The Asterisk Open Source PBX

by Mark Spencer <markster@linux-support.net>

Copyright (C) 1999, Mark Spencer

================================================================

* WHAT IS ASTERISK

  Asterisk is an Open Source PBX and telephony toolkit.  It is, in a

sense, middleware between Internet and telephony channels on the bottom,

and Internet and telephony applications at the top.  For more information

on the project itself, please visit the Asterisk home page at:



           http://www.asteriskpbx.com





* REQUIRED COMPONENTS



== Linux ==

  Currently, the Asterisk Open Source PBX is only known to run on the

Linux OS, although it may be portable to other UNIX-like operating systems

as well.





* GETTING STARTED



First, be sure you've got supported hardware.  To use Asterisk right now,

you will need one of the following:



	* Adtran Atlas 800 Plus

	* QuickNet Internet PhoneJack

	* Full Duplex Sound Card supported by Linux

	* ISDN4Linux compatible ISDN card

	* Tormenta Dual T1 card (www.bsdtelephony.com.mx)



Assuming you have one of these (most likely the third) you're ready to 

proceed:



1) Run "make"

2) Run "make install"



If this is your first time working with Asterisk, you may wish to install

the sample PBX, with demonstration extensions, etc.  If so, run:



	"make samples"



Doing so will overwrite any existing config files you have.



Finally, you can launch Asterisk with:



	./asterisk -vvvc



You'll see a bunch of verbose messages fly by your screen as Asterisk

initializes (that's the "very very verbose" mode).  When it's ready, if

you specified the "c" then you'll get a command line console, that looks

like this:



*CLI>



You can type "help" at any time to get help with the system.  For help

with a specific command, type "help <command>".  To start the PBX using

your sound card, you can type "dial" to dial the PBX.  Then you can use

"answer", "hangup", and "dial" to simulate the actions of a telephone.

Remember that if you don't have a full duplex sound card (And asterisk

will tell you somewhere in its verbose messages if you do/don't) than it

won't work right (not yet).



Feel free to look over the configuration files in /etc/asterisk, where

you'll find a lot of information about what you can do with Asterisk.



* ABOUT CONFIGURATION FILES



All Asterisk configuration files share a common format.  Comments are

delimited by ';' (since '#' of course, being a DTMF digit, may occur in

many places).  A configuration file is divided into sections whose names

appear in []'s.  Each section typically contains two types of statements,

those of the form 'variable = value', and those of the form 'object =>

parameters'.  Internally the use of '=' and '=>' is exactly the same, so 

they're used only to help make the configuration file easier to

understand, and do not affect how it is actually parsed.



Entries of the form 'variable=value' set the value of some parameter in

asterisk.  For example, in tormenta.conf, one might specify:



	switchtype=national



In order to indicate to Asterisk that the switch they are connecting to is

of the type "national".  In general, the parameter will apply to

instantiations which occur below its specification.  For example, if the

configuration file read:



	switchtype = national

	channel => 1-4

	channel => 10-12

	switchtype = dms100

	channel => 25-47



Then, the "national" switchtype would be applied to channels one through

four and channels 10 through 12, whereas the "dms100" switchtype would

apply to channels 25 through 47.

  

The "object => parameters" instantiates an object with the given

parameters.  For example, the line "channel => 25-47" creates objects for

the channels 25 through 47 of the tormenta card, obtaining the settings

from the variables specified above.



* MORE INFORMATION



Finally, you may wish to visit the web site and join the mailing list if

you're interested in getting more information.



Mark