Re: dialing phone numbers

[Ken Irving <fnkci@uaf.edu>]

On Thu, Apr 09, 2009 at 05:15:13PM +0000, T o n g wrote:
> On Thu, 09 Apr 2009 09:46:23 -0400, Douglas A. Tutty wrote:
> 
> >> Any hints about dialing numbers by your laptop keyboard to a phone
> >> connected through modem?
> > 
> > minicom?
> 
> It might, but minicom is awkward for phone dialing because it waits for 
> data negotiations after phone dialing and will cut your conversation off 
> when data negotiations time out.

I've found cu to be more conducive to scripting, e.g. using expect or
perl's Expect module, than minicom, but the problem you describe is
with the modem, not with minicom or cu or echo.  It handled by ending
the dial string with a semicolon, putting the modem back into command
mode.  I don't think the modem should time out in that mode, but if
so there are probably ways to extend or disable the timeout period.

> > echo?
> 
> Huh? how?

Probably just by redirecting output to the modem port, e.g. maybe
like this (untested!):

  $ echo -en atdt5551212\;\r > /dev/modem

though I've had mixed results trying this.  The quoting may not be
right, permissions obviously need to allow it, the device might be
locked or maybe should be locked so that nothing else butts in, etc.

Ken

-- 
Ken Irving