Ubuntu Fax Driver Search

users
#1

I am looking for information about a fax driver that will enable me to send a FAX using LibreOffice. Does anyone have any ideas?

I am using Ubuntu 11.10 and a U.S. Robotics USR5637 USB modem. I am also using LibreOffice 3.4.4.

Arthur

#2

As far as I know you can't fax from within LibreOffice (or OOo), there is
software that will allow you to fax an odt or doc if that's what you're
looking for

#3

This may help, looks like you can in fact send from within a "word
processor", *https://help.ubuntu.com/8.04/printing/C/faxing.html*

#4

I would have thought so, as well, but I found this:
http://help.libreoffice.org/Common/Sending_Faxes_and_Configuring_for_Faxing

It was the information on this page that motivated me to ask about a fax driver for Ubuntu.

Arthur

#5

I would have thought so, as well, but I found this:
http://help.libreoffice.org/Common/Sending_Faxes_and_Configuring_for_Faxing

It was the information on this page that motivated me to ask about a fax driver for Ubuntu.

Arthur

IMHO it looks like you need a fax driver installed. I would check with the Ubuntu repository, probably using Synaptic to find a driver. Also, I would check the Ubuntu documentation on installing a fax driver.

Alternately, you could try installing your fax card as "printer" using Printers in the System Settings. I would not be surprised if you had to manually select a driver for the fax card.

#6

...

Interesting you should bring this up... I use efax-gtk (Ubuntu 10.10)
and that works well with an old PCI fax modem. However I've not figured
out (yet) how to get it set up properly as a "printer" so that LO can
use it. In addition to your link, I've also found these as well:

<http://help.libreoffice.org/Common/Setting_up_Printer_and_Fax_Under_UNIX_Based_Platforms>
<http://www.oooforum.org/forum/viewtopic.phtml?t=52605>
[Faxing with efax-gtk with OO 2.0?]

More:
<http://ubuntuforums.org/archive/index.php/t-1246166.html>
[[SOLVED] efax virtual printer]

This one seems to work, but efax-gtk keeps crashing on me every time I
attempt to send one of the queue faxes:

<http://www.linuxquestions.org/linux/answers/applications_gui_multimedia/setting_fax_using_efaxgtk_setup_using_hsfmodem_conexant_and_open_office>

#7

...

This one seems to work, but efax-gtk keeps crashing on me every time I
attempt to send one of the queue faxes:

<http://www.linuxquestions.org/linux/answers/applications_gui_multimedia/setting_fax_using_efaxgtk_setup_using_hsfmodem_conexant_and_open_office>

Got it working using the above.

#8

I never was able to get Ubuntu to work with either my PCI fax cards or the ones built into my laptops. I know that if you have a fax card working with its printer driver package, you can use it like a paper printer, except it asked for the fax numbers and such, then "prints" the document as a fax. With that fax printing driver/software package installed, you could fax a web page or email printout to someone, buy why would you. Any software package that allows you to choose your printers and have access to the fax options, can be faxed.

I gave up on my efforts for Ubuntu faxing and the newest printer I bought has a fax machine built into it.

Actually I once used eFax [the company] for sending and receiving of a few fax documents, but I rarely used it. I sent 3 or 4 faxes in 2011 so far, to those companies that will not give out an email address for sending the documents via it. SO faxing is no longer something most people need anymore. Some businesses, yes, while others do not.

#9

I never was able to get Ubuntu to work with either my PCI fax cards or the
ones built into my laptops. I know that if you have a fax card working
with its printer driver package, you can use it like a paper printer,
except it asked for the fax numbers and such, then "prints" the document as
a fax. With that fax printing driver/software package installed, you could
fax a web page or email printout to someone, buy why would you. Any
software package that allows you to choose your printers and have access to
the fax options, can be faxed.

I gave up on my efforts for Ubuntu faxing and the newest printer I bought
has a fax machine built into it.

Actually I once used eFax [the company] for sending and receiving of a few
fax documents, but I rarely used it. I sent 3 or 4 faxes in 2011 so far,
to those companies that will not give out an email address for sending the
documents via it. SO faxing is no longer something most people need
anymore. Some businesses, yes, while others do not.

There is an issue with modems and Linux in general. The biggest problem is
that most of these are soft modems, which require software that is not free
and open-source. Specifically, for a big range of these soft-modems you
need to have a working kernel module that relates to the sound card (Alsa),
and then you need to have the slmodem package. slmodem contains a
closed-source binary 32-bit library which does not work on 64-bit Linux.

What I think is easier to implement is better support in LibreOffice,
probably through extensions, for the use of Internet FAX services. Like an
open-source version of
http://extensions.services.openoffice.org/project/efax
Alternatively, this support should be added to CUPS (printing subsystem in
Linux) or Hylafax (FAX server).

Simos

#10

<snip>

Yes, you can do Internet based fax services, but you would want to find a free one. Last time I looked, it costs a monthly fee after your first trial month or two. I think most people would prefer not having to deal with another service fee, if they do few faxes each year. Most bigger businesses use a fax/printer connected to the network for their fax needs. The smaller ones print out the fax and use the standard fax machine type of device and keep the printed copy for their records, adding the date when it was sent off.

#11

Would manual selection work with an external modem powered by a USB port? That is the kind of modem I'm using.

Arthur

#12

I know that exist, but I did not know which ones were Linux capable.

#13

In my case, the modem I use is a USRobotics USR5637 USB modem. It's compatible with Windows, Mac and Linux. The Linux distro that I'm using is Ubuntu 11.10.

Arthur

#14

Assuming Ubuntu is not automatically doing this for you, you need to
run:
/sbin/modprobe usbserial vendor=0xXXXX product=0xYYYY
replacing XXXX and YYYY for the USR's values. Then you can use the efax
program to send and receive with the modem from LO.