Peppermint OS Community Forum

General => General Discussion => Topic started by: alynur on October 31, 2018, 12:29:16 pm

Title: Send a Fax
Post by: alynur on October 31, 2018, 12:29:16 pm
Hello Peppermint people, is it possible for me to send a fax from my computer without a fax machine or fax modem? I tried sending a pdf file using Efax-gtk but got an error

Code: [Select]
efax-0.9a: 11:15:58 opened /dev/ttyS1
efax-0.9a: 11:15:58 failed page /home/albert/Documents/NARA _ e-Vetrecs _signed.pdf.001
efax-0.9a: 11:15:58 Error: tcgetattr on fd=7 failed: Input/output error
efax-0.9a: 11:15:58 Error: fax device write: Input/output error
efax-0.9a: 11:16:00 Error: tcgetattr on fd=7 failed: Input/output error
efax-0.9a: 11:16:02 Error: fax device write: Input/output error

and it continues with Dropping...

So what do I need to do? Anybody?
Title: Re: Send a Fax
Post by: christianvl on October 31, 2018, 12:55:05 pm
Hi alynur.

I think you actually need to hook your computer to a telephone land-line. I'm not sure, but I have the impression you can't send a fax using the internet (or a mobile phone). There are some webservices that may provide that function for you.
Title: Re: Send a Fax
Post by: zebedeeboss on October 31, 2018, 02:19:55 pm
Take a look here  https://faxauthority.com/linux-fax/ (https://faxauthority.com/linux-fax/)

Regards Zeb...
Title: Re: Send a Fax
Post by: PCNetSpec on October 31, 2018, 05:53:59 pm
Well you'd certainly need a fax modem to send it directly .. how else would it talk to a fax machine ?
Title: Re: Send a Fax
Post by: alynur on November 02, 2018, 08:08:49 pm
Quote from: zebedeeboss on October 31, 2018, 02:19:55 pm
Take a look here  https://faxauthority.com/linux-fax/ (https://faxauthority.com/linux-fax/)

Regards Zeb...

Thanks Zeb, that clears it up. I don't have a phone connection on my computer so I guess I'm out of luck. Thanks guys for all the info.  :)
Title: Re: Send a Fax
Post by: PCNetSpec on November 02, 2018, 09:16:06 pm
Some printers still have dial-up modems in them, so can be used as Fax machines.

Otherwise you'd either need a dial-up modem (that's how fax's speak to each other .. you remember the noise right :))), or use an online service that will send a fax for you.

Most broadband modem/routers these days, though they may still use the phone line use a completely different signal frequency and technology that is isolated from the audible band .. so an old Fax machine wouldn't "hear" it and even if it could they'd be talking different languages.

BTW, who the heck is still using fax :o
Title: Re: Send a Fax
Post by: scifidude79 on November 02, 2018, 11:19:33 pm
I was going to suggest the online service.

Quote from: PCNetSpec on November 02, 2018, 09:16:06 pm
BTW, who the heck is still using fax :o

Doctor offices. Government offices. For that matter, a number of businesses. A number of businesses won't accept files in an e-mail, but they'll accept a fax. I guess they figure there's no way to send a virus in a fax. ;)
Title: Re: Send a Fax
Post by: PCNetSpec on November 03, 2018, 08:52:27 am
Hmm, apparently a document sent by email isn't legally binding, but sent by fax it is
https://www.efax.co.uk/blog/why-fax-is-legally-binding

Kinda odd when you consider these fax services where you send them an email and they forward it as a fax :-\
(and if you use your wireless printers fax, the document could also easily be intercepted)

You'd think encrypted email would be the most secure method .. and the fact your decypt key worked PROVED the sender.

The system is being governed by idiots .. as usual ::)
Title: Re: Send a Fax
Post by: murraymint on November 03, 2018, 09:39:32 am
They're now doing lease documents by email only so I suppose there's some method of making sure they're legally valid.
Title: Re: Send a Fax
Post by: scifidude79 on November 03, 2018, 09:44:42 am
Quote from: PCNetSpec on November 03, 2018, 08:52:27 am
The system is being governed by idiots .. as usual ::)

Yep, that sums it up nicely.
Title: Re: Send a Fax
Post by: emegra on November 03, 2018, 09:51:59 am
In order to connect your PC to a phone line you would need a fax modem and If I remember correctly most internal modems were winmodems and Linux support was very poor I once got it working using an external serial port modem I forget the make/model now but I still have it in my attic somewhere

Anyway here's some information about getting winmodems working in Linux if it's any help

http://www.linmodems.org/ (http://www.linmodems.org/)


Good luck

Graeme
Title: Re: Send a Fax
Post by: PCNetSpec on November 03, 2018, 04:14:20 pm
USRobotics ?

Still have a couple of 14400 somewhere I think .. though god knows why.
Title: Re: Send a Fax
Post by: emegra on November 03, 2018, 04:23:25 pm
Believe it or not all UK MOT stations used these modems when the system was computerized and continued to use them up until recently




Graeme