Re: flexfax: Can't get access to HylaFAX Server

["Mr. Arlington Hewes" <tpcadmin@info.tpc.int>]

In message <35854A28.BD44BA3E@pcisys.net>, Brian DuChien writes:
>HylaFAX,
>
>I am running HylaFAX (tm) Version 4.0pl2 under S.U.S.E Linux 5.1 with
>gcc 2.7.2.1 using a USRobotics 56K modem. I installed the rpm version
>available from S.U.S.E
>
>When I try to run sendfax, faxstat, etc, I get "Login failed: 530 User
>root access denied." I get the same message with any other username.
>
>I have uncommented out the line in hfaxd.conf to include access to
>/var/spool/fax/etc/hosts.

Eh? That line, unless I miss my guess, should actually be:

/etc/hosts

To clarify why, here's a page from the helpful man page hfaxd(8c)

       hfaxd  operates  with its root directory set to the top of
       the HylaFAX spooling area; ${SPOOLDIR}.  This is  done  so
       that  clients  see  a  virtual file hierarchy that is com-
       pletely contained within the HylaFAX operating environment
       on  the  server  machine.   Administrators however must be
       aware of this action when specifying files  in  the  hfaxd
       configuration  file:  absolute  pathnames  relative to the
       root of the spooling should be used to specify  filenames.


>I have made sure that the etc/hosts file is owned by fax. See below:
>
>        -rw-------   1 fax      uucp           54 Jun 15 09:39 hosts
>
>/var/log/messages generates the following when I try to run any fax
>programs:
>
>Jun 15 10:01:28 bby HylaFAX[1249]: Unable to open the user access file
>/var/spool/fax/etc/hosts: No such file or directory

Which is actually correct. It's looking for:

/var/spool/fax/var/spool/fax/etc/hosts , and not surprisingly not finding it.

>Jun 15 10:01:28 bby HylaFAX[1249]: HylaFAX LOGIN REFUSED (user denied)
>FROM localhost [127.0.0.1], root
>
>I'm so confused. I have tried finding the answers everywhere!

Your post here was detailed and well though out - made it easy, assuming I'm not totally out to lunch with my analysis. I don't think you're confused ;-) This is actually one of the most common sources of errors in configuring hylafax, this chrooted behaviour. It all comes down to reading the documentation carefully, it's really very good but it's not designed for the HylaFAX beginner.

Perhaps you would like to suggest that the SuSE folks revise their RPM?

-Darren