Re: flexfax: Hylafax - fax user defined in passwd

[Matthias.Apitz@SOFTCON.de]

Eddie Reed wrote:
    
    
    > That "hosts" file should be 0600, uucp owned and uucp group owned.
    > You could try starting with the hosts file that comes with the
    > distribution, and seeing if *that* works correctly. Also: how are

To clarify: HylaFAX's file host(4F) should be owned by user "fax"
which must have the same uid as "uucp". It should also have
mode 0600 (BTW: all these details are really explained in the
man page of HylaFAX's host(4F)).
    
    No, already tried:  still asks me for a password.

This problem is unrelated to the mode bits or owner of host(4F).
A simple test would show you that the message of the server
is "access denied" (and not asking for pw):
# cd spool/etc
# ls -l hosts
-rw-------   1 uucp     uucp         139 Nov  2 17:59 hosts
# chmod 0644 hosts
# telnet localhost hylafax
Trying 127.0.0.1 ...
220 thias server (HylaFAX (tm) Version 4.0pl2beta) ready.
user guru
530 User guru access denied.
quit
221 Goodbye.
Connection closed by foreign host.
# chmod 0600 hosts
# telnet localhost hylafax
Trying 127.0.0.1 ...
220 thias server (HylaFAX (tm) Version 4.0pl2beta) ready.
user guru
230 User guru logged in.
quit
221 Goodbye.
# chown guru hosts
# telnet localhost hylafax
Trying 127.0.0.1 ...
220 thias server (HylaFAX (tm) Version 4.0pl2beta) ready.
user guru
530 User guru access denied.
quit
221 Goodbye.
Connection closed by foreign host.
	...

If the hfaxd(1M) daemon asks for a pw than one reason could be
that it does not use "127.0.0.1" (local loopback) for the incoming
client connection. You may check this also simple by running
a telnet to the port of the hfaxd(1M) and check from another
terminal/session with netstat(1) which interface is used for this
connection, e.g. run
$ netstat -an | grep 4559
tcp        0      0  127.0.0.1.4559         127.0.0.1.4351         ESTABLISHED
tcp        0      0  127.0.0.1.4351         127.0.0.1.4559         ESTABLISHED
tcp        0      0  *.4559                 *.*                    LISTEN
$ 
(assuming the "hylafax" port is 4559)

    > you starting hfaxd, starting it with a script at boot time, using
    > inetd, or what? 
    
    Yes with inetd by way of the default faxsetup script, but then I comment
    it out.

Why do you comment it out? It should work fine (and works for
me fine) from inetd.conf(4F) and also from boot-time script.
    
    > Do you have only one faxq running and only one hfaxd,
    > either left running as a boot-time daemon or initiated by inetd?
    
    yes, 1 each

That's ok.
    
    > 
    > Faxstat and "telnet localhost 4559" are better tools to see if your
    > hfaxd is up and running: they don't have to do as many complicated
    > things, and don't leave failed print jobs in the queue....
    
     faxstat wants a password too...

Naturally. If it asks for a pw while using sendfax(1) it will
also ask for a pw for faxstat(1) (asuming the same environment
for each client).
    
    > *HUH*. This is screwball. OK, definitely take it out of inetd.conf.
    > Reboot, and see if it is in fact running with a "ps" command.
    
    Right: I take it out and it comes back at boottime!

Does your system create a new inetd.conf(4F) file from some
"master file" while booting (some UNIXes are doing such nice things,
e.g. also for the file inittab(4F) -- check your manual of
inetd.conf(4F), inetd(1M) or init(1M) for information about this).
    
    > 
    > Then take a look at your boot time initialization scripts. Under
    > Linux, they live in /etc/rc.d/various sub-directories, and see if
    > they have anything implanted there by your original installation
    > to start up the hfaxd.
    
    
    It starts in rc and is a default set by BSDI.  The script reads that if
    /var/spool/fax/etc/config exists, to start faxq and hfaxd with the
    parameter -i, start hylafax -o, start oldfax and start snnp.
    It further states that out-only should be run from rc.local, but there is
    no entry in rc.local.
    
    Before I 'doctor' up some of these files, should I comment the rc section
    relating to hfaxd and then just start it up manually with the -i parameter 
    once the system has rebooted?

No. This would not solve your problem (hfaxd(1M) is running
and that's fine).
    
    Still not clear though what all that has to do with the password prompt it
    insists on giving me.  Another user suggested to insert the following into
    the $SPOOL/etc/hosts file:
    
    127.0.0.1:5::

This line is only used if hfaxd(1M) uses the "127.0.0.1"
interface for the client connection. See above. The "5" is
also total unrelated to your problem (asking for pw); check
the manual of hosts(4F) for the real purpose of this
parameter.
    
    to allow anyone to send a fax without a password prompt.  I figured the
    other user assumed my user "fax" to be uid "5", while I have it set at the
    default "6" as suggested by the mailing list keeper.

As said allready, the user "fax" must have the same uid as "uucp"
and not 5 or 6 or some other value. Just check your passwd(4F)
file for these users. I *may* be 6 (if "uucp" is 6).

	matthias