Getting Started

There are two ways to use softFax: 1) as a fax viewer only, and 2) as a fax viewer plus a tool for sending and receiving faxes. In both cases, temporary space is required for viewing faxes. If there is a /tmp directory, softFax uses it for holding temporary files. If there is no /tmp directory, the current directory is used.

If you want to use softFax to send and/or receive faxes as well as using it as a fax viewer, you may create the directory /usr/spool/fax or use another directory for holding send/receive log files and fax files. If you want to use another directory, specify it by using the option 'L'.

You must be logged on as root to install softFax. After installation you will have the following files and directory:

• /usr/lib/softFax - directory
• /usr/bin/fax
• /usr/bin/softFax.server
• /usr/bin/photon/softFax
• /usr/help/product/softFax - directory
• /usr/help/product/softFax.toc

/usr/bin/fax is the fax modem program and /usr/bin/softFax.server is the control program for lpsrvr. If you have the demo version, you have the send_spooler program instead of softFax.server. The online help directory, /usr/help/product/softFax, contains the help files you are looking at now.

The fax modem program that is provided with softFax supports fax class 2 and class 2.0. If your modem supports only class 1, you cannot use the fax modem program, and so cannot send or receive faxes.

If you want to send a fax, you have to run lpsrvr first, or send_spooler for the demo version. To run lpsrvr, you need the lpsrvr setup file that can be made by the ' lpsrvr setup' option under the File menu. After making the lpsrvr setup file, run lpsrvr as follows:

lpsrvr -f /etc/config/lpsrvr.softFax

You must be logged in as root to run lpsrvr.

softFax Start Options

There are several options that you can set when you load the program.

• -d device

  The serial port for the modem in the demo version, the default setting is /dev/ser1. Note that this is for the demo version only. The real version uses lpsrvr setup file to specify modem devices.

• -M

  The use of shared memory, the default is 0 (no shared memory).

• -A

  The auto fit option, which scales the image to fit the width of the view screen.

• -V

  The use of photon version 1.12.

• -L directory

  The spool directory for fax, the default is '/usr/spool/fax'.

• -s server_name

  The name of the Photon server:

  If server_name is:	This server is used:
  node_number	//node_number/dev/photon
  fullpath	fullpath
  relative_path	/dev/relative_path

• -x position[%][r]

  The x coordinate of the upper-left corner of the window, in pixels, or as a percentage of screen width if % is specified. If r is specified, the coordinate is relative to the current console.

• -y position[%][r]

  The y coordinate of the upper-left corner of the window, in pixels, or as a percentage of screen height if % is specified. If r is specified, the coordinate is relative to the current console.

• Examples:

  softFax -s4 : run using photon server on node 4

  softFax -x10y100 : locate softFax at (10,100)

You can also set options 'A', 'L', 'x', and 'y' by using 'Preferences'. Starting options override those set using Preferences.