[kdepim-users] Dialling from Kaddressbook

[Roy J. Tellason]

On Saturday 28 June 2008 16:26, Stan Goodman wrote:
> I want Kaddressbook to dial the telephone (not a SIPphone, and not to an
> ISP, but through an analog modem to an ordinary POTS phone line). Since
> this utility knows the numbers of all those to whom I dial routinely, it
> should be superfluous for me to punch buttons manually.
>
> The developer(s) of the program have not thought to give it a way to
> communicate with the modem, but they have provided a hook so that one can
> point it at an appropriate dialer. This is located at Settings >
> Configure Kaddressbook > General.
>
> I have installed wvdial

I have yet to find that program so far.  I did however find this page:

http://alumnit.ca/wiki/?WvDial

which seems to have some links that may be of some assistance to you.

> and entered <wvdial %N> (w/o the angle brackets) in the Phone field,
> guessing that the model provided in that field when I installed Kaddressbook
> is valid for wvdial.

Guessing often doesn't cut it.  Try sending that to echo in a terminal window 
or similar so you can see what in fact it actually does.

> (That "dialer" did  not, in  fact know how to dial, but only to emit
> dialling tones to holler through the handset, which is a primitive
> solution). Clicking on a telephone number does nothing at all, so clearly
> what I have done is wrong and/or insufficient.
>
> The dialer is configured in wvdial.conf, which contains the following.
> *****
> [Dialer Defaults]
> Init1 = ATZ
> Init2 = ATQ0 V1 E1 S0=0 &C1 &D2 +FCLASS=0

Hopefully none of the stuff in that second init string counters what your fax 
program is trying to do,  or that fixes it...

> Modem = /dev/ttyS0

I kind of like to see a symbolic link under /dev which has /dev/modem pointing 
to wherever it lives,  in this case /dev/ttys0 (note that's a zero,  not O),  
and in fact the setup stuff for Slackware includes a script to do just that.

> Phone = 0
> Idle Seconds = 300
> Modem Type = Analog Modem
> Stupid Mode = 1

Do the docs for this program say what that line means?

> Compuserve = 0
> Baud = 115200
> Auto DNS = 1

Or that one?

> Dial Command = ATDT
> Ask Password = 0
> ISDN = 0
> ; Password = ''
> ; Username = ''
> *****
>
> The dialer is pointed to /dev/tty/S0, which must be correct, because the
> fax program I am using, which contains its own dialer and is independent
> of Kaddressbook) is able to communicate with the modem on that port.

See above comment on that.

> The initialization strings etc look all right to me, or at least harmless,
> but some things are irrelevant to the present purpose.

I used to have mine set to simply ATZ.  Dunno why you need two init strings 
there,   do the docs for the program specify when they're used?

> Calling wvdial from a commant line produces the following:

What's on the command line?

> *****
> # wvdial
> --> WvDial: Internet dialer version 1.56 (abuild at delius)
> --> Initializing modem.
> --> Sending: ATZ
> ATZ
> OK
> --> Sending: ATQ0 V1 E1 S0=0 &C1 &D2 +FCLASS=0
> ATQ0 V1 E1 S0=0 &C1 &D2 +FCLASS=0
> OK
> --> Modem initialized.
> --> Idle Seconds = 300, disabling automatic reconnect.
> --> Sending: ATDT0
> --> Waiting for carrier.
> ATDT0
> NO CARRIER

You've just dialed "Operator"!  (Assuming US here...)

> --> No Carrier!  Trying again.
> --> Sending: ATDT0
> --> Waiting for carrier.
> ATDT0
 	.
Twice.
 	.
> *****
>
> What do I have to do to get notice the telephone number when I call it
> from Kaddressbook, and dial it?

There's a comm program I'm not remembering the name of offhand that's 
described as "telix-like" and it is.  I'd fire that up,  do a copy-and-paste 
of the phone number,  and that should do it as well.

You're not only going to have to figure out how to pass the number to the 
modem,  you're also going to have to figure out how to get the modem to hang 
up after you've dialed and it's ringing,  or it'll stay on the line and 
interfere with your call.

-- 
Member of the toughest, meanest, deadliest, most unrelenting -- and
ablest -- form of life in this section of space,  a critter that can
be killed but can't be tamed.  --Robert A. Heinlein, "The Puppet Masters"
-
Information is more dangerous than cannon to a society ruled by lies. --James 
M Dakin
_______________________________________________
KDE PIM users mailing list
kdepim-users at kde.org
https://mail.kde.org/mailman/listinfo/kdepim-users