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efax version 0.8 released



Version 0.8 of the efax fax software is now available at
ftp://sunsite.unc.edu/pub/Linux/Incoming/efax08.tar.gz

			  Introduction

This is the README file for version 0.8 of efax, a relatively
small ANSI C/POSIX program that sends and receives faxes using
any Class 1, 2 or 2.0 fax modem.

For single user systems efax is smaller and easier to install
than HylaFAX, NetFax, or mgetty+sendfax.  A ``fax'' shell script
lets you send, receive, view and print faxes.  As one user put it
``EFAX is a nice simple program for single user systems.''

Efax can also work with other software to implement more complex
applications.  For example it can pass incoming data calls to
your current getty program and can be used as a filter by the lpr
print spooler to implement a network fax server.

The efax package includes ``efix,'' a program to convert text
files to TIFF-G3 fax format.  To convert Postscript files you
will need Ghostscript.  To view faxes you can use any program
that displays PGM, TIFF, or Postscript files (e.g. xloadimage, xv
or Ghostscript).  efix can also convert received files to HP
Laserjet, Postscript, or PBM formats for printing.

This version of the program was written & tested under Linux 2.0.
Previous versions have been compiled and used under AIX
3.2.4/4.1.2, A/UX, BSD, HP-UX, IRIX 5.2, NeXT, OSF/1V1.3, Solaris
2.x, SunOS 4.1.1/4.1.3, SCO 3.2.0, SysVR4.2, and ULTRIX 4.3 and
should work with minor changes on any modern UNIX with an ANSI C
compiler and libraries that include select(2) and termios(4).

efax is distributed as a gzip'ed tar file, efax08.tar.gz.  It
may be obtained by anonymous FTP from sunsite.unc.edu in
/pub/Linux/Incoming or /pub/Linux/apps/comm/fax.

	    Changes from version 0.7a to version 0.8

- efax and efix read/write TIFF files with fax (G3) compression

- can send and receive documents with mixed page resolutions

- Class 1 code re-written to T.30

- ``virtual flow control'': efax can avoid transmit overruns by
  pausing when required

- improvements to Class 2.0 support

- an interface to the lpr print spooler lets efax act as a
  networked fax server

- will convert text input to fax format as it is sent

- default modem initialization is built-in

- hooks for voice mail (using ``efone,'' not yet released)

- many bug fixes and improvements

			    Manifest

The efax distribution should contain the following files:

README         - this file
COPYING        - the GNU General Public License
Makefile       - makefile to make all/install/clean
efax.c         - program to send and receive faxes
efix.c         - program to convert between file formats 
efaxmsg.{h,c}  - functions to print errors, warnings, etc
efaxlib.{h,c}  - functions common to efax and efix 
efaxio.{h,c}   - low-level modem i/o functions
efaxos.{h,c}   - OS-dependent functions
fax.1          - man page for fax(1)
efax.1         - man page for efax(1)
efix.1         - man page for efix(1)
fax            - a (Bourne) shell script to create, send, 
                 receive, view and print faxes.

			  Installation
	
Edit the makefile and change the compile command and destination
directories if required.

Type "make" to compile the efax and efix binaries.  

Edit the configuration information at the start of the ``fax''
script according to the comments.

Type "make install" to install the fax script, the binaries and
the man pages.

Read the fax(1) man page for information on using efax.

The efax(1) man page has details on resolving problems, setting
up a network fax server and using efax to automatically handle
both incoming fax and data calls.

-- 
Ed Casas (edc@xxxxxxx)