Re: [hylafax-users] Hylafax FSP DLL for Windows 2000/XP

["Charles Roy" <charles@awcconsulting.com>]

Dmitry,
First of all, I commend you taking the time to develop such an interesting
DLL for integration with HylaFax.  And second, thank you for actually
bringing this topic to the HylaFax forum.

My thoughts on this matter are as follows.  I have keyed in on your comments
that you want to provide minimal to no support to this software.  This leads
me to think the DLL should be released GPL (at a place like
sourceforge.net).  This allows others to update the software and to learn
how it works.  This should relieve you of the support time required for the
product.

You do not need to release the TIFF library in the public domain.  But you
should publicly release the specs on how the TIFF library functions in
explicit detail.  You only need to document how your DLL calls the TIFF
library and what it will produce in response.  That way, if someone wants to
"reverse engineer" the TIFF library, then let them write GPL TIFF software
so that the entire system becomes GPL.  Though I suspect a lot of people
will be happy to use your closed TIFF library.

I personally love your idea of having HylaFax integrate into Windows like it
is a virtual fax device.  It finally makes HylaFax seamless (and hidden) for
the end user.  This is the same reason why Samba is such a popular and
important application... end users can continue using their computer like
they are used to without knowing (or caring) what Operating System is
storing their data files.  As long as it works, end users are very, very
happy.

Cheers.

--- Charles

-----Original Message-----
From: hylafax-users-bounce@hylafax.org
[mailto:hylafax-users-bounce@hylafax.org]On Behalf Of Dmitry Bely
Sent: Thursday, October 17, 2002 8:16 AM
To: hylafax-users@hylafax.org
Cc: hylafax-devel@hylafax.org
Subject: [hylafax-users] Hylafax FSP DLL for Windows 2000/XP


Hello everyone,

I need your advice.

I decided to create my own Hylafax client for Windows 2000/XP, because none
of existing one fit my needs; the main problems were:

- Unacceptable fax image quality due to using Postscript printer driver and
Ghostscript rasterizer (the latest Cypheus has TIFF printer driver, but I
did not tested it).
- Deep fax knowledge is required to configure and use them, that average
corporate user does not have.
- They require a lot of additional libraries, non-standard phonebooks etc.,
being themselves multimegabyte monsters.
- They cannot be easily distributed in the corporate network.
- They are not reliable enough (those versions that I've tested)
- They provide no cover page support.
- They do not show the fax call in progress and generate heavy Hylafax
server load due to the constant polling.
- The best existing Windows fax client (Cypheus) is expensive enough: $30
pear seat in the medium or large corporate network is probably not the very
low price.

So I ported Hylafax client classes to Win32 (and also sendfax utility),
took my own TIFF library that I wrote 5 years ago for another project,
added the necessary code and created Hylafax virtual fax service provider
DLL for Windows NT fax service (see
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en-us/fax/faxusing_7stv.asp for more
information). Now I have

- All capabilities of the native Windows NT fax service: TIFF printer,
providing the excellent image quality even in draft (204x98dpi) mode,
cover pages, LDAP address books etc.
- Ease of use: no special fax knowledge is required.
- No polling of Hylafax server - thanks to Hylafax triggers the fax job is
shown in progress using the Windows fax monitor.
- The client is extremely lightweight: only 200Kb DLL and some registry
settings.
- Easy network distribution via Windows 2000/XP Group Policy (everything is
packaged into .MSI file)

Currently only sending is implemented, because my network users do not need
fax receiving at their desktops.

Yes, Windows 95/98/Me/NT is not supported, but I does not have such
workstations here.

Now I am thinking what to do with this work. Is there any interest to such
software? Probably I will not release it under open source license (for
my TIFF library and some other issues). But closed sources mean a lot of
user support, for which I simply does not have enough time. Should this
software cost some money?

So I would like to know your opinion.

- Dmitry Bely



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