Overview
XFAX- User’s Guide 4.3a 6
1. Overview
Thefax system is constructed in accordance with a client-server principle,with a
fax host thatis run in the background and a number of client programs that the
user utilizesto communicate with the host. Faxmaster, as the fax serveris
known, keepsorder in the user ’sfax queues, checks authorizations, gives the
user status information etc. In order to receive informa tion from the faxmaster
and giveinstructions to it, programs such as faxlogon, faxsend, faxq, faxrm etc.
are used.
The advantageof a system constructed in this way is that the commands that are
executed merely forward the task to the fax server, where all work is done, which
quickly leaves the terminal free for new assignments.
From a system administrator’spoint of view, this arrangement means that the
systemis easy to configure and administer since the server does all the real work.
When functionsin the server can be administered in a simple way it automati-
cally followsthat the whole system is easy to administer.
The XFAXdirectory structure appears in the form shown below,the symbolic
names of thevarious directories are used throughout this manual.
ETCDIR
System files(configuration, messages, statistics, etc.) Can be changed by
settingthe environment variable XFAXDIR. The default directory is /etc/
xfax.
FONTDIR
Font files.
Changed in the configurationfile with the keyword FONTDIR. The
defaultdirectory is /etc/xfax/Fonts.
BINDIR
Programs (faxmaster,faxlogon, faxsend, etc.).
The directorywhere the program files are located should be included in
PATHfor those users who are to have access to the fax system.
SPOOLDIR
Data and controlfiles for the queue system.
Can be changed with the keywordSPOOLDIR in the configurationfile.
HOME/Fax
The user’sown faxes, which have not been sent, are stored here.
Inaddition, the system uses /tmp for temporary files plus, depending onthe oper-
ating system,/usr/spool/uucp, /usr/spool/locks or /etc/locks for locking files in
combinationwith communication.
Weuse the following symbolic names for the various directories used by XFAX
throughoutthe documentation.