Re: flexfax: Hylafax rpm issues

[Steve Williams <steve@genie96.com>]

> 
> Ed Weinberg writes:
> 
> 
>  > Here is the reasponse:
>  > Warning, No "hylafax" service definition, using default 4559/tcp.
>  > Can not reach server at host "localhost", port 4559.
>  > (end of response)
> 
> Check that following entries are present
> 
> 
> /etc/inetd.conf
> 
> 	hylafax stream  tcp     nowait  fax     /usr/sbin/hfaxd hfaxd -I
> 

The preferred way of starting hfaxd is by a /etc/rc.local script or some
such thing.  It does work running from inetd, but over the years, it has
faded out in use.

Probably because of the necessity for inetd to fork off a hfaxd process for 
every fax.  On high volume machines, this is not good.  For home use, 
inetd is probably fine.


> /etc/services
> 
> 	hylafax 4559/tcp # HylaFAX client-server protocol
> 	snpp    444/tcp         # Simple Network Paging Protocol
> 

You should also include 4557 as "fax" or some such thing in /etc/services
as that is the "old" HylaFAX port.  There is still some "client" software
that will be looking for this port.

> Note that rpm post-install script tries to add these entries. If
> these entries are already present the script leaves them as
> they are. If you have entries from previous installation,
> make sure they match this. Or if you don't want to bother, simply do 
> 	rpm -e hyalfax
> 	rpm -i hyalafax
> 
> The rpm -e runs a pre-uninstall script which removes all these 
> entries. rpm -i just adds them back.
> 
> Make sure that there is a symbolic link /dev/modem
> to one of /dev/cua*
> 

Humm, is this a common practice in the Linux world?

MANY MANY MANY problems are caused by non-cooperative programs attempting
to use UUCP locking to prevent contention to the modem device.  

If you are advocating a link to /dev/modem, then it MUST be clear that 
PPP, minicom, cu, uucp, etc ALL USE /dev/modem as the device.  If only one
of those applications uses /dev/cua* as their device, the UUCP locking
will fail miserably.  This should be VERY CLEAR in your documentation.

Also, the LOCATION of the uucp lock files, and the TYPE of the UUCP 
lockfiles, though I would hope that RedHat has at least dictated those
two critical paramaters.

> Now look at the file /var/spool/hyla/etc/config.modem. This is 
> It is more than likely that it doesn't match all the parameters of your
> modem
> 

People should be running a faxaddmodem to add the modem to the system
( as per previous discussions ).  If it is hanging, one trick that I
have found to work ( *** modem dependent *** ) is to cu to the modem
( or minicom ), & set the modem to always assert CD.  This can usually
be accomplished by the AT&C0 command, followed by AT&W, though these
commands are modem specific.  Then, run faxaddmodem.  It may work this
time.
 
[snip]

-- 
	Steve Williams, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
	Genie Computer Systems Inc.
	steve@genie96.com

"A man doesn't begin to attain wisdom until he recognizes that he is 
 no longer indespensable."
- Admiral Richard E. Byrd ( 1888-1957 )