Ubuntu Wiki

• Launchpad Entry: https://launchpad.net/distros/ubuntu/+spec/asterisk-integration

• Created: 2006-04-21 by JackWasey

• Contributors: JackWasey, EtienneGoyer, CoreyBurger, FabianRodriguez

• Packages affected:

Summary

The Asterisk PABX system can provide impressive capabilities to Ubuntu home and business users.

Rationale

With the increasing popularity of VoIP, provision of joined-up voice services would be a major asset for Ubuntu, especially if it installed and integrated usefully out of the box. Asterisk allows seamless use of landline phones with IP telephony which is a growing requirement for small and medium size businesses. An easy to install and admin Asterisk on Ubuntu solution is sorely needed, as the existing tools either require you to adopt another distro or fail to provide timely updates.

Use cases

• Simon has a small business and wishes to reduce his phone costs. With the Ubuntu server install, he finds he is also equipped with a full-featured PABX system at no cost.
• Raoul uses Asterisk to host a conference call which his SIP/H323 provider does not allow.

more use cases

Scope

The goal is to provide an easy to install version of Asterisk, either for connection to POTS/Copper or as a completely VoIP solution. User would be walked through initial hardware setup. As Asterisk is already packaged, but at one major version behind, coordination with pkg-voip in Debian to pull in latest Asterisk would be needed. Further work would include packaging of the new Asterisk-GUI, as well as working on prebuilt zaptel modules.

Design

Implementation

Update: The Asterisk Now GPL project by Digium, the original creators of Asterisk, is available in beta and provides a very nice and friendly UI wizard in the spirit of an "it just works" approach. AsteriskNOW is released as open source under the GNU General Public License (GPL). -- FabianRodriguez 2007-04-27

Packaging required * newer Asterisk - already in Debian experimental * asterisk-gui * pre-built zaptel modules

Asterisk and Zaptel would need to be included in main. See MainInclusionReportAsterisk and MainInclusionReportZaptel.

Connecting analog telephone handset require a special FXS interface, or an ATA device. We could probably do the right thing with internal FXS interface and auto-configure for a regular handset, and document the configuration and use of most popular ATA, such as the Sipura/Linksys or the Digium IAXy.

Code

Data preservation and migration

Outstanding issues

References

• AsteriskOnUbuntu -- FabiánRodríguez 2006-10-28 03:44:13

• universe inclusion report

• Asterisk

• Ekiga

• PABX

• voip-info on Asterisk

• more use cases

• compatible hardware

• very low-end hardware setups

• Recommendations for hardware to use to connect analog lines

• trixbox, formely Asterisk@Home, provide a pretty good out-of-the-box experience

• Nerd Vittles has a lot of cool Asterisk tricks

BoF agenda and discussion

CategorySpec