Chapter 11. The Asterisk GUI Framework

Table of Contents

Why a GUI for Asterisk?
What Is the GUI?
Mark Spencer Talks About the GUI
Using the GUI
GUI elements
Architecture of the Asterisk GUI
Components of the Asterisk GUI
Asterisk Manager Interface
Manager over HTTP and the Asterisk web server
AJAM and JavaScript
Installing the Asterisk GUI
Setting up httpd.conf and manager.conf
Developing for the Asterisk GUI
Issuing Manager Commands over HTTP
LOGIN
Transferring a call
Reading a configuration file
Updating configuration files using UPDATECONFIG
Error response
Ajax, AJAM, and Asterisk
Form processing in a traditional web application
Form processing in an Ajax application
The Prototype framework
Customization of the GUI
Adding a new tab to the GUI
Exposing configuration settings in the GUI
For More Information

…I was constructing a lighthouse while all the others were making ships.

--Charles Simic

This chapter introduces the components that comprise the GUI and help it work with Asterisk. It describes the installation of the web server and the GUI components for those who are not using the AsteriskNOW distribution. It also shows you how to modify the GUI to suit your purposes. Technical information is also provided so that developers wishing to create their own GUI or application can utilize the web server and GUI components. We’d like to thank the folks at Digium for writing this chapter, especially the code examples, which they developed and tested.