Archive:FreePBX Distribution

Asterisk VoIP server is a fully fledged VoIP allowing complete customisation to your needs and works with most setups. It has a web GUI that is slowly being developed to make implementation even easier for people.

On the server, we have implemented Asterisk 11.x series. This is a very new version of Asterisk but is also a LTS release so will be supported well into the future with fixes. We are also using the Web GUI from the Subversion repository to make sure it is up to date.

Packages Required

To implement the system, the following packages are required:

• tftp
• yast2-tftp-server

From Asterisk repository ([1])

• asterisk
• asterisk-console
• asterisk-dahdi
• libasteriskssl1

• Checkout latest revision from [2] for Web GUI.

Installing the TFTP server

The TFTP server is what hard-phones use to download the settings files from the server. This step is not required if your not using hard-phones.

1. Install from YaST both the tftp and yast2-tftp-server packages.
2. Run from YaST under Network Services "TFTP Server".
3. Change the toggle box to Enabled. This will make the TFTP server start at start-up. Then click OK.
4. Files for the hard-phones can then be dropped into /srv/tftpboot/.

Installing the Asterisk server

1. From YaST, select Software Management. Once this has started, select from the top menu Configuration and then click Repositories.
2. When the Repositories screen comes up, click Add. Make sure Specify URL... and Download repository description files are both checked then select Next.
3. In Repository Name, type Asterisk 11. In URL, you will need the following URL: [3]. Change the openSUSE version at the end of the link to your version of openSUSE. Then click Next.
4. Click OK to return to the Software Management screen. It will ask you if you trust the key from this repository. This is an openSUSE project so make sure you push Trust.
5. If you haven't used the Repositories filter before, you will need to click the View drop-down menu above the search box and then click Repositories. This will create a new Repositories tab and you won't have to do this step again. If you already have the Repositories tab, you can just click the tab.
6. Find the Asterisk 11 repository that you just added from the list and click on it.
7. Tick the packages that need to be installed from above in the Packages Required section above.
8. NOTE: When you try to add asterisk-dahdi, it will currently say that it is unable to find a package to fulfil its requirements. It is safe to ignore this requirement with the bottom toggle box. This package is only needed to make the Web GUI work.
9. Click Accept to install the packages. This will install the Asterisk server.
10. When back in the YaST control panel, under System run System Services (Runlevel).
11. Wait until all the ??? next to the services have changed to Yes or No.
12. Find the asterisk (Asterisk PBX) service (this should be towards the top of the list) and click the line.
13. Click Enable. No should change to Yes*. Then click OK.
14. It will now say 'Now the changes to runlevels will be saved.' Click Yes. This has just started the Asterisk server and made it start on each boot.
15. To check that Asterisk is running, open a Terminal prompt and su as root. Run asterisk -rvvv and it should open a new command prompt for Asterisk. You can then type exit and exit the Terminal.
16. If this says 'Cannot find remote Asterisk server', it may not have started or may not have installed properly. Type service asterisk start into the Terminal prompt. If you get no errors, it should have started and you can try the previous step again. If it says it can't find the service, it may not have installed properly and needs reinstalling again.