Newbie to Ubuntu needs ansering machine program

[spark-e]

Just installed Ubuntu days ago. Would say it was perfect but for missing ready-made answering machine program (fax/voice).
and security software. Yes, I'm using firestarter firewall but is it reliable?

Whats needed are simple, easy to follow, step by step, updated and current instruction (or one-on-one-chat-room-assistance) for installing mgetty. Got lost after finding out that inittab file was replaced by event etc. (brain boggling...still recovering).

Anyway is there another Linux version that comes with a ready made answering machine program easy to install/use as Kirc, Scribus OpenOffice, GIMP Image Editor, etc?

I need to know that staring out those Windows all these years was not in vain.

thanx

[Paul Komski]

A potentially useful post (http://ubuntuforums.org/archive/index.php/t-150339.html) maybe. I haven't yet attempted this though it is one of the things on my own "to-do" list.

I've done this in the past under Windows but getting good software that really worked was always problematic and also I was on dial-up at the time, which didn't help.

[spark-e]

Thanks for your post. This OS could be killer but lacks enough support to move into as a virtual office. It needs more support. It needs to go to the top of EVERYONE'S to do list, including mine.
It seems amazing to me that I have a choice of so many applications to install on my Ubuntu machine but not one is a decent voice fax program.
Yet there are so many games, spreadsheet, music, video, graphic, data processing, and programming applications to choose from.
I'm shocked and disappointed.

Everyone knows the basics of a bare-bones virtual office is data processing (covered in spades!) faxing (iffy at best), emailing (ditto on the spades), and answering machine (NADA!).

Its as if programmers have all decided to ignore this issue. Or maybe no one answers calls with their PC any more?

[mjc]

Part of the problem is not software...it's hardware!

Most answering machine programs rely on a modem (no duh!), but other than external modems, most internals, over the last 10 or more years have had little or no Linux support, because they are 'softmodems', relying mostly on Windows and the CPU to provide the modem's functionality.

Because of this most Linux coders have ignored modem based applications.

In fact, you would have much better luck finding software to do what you want, if you were willing to skip using a modem and move to VOIP/Asterix/PBX software...which if you do a search for, a large portion of it is Linux based.

And for a virtual (or even real world) office a VOIP/Asterix solution is much more practical for anyone, especially if the software can be had for $0.