# hylafax problems [solved]

## billium

Hello All

Trying to set up a fax server.  The external modem (/dev/ttyS0) works o.k. on minicom.

On emerging hylafax I get this error:

 *Quote:*   

> Should I restart the HylaFAX server processes [yes]?
> 
> /etc/init.d/hylafax start
> 
> /lib/rcscripts/sh/rc-daemon.sh: line 207: `start-single-daemon': not a valid id$
> ...

 

After starting hylafax has to be zapped as stop gives [!!]

starting again does not give the line 207 error but it still has to be zapped to stop.

log:

 *Quote:*   

> /var/log/everything/current:
> 
> Feb 21 16:41:44 [/usr/sbin/faxmodem] FIFO: open: No such device or address
> 
> Feb 21 16:43:51 [FaxGetty] /var/spool/fax: Can not change directory
> ...

 

and:

 *Quote:*   

> mercury billy # ls -l /var/spool/fax
> 
> total 11
> 
> -r--r--r--  1 root root 5426 Feb 21 16:37 COPYRIGHT
> ...

 

Searching the forums one person cured this fault by changing permission for /var/spool/fax, but I do not know what to.

Any help appreciated

BillyLast edited by billium on Wed Jun 14, 2006 3:30 pm; edited 1 time in total

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## succubus

i get the same error, faxgetty cant access that files as it seems.

My /var/spool/fax directory is nearly identical,  except for the fact that my status and bin dir's also belong to uucp:uucp.

Does anyone know which permissions to set, or what is the source of that problem.

My modem has been found without errors, so it doesnt seem to be the source of that problem.

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## nessus11

I followed the "How to build your own faxserver" and I am getting several errors.  1)  Id "S0" respawning too fast: disabled for 5 minutes  2)  Can not reach server at host "localhost", port 4559.  <---This is when I type #faxstat to see if hylafax is running properly.  I also tried the instructions at Hylafax.org, unfortunately no success.  I was able to communicate with the external faxmodem (Zoom model 2949C) by using "cu" command successfully.  What am I doing wrong?   :Crying or Very sad:   The way I am testing to see if it works is by the following connections:  

Server----->external faxmodem----->phone outlet.   I would call the number on the phone outlet, but the faxmodem is not answering it.  I do see an led lighting up everytime it rings.  Please help..

"Noob requesting for back-up over...Hylafax has me cornered!, roger out..."

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## nessus11

Got my faxmodem to work finally!    :Shocked: 

BTW, here is a copy of my own personal notes.  

Hylafaxserver

I used an internal PCI modem.

Name brand:  Hummingbird model HA56C

This modem is controllerless.  According to the results I received from google, it means that this modem is software dependant.

The instructions I provide may work for other faxmodems that utilizes Lucent modem drivers.

First install Hylafax package.

# emerge hylafax

Then install the driver for the faxmodem.  Fortunately, Gentoo makes it so easy to install drivers and packages just as long there is an ebuild for it of course.  

# emerge ltmodem

Now we start to configure Hylafax.

# faxsetup

Default settings are adequate.  The only real changes I made are the area code and telephone number.  My modem is on /dev/modem.  So when it asked me for the port, I specified:  modem (for others it could be ttyS0, ttyS4, etc.)

When you get to a part where it will ask you to faxaddmodem.  This is where you configure the modem settings.

DTE-DCE flow control scheme [default]?  xonxof       ---This is for software flow.

                                                                                                 If you accept default, it

                                                                                                 will use rtscts for 

                                                                                                  hardware flow.

My modem is software dependant so I chose xonxoff

Default settings for the rest.  Not unless you know what youre doing.  Im a noob, so the defaults looked good enough for mehehehe

Now start Hylafax.

# /etc/init.d/hylafax start

You may also want to automatically start Hylafax during boot.

# rc-update add hylafax default

Now configure /etc/inittab file.

# vi /etc/inittab

t2:23:respawn:/usr/sbin/faxgetty modem           

(I only put modem because the modem is under /dev/modem, yours may be /dev/ttyS4, in which you will have to put ttyS4)

# init q

And you should be set.  Now call the number to check to see if you get the fax tone.  If you get the fax tone, then try faxing something to that number and see if the fax transmission is accepted.  You should get a Transmission OK on the fax report.

I hope this helps some poor noob like myself.

----------

## mike456

I had the same problem.  Hylafax wouldn't start.

I also have a machine with a working config on a different computer.

First, make sure that you have a line that looks something like this in your /etc/inittab

```
t2:23:respawn:/usr/sbin/faxgetty ttyS1
```

If you see the following errors in your /var/log/everything/current or where ever you keep your logs:

```
May 19 11:17:40 [FaxGetty] /var/spool/fax: Can not change directory

                - Last output repeated 9 times -

May 19 11:17:40 [init] Id "t2" respawning too fast: disabled for 5 minutes

May 19 11:20:01 [cron] (root) CMD (test -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons )

May 19 11:22:41 [FaxGetty] /var/spool/fax: Can not change directory

                - Last output repeated 9 times -

May 19 11:22:41 [init] Id "t2" respawning too fast: disabled for 5 minutes

May 19 11:25:26 [FaxGetty] usage: faxgetty [-c config-item] [-q queue-dir] [-Dpx] modem-device

                - Last output repeated twice -

May 19 11:27:42 [FaxGetty] /var/spool/fax: Can not change directory

                - Last output repeated 9 times -

May 19 11:27:42 [init] Id "t2" respawning too fast: disabled for 5 minutes
```

Then check your permissions.  This means faxgetty (hylafax) can't change to its working directory.  In my case, the uucp:uucp user/group seems to work best, the fax:fax owner/group doesn't work (don't know why).  The /var/spool/fax directory was owned by fax:fax, but most of the files and dirs under there were owned by uucp:uucp.  The following commands worked to fix permissions (as root):

```
/etc/init.d/hylafax stop

(OPTIONAL) /etc/init.d/hylafax zap

cd /var/spool

chown -R uucp:uucp fax

/etc/init.d/hylafax start

```

Now my log looks like so:

```
May 19 11:28:13 [HylaFAX] HylaFAX INET Protocol Server: restarted.

May 19 11:28:13 [FaxQueuer] HylaFAX (tm) Version 4.2.5

May 19 11:28:13 [FaxQueuer] Copyright (c) 1990-1996 Sam Leffler

May 19 11:28:13 [FaxQueuer] Copyright (c) 1991-1996 Silicon Graphics, Inc.
```

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## billium

The problems disappeared when trying again after a few updates to the system.  So I cannot say what fixed it.

Billy

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## nessus11

mike456 thank you.  I was getting the respawn error on one of the faxserver and your simple solution worked great..   :Very Happy: 

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## over_score

I set up 2 HylaFax servers and had the same problem on the second.

I dont know the reason but the permissions of directory /val/spool/fax were not the same on both PCs.

it was 755 on the working one and 750 on the other.

So a

```
chmod 755 /var/spool/fax
```

fixed the issue for me.

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