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CUPS virtual fax printer

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bingel
2006-05-03
2013-05-13
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  • bingel

    bingel - 2006-05-03

    I installed efax-gtk and I have to say it's a very nice and simple program. Thanks the author.
    It works perfectly but I have a little problem:
    I would like to use it with CUPS in way to send faxes with OpenOffice.org2 but I have a problem with the virtual fax printer.
    I installed a fax printer as explained in README using the "Raw" drivers but the only visualized printer was named "Queue" and not Fax ....however I think it should be the same thing.
    Moreover there's another little difference with explaination: address can't be "socket://localhost:9900" but have to be "ipp://localhost:9900" cause string "ipp://" is automatically added by CUPS printer installation dialog at the beginning and result would be "ipp://socket://localhost:9900" therefore only with this address (ipp://localhost:9900) program seems works.

    The problem:
    -When I print from OOo2 using "Queue" print (the fax printer), file is sent to the right directory (/home/user/efax-gtk-server/) but, although that, it can't be deleted from printer spool and until I do it manually, dialog for sending fax don't appears (you have to know efax-gtk settings are right: socket is running and dialog should appears). Why printer spool don't automatically becomes empty (file should be deleted from the printer spool after being delivered) when file is received by efax-socket?
    -The produced file seems not be a valid post-script file (I tried to visualize it using evince and adobe reader but it don't works and I receive a message saying so)...Could I solve this problem using another post-script printer driver instead raw driver?

    I apologize for my poor english.
    Thanks in advance.

    My distro is Ubuntu Breezy 5.10

     
    • Chris Vine

      Chris Vine - 2006-05-03

      What version of CUPS are you using?  If it is version 1.2 beta 1, it had a buggy postscript filter.  You could try upgrading to beta 2, but it is better to use a stable release (the latest of which is 1.1.23).  I know that version 1.1.15 to 1.1.23 work correctly.

      If you are using CUPS 1.1.15 to 1.1.23, then you must have something wrong with your set-up, as they certainly have a raw driver, and to write to a socket you have to use the "socket:" URL (I have no idea what the CUPS 1.2 beta releases do).

      Chris

       
    • bingel

      bingel - 2006-05-04

      My CUPS version is 1.1.23 and there's a RAW driver named "Queue" instead than "Fax" but I think it's the same thing....however I installed this printer but when I print using it nor a valid post-script file is generated neither the efax-gtk dialog appears (only when I manually delete the queued job wich perennially remains in the spool this dialog appears).
      The only thing running is delivery of the printed file (but this is not a valid post-script file) in the "efax-gtk-server" directory.

      -I think one problem is the job wich can't be deleted from the spool (queue) after beeing printed (delivered to socket-server)
      -The second problem is the creation of a valid post script file

      You have to know (if i'm not wrong) the only 2 protocols accepted by this version of CUPS seems to be IPP an HTTP.

      My efax-gtk version is 3.0.2 distributed with Ubuntu Breezy

       
    • Gabriele Tibaldi

      Same exact problem here in Breezy!
      The job is putted into printer queue, but doesn't appear any dialog neither it passes to efax queue...

       
    • bingel

      bingel - 2006-05-04

      Gatiba 77:

      What is the exact address you entered in the URI field when setting the Fax Printer?
      Did you used the same address I used?

       
    • bingel

      bingel - 2006-05-04

      I have a question:
      Since Ubuntu Breezy doesn't provide fax4CUPS, is it possible this is the cause of my problem?
      As you probabilly know fax4CUPS installes a script and a fax-ppd-file for efax, hylafax, etc.... what do you think about?

       
    • Chris Vine

      Chris Vine - 2006-05-04

      You must be setting CUPS up wrongly.  With standard CUPS 1.1.23, as supplied by ESP, you just do this:

      1.  Open up the web administration page, and pick "Add Printer".

      2.  The next dialog is entitled "Add new printer".  Just fill in the first line ("Name") with any name you want for the printer, such as "Fax".  You can leave the other two lines blank.

      3.  The next dialog is entitled "Device for [Fax]" (where [Fax] is the printer name you chose).  Pick "IPP" (actually, it doesn't matter what you pick).

      4.  The next dialog is entitled "Device URI for [Fax]". Delete the "ipp:" and follow the examples by entering "socket://localhost:9900".

      5.  The next dialog is entitled "Model/Driver for [Fax]" and pick "Raw".  In my set-up this gives a driver name "Raw Queue (en)".  Highlight this and click "Continue".  That is it.

      Note that the URI is "socket://localhost:9900" and not "ipp:socket://localhost:9900" which is not a valid URI.

      fax4CUPS is irrelevant. That is an entirely different package.

      Chris

       
    • Invisible Ink

      Invisible Ink - 2006-05-09

      Me too, I experience exact the same probleem as bingel. Ubuntu Breezy 5.10 with CUPS 1.1.23-10 and ESP-gs 7.01
      The print job holds in print queue until i cancel or pause it. Only at that time  efax-gtk popups for entering destination fax number.
      After this, the job is passed to efax but another problem arise with error message:
      "ESP Ghostscript 7.07.1: Unrecoverable error, exit code 1
      Not valid postscript file"

      Googling this it seems an issue in esp-gs 7, solved in next version but no package for Ubuntu.
      Debian package creates conflicts in dependencies, so you need to copile by yourself. I'll wait for Ubuntu package :)

      But, about the first issue (job holding in printer's queue), anybody has solutions? Is it the same with "normal" printers (network or local, not "virtual")

      Many thanks
      g

      P.S. Me too, I can't set "socket://" but only "ipp://" is allowed for cups printers, and no fax -printer is available, only queue.
      Maybe we have to configure efax before running efax-gtk or CUPS GUI wizard?
      P.P.S. CUPS configuration via web interface is locked also to root user. The only tool available to admin printers is the wizard (I use Gnome)

       
    • Chris Vine

      Chris Vine - 2006-05-09

      You don't have to do anything to efax.

      Are you saying that if you use the CUPS GUI interface, and go the page headed "Devicer URI for [printer]", it will not let you erase "ipp" and substitute "socket" in the text entry line?  If not, does it make any difference if you select "http"?

      If it won't let you enter "socket://" as a valid URI I suggest you enter a bug in Ubuntu, since it certainly is a valid URI for CUPS.

      I am afraid I do not know what you meant about "no fax-printer is available, only queue".  There is nothing called "fax-printer" available, so it is not surprising if you cannot find it.  You may want to look again at the set-up explanation I gave above.

      Chris

       
    • Chris Vine

      Chris Vine - 2006-05-09

      CUPS 1.2.0 has just been released.  I have tested both 1.2.0 and 1.1.23, and both work fine with efax-gtk.

      Either the version of CUPS which comes with Ubuntu is broken or you are not doing something correctly.  Are you sure you are going through the set-up pages in the way you described?  Perhaps you could try setting it up, noting down what you have done on each page of the printer set-up, and I will see if you are doing something incorrectly.

      Chris

       
    • Invisible Ink

      Invisible Ink - 2006-05-09

      Thanks for information about CUPS 1.2.0. I'll check as soon as possible for Ubuntu package. I preferer avoid to compile because I'm a newbie with Linux and problems everytime arise when compiling (with gcc version, kernel-images and so on ...)
      I can't follow your explanation 'cause in Ubuntu it's impossible to access to CUPS admin web page (it's locked by password, not the root's one).
      When I say "no socket:// available", I mean that if I write "socket://localhost:9900", next time I open printer's properties, I find CUPS wizard added "ipp://" before, resulting in "ipp://socket://localhost:9900". I'll try with "http://"
      When I say "no fax-printer available" I mean that selecting "Raw" as printer type, in the corrisponding list only appears "Queue", but maybe it's ok and I don't worry about this.
      I honestly think that efax works fine, and there is a problem in CUPS for ipp/socket selection and  for print-job holding-on in printer queue without passing (as I expected) to efax until I pause or delete print-job. As I said, only pausing or deleting the job from the printer causes in the print-job to be received and processed by efax ...
      After this, the bug in gs-eps 7 arises, as I found in other discussion forum.
      I hope to clarify the probelms ... If not, sorry if this explanation results in time-consuming for understanding.
      Any idea to solve the problem is well-accepted :)
      ThanX :)

       
      • Chris Vine

        Chris Vine - 2006-05-10

        Don't bother with CUPS 1.2.  I mentioned it to point out that there is not a problem with either of the current CUPS stable releases as far as efax-gtk is concerned.

        If you cannot access the CUPS admin web page, how are adding a new printer?  Are you doing it on the command line via lpadmin?  Probably my difficulty is that I have no idea what you mean by a "CUPS wizard".  CUPS comes with two means of setting up printers.  These are 1) via the web interface at http://localhost:631/admin 2) via the command line using lpadmin.  The "CUPS wizard" sounds like some third party add-on - perhaps it comes with KDE?  If so, it is not wizard enough and needs to take more school classes, so ignore it.

        To use the web interface you just need to log in as root.  Do you know what the root password is?  You should have chosen it when you installed your operating system.

        Chris

         
        • Invisible Ink

          Invisible Ink - 2006-05-10

          Thank, Chris, for your interest in my troubles (not only mine as I read in this thread).
          So, as "wizard" i mean Gnome printer configuration tool. Is similar to KDEprint config tool. I agree with you, it's no so "wizard" :)
          But I don't think the problem are these tools.

          I configure CUPS by Gnome tool because it's impossible to access to http://localhost:631 CUPS web admin page, even as root with correct root's password. Maybe something is to be edited in some config file to grant access via web page. But I can't find how even googling for it.
          As I go foreward in this trouble, more I'm sure the trouble is in gs-esp 7.x and I will try to get new version and compile the code (good-luck to myself ...)
          Before this step, i'll try to uninstall and re-intall CUPS and related libs (Windows way!)
          Thanks

          P.S. I tried with http:// instead of the forced ipp:// but nothing changes ... Print-job ramains in printer spool until I pause or detete it, then is passed to efax-gtk and the gs-esp error arises.

           
    • Invisible Ink

      Invisible Ink - 2006-05-10

      Finally fixed!!!!

      Issue:
      efax-gtk print-job holding in printer spool AND gs-esp error "ESP Ghostscript 7.07.1: Unrecoverable error, exit code 1" AND "socket://" forced to "ipp://"

      Fix:
      Method 1) Do not use wizard for CUPS configuration (es. in Gnome or KDE environment) but manually edit /etc/cups/printers.conf and change the DeviceURI line to: "DeviceURI socket://localhost:9900"
      From here you can also change the name of the printer to "Fax" instead of "Queue"
      Method 2) From CUPS wizard tool (in Gnome is found in Main Menu>System>Administration>Printing) add new HP JetDirect network printer, and specify "localhost" as host and "9900" as port

      Maybe you need to restart CUPS before changes take effect. Do this by entering the following commend line from shell (logged as root):
      "/etc/init.d/cupsys restart"

      Enjoy!!
      Invisible Ink

      P.S. If you want to unlock access to web admin page of CUPS and logging in as root whith root's password, you need to add "cupsys" user to "shadow" group. You can do this managing users and group from administration tools.

       
    • Invisible Ink

      Invisible Ink - 2006-05-10

      Finally fixed!!!!

      Issue:
      efax-gtk print-job holding in printer spool AND gs-esp error "ESP Ghostscript 7.07.1: Unrecoverable error, exit code 1" AND "socket://" forced to "ipp://"

      Fix:
      Method 1) Do not use wizard for CUPS configuration (es. in Gnome or KDE environment) but manually edit /etc/cups/printers.conf and change the DeviceURI line to: "DeviceURI socket://localhost:9900"
      From here you can also change the name of the printer to "Fax" instead of "Queue"
      Method 2) From CUPS wizard tool (in Gnome is found in Main Menu>System>Administration>Printing) add new HP JetDirect network printer, and specify "localhost" as host and "9900" as port

      Maybe you need to restart CUPS before changes take effect. Do this by entering the following commend line from shell (logged as root):
      "/etc/init.d/cupsys restart"

      Enjoy!!
      Invisible Ink

      P.S. If you want to unlock access to web admin page of CUPS and logging in as root whith root's password, you need to add "cupsys" user to "shadow" group. You can do this managing users and group from administration tools.

       
      • Chris Vine

        Chris Vine - 2006-05-10

        It seems that UBUNTU sets up some very odd permissions for CUPS.  If it is not explained in any documentation they provide, then you should enter a bug because it is absurd if users cannot adminster their own systems.

        The lpadmin command to set up a fax printer for efax-gtk would be:

        /usr/sbin/lpadmin -p Fax -E -v socket://localhost:9900

        This will set up efax-gtk for a case where it is listening on port 9900.  You should be able to do this as root.

        Chris

         
    • Invisible Ink

      Invisible Ink - 2006-05-10

      Hi Chris. I'ts me again. After reconfiguring AT commands in initialization string to let efax-gtk to works in my country, I still can't obtain auto answare from your program ... S0=3 does't have any effects. Efax-gtk is obviously in stand-by mode ready to receive calls.
      Any suggestion?

      Another question (maybe I have to open a new thread or post in "open-discussions" area): How to fax with efax-gtk from a Windows network client?

      Thanks!

       
      • Chris Vine

        Chris Vine - 2006-05-10

        I don't have any suggestions, I am afraid.  Either you have the wrong intialisation parameters, or your modem doesn't comply with the Hayes command set.  It would be very unusual for a modem to fail to comply with the Hayes command set because it will not work correctly with any standard fax program, so I suspect you have the wrong intialisation parameters.

        It is also unusual for the default parameters not to work.  Why do you have to change them to work in your country?

        Chris

         
      • Chris Vine

        Chris Vine - 2006-05-10

        I see I didn't answer your question about Windows clients.

        Yes, you can do it with Samba, and I have it installed on my network.  If you have a CUPS printer "Fax", your /etc/samba/smb.conf should contain a shares definition such as:

        [Fax]
          printable = yes
          printer = Fax
          printing = cups
          read only = yes
          guest ok = yes

        If your workgroup name is HOMENET you can then print to it from windows using the \\HOMENET\Fax share ID.  It works fine.

        Chris

         
        • Chris Vine

          Chris Vine - 2006-05-10

          I should also have mentioned that you should choose a postscript printer driver for the \\HOMENET\Fax network printer when setting it up under windows.  You can either use the generic windows postscript driver or (what I do) one of the Apple LaserWriter drivers (most LaserWriters require postscript input).  I use the Apple LaserWriter 16/600 PS driver for faxing. It comes on the windows CDs.

          However, setting up windows networking correctly is a topic in itself.  Go to one of the Samba newsgroups if you need further help on it.  But when it is set up it works well.

          Chris

           
        • Invisible Ink

          Invisible Ink - 2006-05-11

          Thank you, Chris. I'll try as soon as possible  with sbm server, but I ask to my self (and to you ...) how the poor Window$ users can input the destination fax number printing on remote efax printer? Does some popup appears to them?

           
          • Chris Vine

            Chris Vine - 2006-05-11

            When you print from another machine in the network to efax-gtk, you cannot send the destination fax number.  You have to enter the destination number into efax-gtk after it has been received.  In other words, you can forward the document over the network to efax-gtk, but not the destination.

            That is useful enough for my purposes, as I use it either to fax from my main machine, or from my laptop via my main machine, where I control both of them.

            If you want to do network faxing you are better off using something like hylafax.  efax-gtk is really intended for desktop systems, or the kind of small network use mentioned above.  If you print on a network printer, you still have to collect the pieces of paper you have printed onto - think of it in those terms!

            Chris

             
            • Invisible Ink

              Invisible Ink - 2006-05-13

              AARGHHH !!! I'm a dead man ... I promised a fax server machine on a window$ network, without using hylafax (too complicated configuration and setup, commercial client for windows, etc ...).
              I read something about printing via efax from remote machine introducing destination fax number in the document's filename.
              From your answare I understand that efax-gtk does't support this feature ... :(

               
              • Chris Vine

                Chris Vine - 2006-05-13

                If you are using CUPS I think there is another package which possibly does what you want (fax4CUPS possibly, I can't remember).  I suspect however that is will not enable faxes to be sent from Windows workstations, but I may be wrong.

                I suspect it would be possible to implement what you want with efax-gtk using CUPS, and probably without too much difficulty.  It would be a matter of writing a CUPS filter file taking an argument which contains the destination fax number (probably incorporating some code from fax4CUPS which does this).  I may have a think about it but even so I don't see any easy way of getting that to work with Windows workstations, and it is not really the kind of use that efax-gtk is intended for.

                Chris

                 
    • Invisible Ink

      Invisible Ink - 2006-05-10

      I think it's enough to correct "Z" into "Z0" (some modems need the zero for reset), and add "X3" to dial even if no dialtone (in Italy the dialtone is different, not continuous).
      For missing answare, I really don't know ... Need further investigation.
      I have an SLModem. Here below the output of ./scanModem command

      Providing detail for device at  0000:00:1e.3
        with vendor-ID:device-ID
                  ----:----
      Class 0703: 8086:266d   Modem: Intel Corp. 82801FB/FBM/FR/FW/FRW (ICH6 Family) AC'97 Modem Controller (rev 04) (prog-if 00 [Generic])
        SubSystem 1584:400c  Uniwill Computer Corp: Unknown device 400c
              Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 0, IRQ 20

                        -----PCI_IDs-------                    --CompilerVer-
          Feature List:  Primary  Subsystem Distr  KernelVer   kernel default  CPU
      ./scanModem test 8086:266d 1584:400c debian_version 2.6.12-10-386  3.4.5 none   i686
      The following two Root commands should set up the modem.
              sudo modprobe snd-intel8x0m
              sudo slmodemd --alsa -c YOUR_COUNTRY modem:1
      Get the SLMODEMD.gcc3.tar.gz from http://linmodems.technion.ac.il/packages/smartlink/

      The controller: 8086:266d 82801EB ICH6
      is capable of supporting soft modem chips from AT LEAST manufacturers:
              Conexant
              Smartlink
      Extended modem ID: codec=1 LIN1
      Modem status     : GPIO MREF ADC1 DAC1 PRE(ADC2) PRF(DAC2) PRG(HADC) PRH(HDAC)
      The Subsystem has the a SmartLink codec
      with a supported 8086:266d modem controller
      ./scanModem: line 3587: test: =: unary operator expected

         A subfolder Modem/  has been written,  containing these files with more detailed Information:
      ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      1stRead.txt DriverCompiling.txt InfoGeneral.txt ModemData.txt Rational.txt Slmodem-ALSA.txt Slmodem.txt SoftModem.txt Testing.txt UNSUBSCRIBE.txt YourSystem.txt

      Hope it's usefull. Unluckely not for me :(

      And what about Windows client for efax-gtk?

      Byebye

       
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