscript's command line (in `faxspool').
With a `mgetty' version later than June 1996, the `g3cat' program
should take care of this problem, fixing the line width
on-the-fly. It will print a warning, to tell you about the problem,
though. So if you get this warning, faxing should work, but you'd
better check all your programs anyway.
* Some other Modems cannot (or not properly) distinguish between
calling faxes and calling modems.
Some of them just refuse to answer both, only recognizing one and
failing on the other (NO CARRIER) -- in that case, there's nothing
you can do to make it receive both (except making the manufacturer
fix it). What you can do is to force it to receive always fax or
always data (what is more important for you). Data-Only can be set
by the `data-only' keyword in the configuration file, and Fax-Only
with the `fax-only' keyword.
In some cases, those problems may be caused by the modem
forgetting the `AT+FAA=1' command if it receives any other command
after it. To fix it, it may help to change the "answer chat
command" in the config file to
answer-chat "" AT+FAA=1;A CONNECT \c \r
if this helps for your modem, please tell me so, and I'll include
it into the documentation.
Some other modems can distinguish the different call types _most of
the time_, but some 2400 bps modems mysteriously fail. That may be
caused by some - strange - modems sending a certain tone when
_calling_ the other side, and the receiving end mistaking that for
the fax calling tone. Arne Marschall said about that: "...Or try
calling your modem with your phone and whistle. If it says "+fcon"
it is one one those which can't deal with modems using a calling
tone" - try it.
Another, quite simplistic approach of some modem manufacturers is
that they distinguish Fax by waiting until the time specified in
register `S7' (time to carrier) runs out, and then switching from
data to fax carrier. That normally works quite well - if the other
side is patient enough to wait that long .... For example, if the
modem switches to fax after 60 seconds have passed, and the caller
has a timeout of 50 seconds, it will definitely fail. If in doubt,
try setting `ATS7=30' (but only if all else fails - and don't ask
_me_ why it doesn't work...)
* Except if you feel sure that your modem needs less, do not try to
send or receive faxes with a port speed of less than 19200 bps.
Since fax transmission is synchronous (no start and stop bit!),
you need at least 12000 bps on the Computer-Modem line to transmit
9600 bps on the line.
* For some modems, incoming faxes are detected properly, but mgetty
times out about two minutes later in `fax_wait_for(OK)'. Most
likely, the `switchbd' (`mgetty.config') speed is set wrongly. A
number of cheap modems (e.g. Rockwell-Chip based ones) step to
19200 bps upon fax reception, and setting this option to `19200'
will tell mgetty about it. Better modems have no need for that, so
if you have defined it and your modem does *not* change bit rates,
it won't work either.
If you have this problem, your log file for an incoming fax call
will look like this:
09/21 09:55:48 yS1 waiting for ``RING''
09/21 09:55:48 yS1 got: [0d][0a]RING ** found **
09/21 09:55:48 yS1 send: ATA[0d]
09/21 09:55:48 yS1 waiting for ``CONNECT''
09/21 09:55:48 yS1 got: [0d][0a]ATA[0d][0d][0a]FAX
09/21 09:55:50 yS1 found action string: ``FAX''
09/21 09:55:50 yS1 start fax receiver...
09/21 09:55:50 yS1 fax receiver: entry
09/21 09:55:50 yS1 fax_wait_for(OK)
09/21 09:55:56 yS1 fax_wait_for: string '+FCON'
09/21 09:57:50 yS1 Warning: got alarm signal!
09/21 09:57:50 yS1 fax_read_byte: read returned -1: Interrupted system call
09/21 09:57:50 yS1 fax_get_line: cannot read byte, return: Interrupted system call
* For a couple of modems, you can find initialization and setup
hints in the file `doc/modems.db'. Just browse through it, maybe
you'll find something helpful. (You're welcome to provide entries
for modems not yet in the list).
* Sometimes, very weird things happen upon login (that is, long after
`mgetty' has done its work), for example, /bin/login blocks
infinitely, the caller is thrown out immediately again, or the
shell won't notice a logout, etc.
Quite often, this is caused by a modem not setting the data
carrier detect (DCD) line properly (properly meaning here
"reflecting the actual line conditions"). On most modems this is
done with the `AT&C1' command.
Another possibility are too long or otherwise broken modem cables
that corrupt the signals, and introduce noise on the modem control
lines. Flat cables are famous for this, use round, shielded modem
cables, no longer than necessary.
* `mgetty' will complain loudly if you switch off your modem.
Well, what should I say, this is a feature :-) - I think that
mgetty should detect and complain if a modem is not working, and
if you switch it off, it is most definitely not working.
For most modems, there is an easy way out. `mgetty' can query the
modem's DSR line at startup, and wait until that line comes
active. For that to work, you need to set DSR to "always on" with
`AT&S0&W' (entered from a terminal program), and then switch on
`need-dsr yes' in `mgetty.config'. Check the log file (with
`debug 6') to see whether it's working. It won't work for old
unix systems where you can't query the state of the serial port
control lines (DSR, DCD, etc.).
For modems or unix systems that have problems with DSR, there's
another approach: You just create a file, `/etc/nomodem.ttyS1', or
however you want to name it, when you intend to switch off your
modem. Instead of running `mgetty' from `/etc/inittab', you run a
"wrapper" script that will wait until the nomodem file disappears,
and then starts `mgetty'. That way, you can just prevent `mgetty'
from starting when you don't want it to.
The wrapper is easy:
#!/bin/sh
#
while test -f /etc/nologin.ttyS1
do
sleep 60
done
exec /usr/local/sbin/mgetty ttyS1
* I have been asked about "superfine" fax mode recently (using
392/408 dpi instead the usual 198/204 dpi). It is not yet
implemented. It would not be not overly hard, but you need a
modem that supports it - no class 2 modems that I know of support
it, and only very few 2.0/2.1 modems (MultiTech). So it hasn't
been done yet.
* Similar to the last bullet, V34 fax (using transfer speeds up to
28.800 bps) isn't fully implemented yet. My modems do not support
it, and nobody has asked for it yet. It should be really easy,
though.
File: mgetty.info, Node: Zyxel, Next: TelelinkIMS08, Prev: Common, Up: Modems
5.1.2 ZyXEL
-----------
First of all, yes, ZyXELs tend to somewhat non-deterministic behaviour -
most modems work perfectly with `mgetty+sendfax', a few don't, and I do
not always find out what's wrong.
If it works first, and then suddenly stops working, it does quite
often help do to a *full* modem reset, that is, switch it off, press the
DATA/VOICE key, switch it on again and hold the key for about 20
Seconds. (That's for the 1496E and E+, for other models, it works
differently, check you manual). That cured the problems in many cases.
The same holds true after a firmware change: always do a full modem
reset in case you change the ROM version!
Do not use non-plus ZyXELs (the "slower" ones) for faxing with DTE
speeds above 38400 bps, I got a report that it won't work.
Do not use the `S18' register, set it to 0. Its purpose is for dumb
`getty' programs where the modem has to change its baud rate back to a
certain value if some other program has modified it. Since `mgetty'
will reinitialize the modem anyway if another program has dialed out,
the `S18' register cannot improve anything, it can only harm (e.g., if
it is set to `3', the modem will send any `RING' with 19200 bps --
imagine what happens if `mgetty' sets the port to 38400 ...)
If you want to use Caller ID (and have subscribed to it), add
S40.2=1 to the modem initialization string [For the ZyXEL 2864, this
might be S84.4=0, but check with your modem manual!].
*Warning:* If you use a very old ZyXEL and try to send some complex
graphics (the "tiger.ps" example file in the GhostScript package is
known to produce this), it may lock up. This is because the old ZyXEL
firmware had _lots_ of bugs concerning hardware flow control--sometimes
the ZyXEL just forgot to raise CTS when it can accept data again. The
symptoms are that the transmission hangs, no modem LEDs are flashing
any more, the logfile won't grow any more and the receiving machines
hangs up after printing a partial page.
This bug has been fixed in ROM release 6.01, so you should consider
upgrading your eproms if you run into this. With ROM release 6.01 and
6.11a, it works correctly (a hundred-odd faxes sent without problems).
Rom releases I've never been able to make `sendfax' work reliably are
6.00 and 6.10 (6.10a works), and various 5.0x releases.
Fax polling (both server and client side) is broken in ROM 6.11a.
The very latest ROM releases, 6.12, 6.13 and 6.15, work perfectly in
every possible aspect. I tried fax sending, receiving, polling, data
calls, ... - and everything simply _works_!
The latest ZyXEL roms can normally be found on ftp.zyxel.com, in
`/pub/other/zyxel/r*'.
Some models, seemingly only the `EG+' (german telekom approved),
toggle the DCD line during the pre-page handshake, thus causing
`sendfax' to abort (with a "I/O error" during read/write operations).
You can work around this by defining `ignore-carrier true' in
`sendfax.config'.
ZyXEL modems can do security callback (`AT*Gi' with `i' > 0). With
ROM releases up to 6.11a, this doesn't interact very well with mgetty.
If you want to use it anyway, send me a note and I'll describe what to
change (but be warned, mgetty operation will become somewhat unreliable
by those changes!). With 6.12, it works very good.
Oh, one additional note: ZyXELs can do voice recording and playback.
Klaus Weidner and Marc Eberhard have written voice handling tools, to
turn your modem into a sophisticated answering machine. Yo can finde
this tools in the `voice' subdirectory. (NOTE: In version 1.0, I
haven't included the stuff, because the docs are heavily lacking and
Marc thinks it's not ready yet. Get 0.99 or 1.1-betas to play with
voice).
Josef Wolf () has added some comments about the ZyXEL
Eproms (I don't know whether it's true or not, ask him or
):
Most EPROMs require /PGM and Vpp to be Vcc while in ROM-Mode. On
ZyXELs these two pins are removed in the socket so the pins are
_floating_. This treatment is *out of spec* for _any_ EPROM. The
TI-Types originally used by ZyXEL seem to tolarate this treatment. But
most other EPROMS won't work properly. There are two solutions to this
problem:
1.) use the types which zyxel used. (could be troublesome to find
some)
2.) take two sockets, solder jumpers between pins 1, 31 and 32
(these are /PGM, Vpp and Vcc) and place them into the original
sockets before inserting the EPROMs.
*NEWS:* ZyXEL has a new modem line out in the market, the _ZyXEL
COMET 336_ modem. This is a fairly standard Rockwell-based junk modem.
It can't do class 2 or class 2.0 fax. Don't buy it.
File: mgetty.info, Node: TelelinkIMS08, Next: Rockwell, Prev: Zyxel, Up: Modems
5.1.3 Telelink IMS 08 Faxline+ Modems
-------------------------------------
Thanks to friendly support by MVS, Germany, I got a Telelink IMS 08
modem for testing and was able to adapt `mgetty' accordingly.
The modems factory defaults are very good, so it's sufficient for
`mgetty' operations to set `init-chat' (in `mgetty.config') to ATQ0V1E0
OK AT&F2S0=0&D3X6&K3 OK, and `switchbd' to 19200 (yep, it switches baud
rate. Stupid, but true). After that, receiving fax + data calls works
fine.
Fax sending is not that trivial. Basically, it works after setting
`modem-handshake' to `AT&K3'. `FAX_SEND_FLOW' (in `policy.h') can be
anything that the host machine supports (because the modem does both
Xon/Xoff and RTS/CTS handshake simultaneously).
Unfortunately, a few problems remain:
- faxing multi-page faxes to ZyXELs with ROM release 6.11a doesn't
work (fails on the receiving end with +FHNG:100 and on the sending side
with +FHNG:50).
- faxing to some paper fax machines fails completely, for others,
"only" complex graphics (like the Ghostscript-"tiger.ps") fail. This
one can be partially cured by adding lots of padding zeroes into the
fax data (`g3cat -p 24') - but that's unelegant, not complying to class
2 specs, and not supported (besides, it still doesn't work all the
time). Maybe later versions of `sendfax' will do the padding
automatically.
I recommend against using this modem with sendfax. In addition to the
technical problems, their customer support (at least, that of the german
distributor MVS) is basically non-existant. (I wrote them four times
describing my problems with the modem, and never got an answer).
File: mgetty.info, Node: Rockwell, Next: Zoom-vfast, Prev: TelelinkIMS08, Up: Modems
5.1.4 Rockwell-based modems, e.g. Supra
---------------------------------------
As far as I know, sending or receiving are no problem (although you
have to use 19200 baud when in class 2 faxmode - set `speed' to `19200'
in `sendfax.config', and set `switchbd' to `19200' in `mgetty.config'.
Remember to change the modem initialization strings to the proper
values for your modem, that is, ATQ0V1E0 OK AT&K3S0=0 OK.
Especially for the `SupraFax' modem, I've been told that you have to
set `modem-handshake' to `AT&K3' and initialize the modem with
`AT&S0&D2&K3'. Since the modem does not like being reset with DTR->low
(do *not* use `&D3'!), an `ATZ' in the first initizalization string in
`mgetty.c', to reset the modem into a known state, is a good idea, too.
(Thanks to Christof Junge, , for trying out
several weeks until everything worked!)
Some other SupraFAX Rom releases seem to forget that they are set to
use RTS/CTS handshake if a `+FCLASS=0' is sent to them. I think it
should help to store the `AT&K3' into NVRAM, but maybe you have to patch
`mgetty.c'. See `contrib/readme.supra' for details.
Fax polling does not work because the Rockwell chipset does not
support it.
*NEWS:* Most recent Rockwell 33.600 modems do not support any decent
fax operation anymore - they added "simultaneous Voice over Data" (SVD)
to their modem firmware, and because the Eproms are not large enough,
they threw out their class 2 firmware. Don't buy such a modem, it
won't work properly with `mgetty+sendfax'.
If you buy a Rockwell-based modem (they are usually quite cheap),
make sure that you get one that can do class 2 or (better) class 2.0.
Even if it's written on the box, some recent models just can't do it!
Together with `vgetty', many Rockwell modems can distinguish between
different types of incoming "RING" tones (usually called "distinguished
RING" by the local Telco). Use the command `AT#SDR=n' (n between 0 and
7) to enable this feature. If in doubt, check with your modem manual
whether your modem can do this at all.
File: mgetty.info, Node: Zoom-vfast, Next: Best14496EC, Prev: Rockwell, Up: Modems
5.1.5 Zoom VFP/VFX 24K FaxModem (V.FAST modem, 24,000 bps)
----------------------------------------------------------
For the Zoom V.FAST 24,000 modem, you should change `init-chat' to
`ATE1Q0V1 OK AT&FS0=0&C1&D2W1 OK' (see the manual for the meaning of
the commands). After that, everything should work. (I got very euphoric
reports).
My own experience with my Zoom VFX 28.800 is also quite good, but it
doesn't seem to like automatic fax/data distinction too much, that is,
some data calls are "recognized" as fax and fail miserably. Dunno how
to fix it, I run my Zoom as data-only.
Fax polling doesn't work.
File: mgetty.info, Node: Best14496EC, Next: GVC, Prev: Zoom-vfast, Up: Modems
5.1.6 Best 14496 EC fax modem
-----------------------------
Works quite well. Use `FLOW_HARD' for all flow control settings (in
`policy.h', use 19200 bps for sending and receiving. Set `modem-init'
to `ATE1Q0V1 OK ATS7=60&D3\\Q3%C1\\N7 OK' (`mgetty.config'), and
`modem-handshake' to `AT\\Q3&S0' (`sendfax.config').
After that it should work. Kudos to Sami Koskinen ().
File: mgetty.info, Node: GVC, Next: creatix, Prev: Best14496EC, Up: Modems
5.1.7 GVC FM-144Vbis+/1 (Rockwell-based)
----------------------------------------
Basically, the modem is similar to the SupraFax modem.
Change `speed' in `mgetty.config' and `sendfax.config' to `19200'
and set `modem-handshake' to AT&K4.
Further, if your model toggles DCD betwen fax pages (`sendfax' fails
mysteriously between pages), `ignore-carrier true' in `sendfax.config'.
After that, it should work.
Note: If your modem doesn't properly distinguish incoming fax from
data calls (i.e., a 2400 bps caller is repeatedly "identified" as fax
caller), upgrade your firmware. I've been told (thanks to John Watson,
watson%) that a new firmware release, *v1.69* exists
that will fix those problems.
File: mgetty.info, Node: creatix, Next: Telekom, Prev: GVC, Up: Modems
5.1.8 CREATIX Modem (Rockwell-Based)
------------------------------------
For the new CREATIX modem, use the following settings in `mgetty.config'
(thanks to Jens Hektor, ):
speed 38400
init-chat "" ATE1Q0V1 OK ATS0=0&D3&K3
and `modem-handshake' AT&K3 in `sendfax.config'.
The modem has a voice mode, too, and it should work with `vgetty' by
now. As the docs for vgetty are out-of-date, I don't really know how to
get it to work, though.
File: mgetty.info, Node: Telekom, Next: Dallas, Prev: creatix, Up: Modems
5.1.9 German Telekom approved GVC modems
----------------------------------------
(GM-144VBIS+ RC9696/14 (?))
This modem does _not(!)_ use Xon/Xoff flow control. Further, the
default modem profile sets `&S1', which makes the modem disable DSR all
the time. On systems using the FAS serial driver, this will _disable
CTS flow control_!
So, #define `FAX_MODEM_HANDSHAKE "AT\\Q3&S0"' in `policy.h', do not
define `FLOW_SOFT' for flow control, and fax sending should work. (It
does for me!) Changing `FAX_SEND_BAUD' to `B19200' is not necessary,
it works with `B38400'.
Fax receiving... I did not fully test it. It's somewhat difficult
since that modem insists on using auto-answer, but it should be
possible to let it auto-answer if you set mgetty's ring counter high
enough. Or, you can trick the modem, by changing mgetty's answer
command (`ATA') into `ATS0=1' - upon the next RING, the modem will
"auto-answer".
File: mgetty.info, Node: Dallas, Next: Everex, Prev: Telekom, Up: Modems
5.1.10 Dallas Fax 14.4
----------------------
Change `FAX_SEND_BAUD' and `DEFAULT_PORTSPEED' to `B19200', change all
occurances of `AT&H3' to `AT&K5', remove `AT&N0' and `&K4' in
`policy.h'.
File: mgetty.info, Node: Everex, Next: Exar, Prev: Dallas, Up: Modems
5.1.11 Everex
-------------
All I programmed is strictly to everex specs, thus, it should work.
Most likely, some fiddling with the initialization strings is necessary.
(If you have an Everex modem, please report to me what you did change).
File: mgetty.info, Node: Exar, Next: Tornado, Prev: Everex, Up: Modems
5.1.12 Exar 9624 fax modem
--------------------------
This modem needs two stop bits (when sending), so you have to add
`CSTOPB' to `tio.c_cflag = ...' in `tio.c' / `tio_mode_sane()'.
Also, use `#define FAX_SEND_BAUD B19200' and, for fax reception,
`#define DEFAULT_PORTSPEED B19200'.
Further, the modem is a little bit timing critical - please insert
`delay(500)' calls at the end of `fax_open_device()' (`sendfax.c', line
122) and before sending the page punctuation (`fax_command("+FET=...")'
in `sendfax.c', `main()', around line 540).
Also, for at least one Exar 9624 (built into a Compaq notebook),
it's been necessary to add two delays (`\\d\\d') before the
`AT+FCLASS=0' initialization string in `mgetty.c'.
File: mgetty.info, Node: Tornado, Next: Zoltrix, Prev: Exar, Up: Modems
5.1.13 Tornado / Lightspeed modems
----------------------------------
Here is a suggested setting for the default profile for these modems.
*Note Common::.
For Lightspeed store profile:
at&f
at&c1
at&d3
ats0=0
at%c2
atw1
at&w
and for tornado store profile:
at&f
at&d3
ats0=0
at&w
Then just initialize the modem with `init-chat' set to `"" ATZ OK'.
File: mgetty.info, Node: Zoltrix, Next: MultiTech, Prev: Tornado, Up: Modems
5.1.14 Zoltrix Platinum Series 14.4
-----------------------------------
This modem is also Rockwell-based, so don't expect anything unusual...
- it works quite well, both fax sending and fax/data answering. You
should use the following settings in `policy.h' (suggested by
, Laszlo Herczeg)
#define DATA_FLOW FLOW_HARD
#define FAXREC_FLOW FLOW_SOFT
#define FAXSEND_FLOW FLOW_SOFT
#define FAX_SEND_BAUD B38400
#define FAX_MODEM_HANDSHAKE "AT&K3"
#define MODEM_INIT_STRING "ATS0=0V1Q0&D3&K3%C1W1"
In some circumstances, sending of *large* graphics files (the
well-known `tiger.ps') may fail.
File: mgetty.info, Node: MultiTech, Next: ELSA, Prev: Zoltrix, Up: Modems
5.1.15 MultiTech modems (MT1432BG and MT2834BG)
-----------------------------------------------
First of all, I want to thank MultiTech Munich for their support
(borrowing me two test modems w/o charge).
Second, I can only strongly recommend these modems, they are *great*
(but expensive). Got it, unpacked it, switched it on, set mgetty's init
string (`MODEM_INIT') to `ATS0=0&S1' - and everything simply worked.
Flawlessly. (Warning: usually I recommend `AT&S0' to force the DSR line
high - needed, because otherwise some O/Ses won't do hardware flow
control - but that doesn't seem to work on my model. AT&S1 means that
H/W flow control only works when a carrier is present, but then, who
needs flow control in command mode?)
The modems do very reliably distinguish incoming fax and data calls,
and outgoing fax works also very good (unfortunately, it's limited to
9600 bps fax rate, but that's no big problem).
The only problem I've seen is that those modem do the fax bit order
on reception *right* (everybody else does it wrong, to be compatible
with Rockwell, who botched it in the first place). Thus, `g32pbm' won't
be able to decode the data, unless you call it as `g32pbm -r'. (You
can see if the bit order is wrong if g32pbm complains in every single
line). I'll work something out for one of the next releases to work
around this (MODEM-QUIRKS 02).
BUT: There seems to be a way to tell the modem to behave like a
Rockwell one and use the "wrong" byte order. Carlos Fonseca found the
following text on ftp.multitech.com:
Function Command Description
PROCESS +FRBOR Maintaining compatibility with
DATA IN Rockwell Class 2 chip set for fax data
DIRECT OR reception .
REVERSE ORDER FRBOR=0 - Process received fax data in
direct order.
FRBOR=1 - Process received fax data in
reverse order.
so, with AT+FRBOR=1 added to the modem initialization string, it
should be possible to get fax reception on the MultiTechs going without
tricks.
Glenn Thobe suggested the following definitions for `policy.h' (which
mostly are factory defaults anyway, but it wouldn't harm to set them)
#define MODEM_INIT_STRING "ATS0=0Q0&D3&E1&E4&E13&E15"
#define FAX_MODEM_HANDSHAKE "AT&E4"
My `mgetty.config' for those modems looks like this (everything not
mentioned is set to the defaults I ship in `policy.h').
# MultiTech MT1432BG
port
init-chat "" \d\d\d+++\d\d\dATE0E1V1H0 OK ATL0M0S0=0 OK
modem-type cls2
# MultiTech MT2834BG
port
init-chat "" \d\d\d+++\d\d\dATH0&F OK ATX4&D3 OK ATQ0L0M0S0=0 OK
modem-type cls2
Some of the newer 56k-capable MultiTech modems have voice
functionality, but some firmware versions are very much broken. Others
seem to work more or less. So make sure you can return your modem to
the dealer if it doesn't work - and if the dealer isn't willing to do
this, get a different modem. Russell King told me that the firmware
version 0316D should be working ok, but I got some negative reports as
well. Hmmm.
*News* The most recent series of MultiTech modems (MT5634ZBA-V92
external, or MT5634ZPX-PCI-V92 / ISI5634PCI internal), based on the
Lucent/Agere Venus chipset, seem to be really good for fax, data and
voice support. Older firmware releases had bugs in the voice area, but
if you use the most recent firmware version, they should be fine. For
vgetty, you might need to set "forceV253 true" and "rec_compression 6"
in `voice.conf' (Contributed by Lee Howard, <>
- thanks).
File: mgetty.info, Node: ELSA, Next: USR, Prev: MultiTech, Up: Modems
5.1.16 ELSA voice/fax modems
----------------------------
ELSA makes a nice series of Data/Fax/Voice products, both for POTS
lines and for ISDN. In general, all of them are supported fairly well
by `mgetty+sendfax' (fax works, fax polling works(!), voice works), but
here are a couple of notes for different products:
* MicroLink 56k/56k pro - standard analogue voice/fax/data modem.
Pretty good for about everything, but make sure you use the latest
firmware version (1.58), as earlier versions have bugs switching
between voice and fax mode.
* MicroLink Office - in addition to being a nice modem, this thing
can do fax reception and answering machine functionality in
"standalone mode", without a computer. Received voice calls and
faxes can be downloaded via X-Modem to the computer. I'm working
on a nice GUI application to ease using the standalone mode. The
ML Office seems to be the only non-ISDN ELSA modem that can do
Caller ID (CLIP).
* MicroLink TL/V.34 - this is an ISDN terminal adaptor that can also
do V.34 modem calls and fax. Works nicely.
* TanGo - this an ISDN only terminal adaptor. Works, but it's pretty
boring stuff.
* MicroLink 28.8/33.6 TQV - this is the old voice/fax/modem series.
Works, but uses a different command to got to hardware flow
control mode (`AT\Q3' instead of `AT+IFC=2,2') so you'll see some
errors in the voice log files. Don't worry about that.
If you have any problems with ELSA modems and mgetty concerning
fax/voice support, report them to me first, and let me report them to
ELSA - I'm actively working together with them to iron out bugs, and
it's easier if all the reports come from only one contact person (me).
File: mgetty.info, Node: USR, Next: Elink-ISDN, Prev: ELSA, Up: Modems
5.1.17 US Robotics (now 3com) Courier/Sportster Fax/Data modems
---------------------------------------------------------------
There are a number of major lines of 3com/US Robotics modems:
* USR Courier V.34/V.everything - those are quite expensive, but
really, really good modems. I think those are the best
V.34/X.2/V.90 modems around, and they are also very good for class
2.0 faxing. But make sure that you use a recent firmware, as
older versions had very bad (and stooopid) bugs in the fax
department. You can find out the firmware version with the `ATI7'
modem command. The `Supervisor rev' version listed should be at
least `6.5.3', better `7.1.8' (this is the `X.2 upgrade').
Fax polling still doesn't work, and if you send faxes to a modem
that can only accept fax with 7200 bps, it will fail with
`+FHS:25' unless you specify `sendfax -M 7200'.
The Courier series does not have voice features.
* USR I-Modem - this is an ISDN Terminal Adaptor with built in
V.34/fax mode ("ISDN Modem"). Nice product. Works. The same
stuff said for the Courier V.34/V.everything is true for the
I-Modem.
* older USR Courier modems - older series without flash ROM, and
possibly not upgradable to V.34/X.2 at all, might give problems.
Fax was added fairly late, and the first fax-capable releases are
very buggy. If you have such a modem, and `ATI7' does not list
`V34' in the `Options' line, you might try the FAX_USRobotics
option in `policy.h'. Maybe it helps. But don't expect too much.
* USR Sportster series - the "Sportster" is actually a range of many
different low-end modems. Most of them can do voice stuff, some of
them have flash ROM to be upgraded to newer firmware. For data,
this modem is quite good. For fax, it might work, and it might
not - I have received a very high number of "it doesn't work at
all" reports, and also a number of "it works very well for me"
reports. If you plan to buy one, make sure you can return it if
it doesn't work.
* Internal PC card - I haven't been able to find out yet whether that
is a "Sportster" or a "Courier", but it seems to be a Sportster,
with all its negative habits.
Some older USR firmware versions had severe bugs when doing RTS/CTS
(that is, hardware) flow control. Occasionally, a byte got lost, and
sometimes this confuses the modem enough to abort transmission with the
error message
Transmission error: +FHNG:44 (Unrecognized Transparent data command)
Sam Leffler recommends using Xon/Xoff flow control for both fax
sending and fax receiving (`#define FAX_SEND_FLOW FLOW_SOFT' and
`#define FAX_REC_FLOW FLOW_SOFT' in `policy.h').
Some day in the future, I'll make those "quirks" configurable from
the config file, but until then, you'll have to live with recompiling.
Sorry. (Upgrade your firmware!).
Fax polling with the USRs is _not_ working, even though the modem
claims so. It will work half-way through, but fail miserably later.
When sending faxes with an USR faxmodem, set `ignore-carrier yes' in
`sendfax.config'. Otherwise it will fail after the first page with a
read error and error code -5. (But that is default anyway, if you use
mgetty 1.1.16 and up).
For some fax receivers, a problem remains: the USR modems do not want
to negotiate 7200 bps transmission speed. If the receiving modem won't
accept 9600 bps, transmission will fail after sending three DCS frames,
with the error code +FHS:25. In that case, try setting `fax-max-speed
7200' in `sendfax.config'.
The USR modems support Caller ID delivery (both the I-Modem series
and the analog ones). Switch it on with `AT#CID=1' and mgetty should
automatically be able to recognize the incoming caller ID. If not, show
me a detailed log file...
Firmware upgrades and documentation are available on `ftp
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