Re: [hylafax-users] Damn! Hylafax, Multitech, and distinctive ring

["Darren Nickerson" <darren.nickerson@ifax.com>]

Folks,

For the record, HylaFAX is a very well-maintained, actively developed
product. Anyone following hylafax-devel (where CVS commits are reported) or
checking the HylaFAX bugzilla database at bugs.hylafax.org would know that
the following changes will be appearing in the next point-level release of
HylaFAX (due in a few weeks):

* add edit-faxcover script (06 May 2003)
* try to prevent colliding config files (06 May 2003)
* fix faxq from formatting beyond modems' capabilities (06 May 2003)
* add Samsung NSF code recognition (04 May 2003)
* fix port/install.sh from using incorrect path (28 Apr 2003)
* fix wedged script from flooding FaxMaster (28 Apr 2003)
* fix build for gcc-3.2, RedHat 9, and UnixWare (26 Apr 2003)
* various enhancements to faxsetup (22 Apr 2003)
* make default faxcover template easier to customize (19, 22 Apr 2003)
* add a pause to allow Nokia 6210 compatibility (18 Apr 2003)
* fix the broken Class 1 +FTM response range parser (18 Apr 2003)
* fix some AIX 4.3.3 build problems (15,16 Apr 2003)
* fix 'make distclean' to remove shared libraries (13 Apr 2003)
* include pointer to libtiff.org in configure error (13 Apr 2003)
* allow for OPTIMIZER to be set in build config (13 Apr 2003)
* cause make to stop all on error (13 Apr 2003)
* improve font detection in faxsetup (13 Apr 2003)
* reject garbage in Class 1 HDLC frame reception (01 Apr 2003)
* fix JobReqProto when a transmission fails for reformatting (01 Apr 2003)
* accept libtiff v3.6 in configure (25 Mar 2003)
* remove Class1MsgRecvHackCmd from config/lucent default (25 Mar 2003)
* change RingExtended to not interfere with distinctive ring (25 Mar 2003)
* fix an infinite loop in hfaxd (24 Mar 2003)
* fix faxq QUIT handling when dealing with an active queue (08 Feb 2003)
* fix PDF page counting error which caused segfaults (08 Feb 2003)
* add NOTIFY_FAXMASTER parameter for FaxDispatch (08 Feb 2003)
* fix Str.h assert problem due to hostname parsing (08 Feb 2003)
* fix an assertion error in faxq (08 Feb 2003)
* add 2D-MMR support for Class 2 modems that support it (08 Feb 2003)
* add ModemRingResponse, CIDNumberAnswerLength, and
  CIDNameAnswerLength (08 Feb 2003)
* fix bad shell code in bin/archive (08 Feb 2003)
* fix textfmt behavior when dealing with certain situations (08 Feb 2003)
* add ENCODING parameter for FaxDispatch (08 Feb 2003)
* fix default TIFF resolution to be inches, per spec, (08 Feb 2003)
* add RingTimeout config option (08 Feb 2003)
* clean faxstat output when %Y is used (08 Feb 2003)
* add subaddressing specification capability to sendfax (08 Feb 2003)
* fix numerous compile warnings (08 Feb; 18, 28 Apr 2003)
* cleanup error reporting for several client programs (08 Feb 2003)
* fix overwriting faxcover.ps when reinstalling (23 Jan 2003)
* add prototype support for MT2834ZDXb (14 Jan 2003)
* fix "friend name injection" for OpenUNIX 8 (30 Oct 2002)

A lot of people have done some fantastic work around HylaFAX recently. The
upcoming 4.1.6 release will include major contributions from at least 5
primary contributors, and other minor additions from at least 10, possibly
15 other people. My experience in open-source projects suggest this is how
most mature project "settle in". Sure, developers are mostly only motivated
by what interests them (or what is in their interest) ... but that's
entirely normal. That's why the model works!

The fax industry is by no means stale ... there's less excitement in the
world of analog fax modems, sure, but trust me, there's a great deal of
excitement surrounding things like V.34 and digital fax technology, fax over
VoIP, fax broadcast etc. HylaFAX isn't really comparable to efax or mgetty
... it far surpasses them in features and enterprise-readiness. It's more
appropriate to look at what's happening at companies like Esker (VSIFax),
Captaris (RightFax), SoftLinx (ReplixFax), Tobit (David), Interstar
(XMediusFax) and others ... there you will still see a remarkable level of
excitment, and innovation. Witness, as a somewhat curious example, powerful
support for faxing (a built-in fax server) in Windows 2003.

Anyway I digress. Just to say that among the open-source projects I have
known, HylaFAX is one of the ones with the most long-term contributing
developers, ... people who continue to pitch in just for the heck of it. It
also has an enviable track record of releasing high-quality, stable software
that keeps up with new technology without getting that "bleeding edge"
feeling. If you'd like to help improve HylaFAX, please feel free to join
hylafax-devel@hylafax.org, file a bug or better yet file a bug and attach a
patch! ;-)

-Darren




____________________ HylaFAX(tm) Users Mailing List _______________________
  To subscribe/unsubscribe, click http://lists.hylafax.org/cgi-bin/lsg2.cgi
 On UNIX: mail -s unsubscribe hylafax-users-request@hylafax.org < /dev/null
  *To learn about commercial HylaFAX(tm) support, mail sales@hylafax.org.*