For a computer to be able to send faxes online instead of by fax machine nothing has to be modified except some fax services do require a software to be downloaded before it can be used.
Yes, there are two main ways to send a fax through a linux machine: 1) Using fax software that connects through the computer's modem to a phone line - this makes the computer act like a fax machine, sending and receiving faxes in similar ways. This can be scaled up to almost any level - linux is a popular operating system for running everything form small computer faxes up to larger enterprise level fax services. Some services also offer an API so that you can integrate your business program with a service. 2) Using an online fax service that is accessed through a linux computer. This is a servie that is hosted by a company elsewhere, and sends and receives faxes on your behalf. It acts like a webmail email account, but for faxes.
It already can. There are some fax machines on the market with linux drivers. There is also linux based software that can run a computer-based fax (many fax servers run on Linux). There are also online fax services that will work on Linux through the web browser (they don't run "on the os" but they are fully browser-friendly).
Yes if you install the correct hardware and software. (I'd suggest sending a .pdf by mail instead if that is a viable alternative)
Yes you can send faxes without a fax machine. The are many online services that provide this service. My company uses these types of services all the time.
Yes. But noting is installed by default. In a search engine, type "Fax software Linux" and choose among the hits for something that suits your purposes.
The function of an internet fax service is to send/receive faxes the same way as a fax machine. But the internet fax service is now a replacement for the aging fax machine.
Internet fax is when a person uses the internet to send and receive faxes, without using phone only networks and a fax machine. A regular fax machine can be used, or an iFax machine can be used to send faxes via email.
A fax free machine means that you can send a fax for free on the machine. An example of a fax free machine would be a computer with specialized software to send faxes.
Yes, there are a number of ways that this can be done. 1) Through an online fax service - you can subscribe to one, log on to it, and fax through your browser. For this you would need a connection to the internet, but not a phone line 2) Depending on your distribution of linux, there are different software packages available that can fax from linux through a modem card then through a phone line to connect to the other fax machine.
Yes, if you want to run your own fax server look up Hylafax or Hylafax+ Alternatively, you can use an online fax service through the linux machine, where the server is located elsewhere and you access the service through the web or email.
Yes you can, many people have built fax servers based on linux. Hylafax is the more popular fax service. The other option is to just get an online fax service.