Re: Trying to get on the web with wvdial.

["Russell L. Harris" <rlharris@oplink.net>]

* Geosand <geosandsf@westnet.com.au> [080128 20:49]:
... (RE wvdial) ...
> Because it does all the config for you.
> I used it for the first time the other day - installing a modem for fax.
> It did it all in the install procedure, detected the serial port the  
> modem was on, installed the strings, ready to go.

If your only need for a POTS ("plain old telephone service") modem is
to send and receive faxes, wvdial is not required.  All you need to do
is:

    => connect the modem to a serial port (ttyS0 or ttyS1)

    => install hylafax-server, hylafax-client, and ghfaxviewer

    => execute "faxsetup"

    => execute "faxaddmodem"

Then you can send faxes with the command "sendfax" and view received
faxes with ghfaxviewer.

Installation and configuraton takes only five to ten minutes. 

%%%%%%%%

I'm not that keen about experimenting, so a year ago, I downloaded and
printed out all the hylafax documentation, looked over it, and became
so discouraged at the apparent complexity that I never gave it a try.

But yesterday the need for faxing arose, so I searched with Google,
and found two documents which looked promising:

    => "Linux simple fx printer server mini-HOWTO"
    (www.faqs.org/doc/Linux-mini/Fax-Serv...)

    => "Linux Fax Server: How to Set up Hylafax"
    (www.aboutdebian.com/fax.htm).

The first document showed how to use the package "efax", but it left
me with a bad impression of the package.

The second document gave me the encouragement I needed to try hylafax.
It turns out that the default configuration file which ships with the
Debian package "just works"; all that is required is to edit in your
own telephone number and identification string.

RLH