In the following sections we will provide a gentle introduction to the AsteriskNOW software, which gives you a complete PBX system with graphical configuration screen all built into one!
AsteriskNOW is an open source software appliance, a customized Linux distribution that includes Asterisk, the Asterisk GUI, and all other software needed for an Asterisk system. The Asterisk GUI gives you the ability to easily configure your Asterisk system without being a technical expert.
Note: The complete software appliance distribution is provided under the GPL and may legally be used for any purpose, commercial or otherwise.
AsteriskNOW installation is easy, because the appliance includes only those components necessary to run, debug, and build Asterisk. You no longer have to worry about kernel versions and package dependencies. AsteriskNOW is a custom Linux distribution for Asterisk based on rPath Linux.
A system on which you can install AsteriskNOW
A CD writer and associated software
Connection to the Internet
Firefox browser
The Asterisk GUI currently requires the Firefox browser (available at http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/ for optimum performance. Wider browser support will be available with future versions.
You should observe all normal precautions when preparing and installing a new distribution. Any existing operating systems on your hard drive will be removed by the Express Installation. If you are not sure that you are ready to alter your system, try one of the alternate installations (discussed in the section called “Alternate Installations””) to give AsteriskNOW a try. For more help on Asterisk and rPath see the the section called “For More Information”” section at the end of the chapter.
The essential installation of AsteriskNOW is really quite simple and gives you the ability to get up and running in a short amount of time. Use this quick installation procedure if you are comfortable with accepting the defaults. Any help you may need is provided with the installation screens. If you would like more information on the installation procedure, refer to the the section called “Extended procedure”” section below:
Download the AsteriskNOW ISO file (http://www.asterisknow.org/downloads) and create a CD image from the file. This step is required before installation can begin. The process for creating a CD image will vary depending upon the CD authoring software you are using.
Insert your newly created AsteriskNOW CD into the CD-ROM drive of the PC.
Boot from the CD by restarting the PC. A basic AsteriskNOW boot menu with several options will be provided:
To install or upgrade in graphical mode, press Enter.
To install or upgrade in Linux text mode, type
linux text and then press Enter.
The recommended, and default, installation mode is graphical. If you do not make an entry, the installation will continue in graphical mode.
From here, follow the self-explanatory, onscreen prompts to guide you through the installation process.
When installation is complete, the system will prompt you to reboot. After rebooting, a URL to access the Asterisk GUI will be displayed.
You are now ready to configure and run AsteriskNOW.
Download the AsteriskNOW ISO file (http://www.asterisknow.org/downloads) and create a CD image from the file. This step is required before installation can begin. The process for creating a CD image will vary depending upon the CD authoring software you are using.
Insert your newly created AsteriskNOW CD into the CD-ROM drive.
Boot from the CD by restarting the PC. A basic AsteriskNOW boot menu with several options will be provided:
To install or upgrade in graphical mode, press Enter.
To install or upgrade in Linux text mode, type
linux text and then press Enter.
The recommended, and default, installation mode is graphical. If you do not make an entry, the installation will continue in graphical mode.
After a bit of processing, the initial installation screen is displayed. The initial screen is similar to the following illustration:
From the initial installation screen you can read the release notes or the Help information. When you are ready, click Next to continue the installation.
The next installation screen lets you choose the type of installation. The two modes of installation available are:
The Express Installation installs all of the software needed to install Asterisk. Debugging and development tools are installed with this installation type.
Select this installation type if you want to have complete control over all installation options. Among the options you can control are software package selection, partitioning, and language selection.
The default installation type is Express Installation. This installation type assumes an English language reader and that you aren’t concerned with the finer points. Choose Expert if you don’t read English, and/or want more control over the installation details. For the purposes of this procedure, Express Installation is discussed.
Choose your installation type and then click Next.
The Automatic Partitioning screen is displayed. The Automatic Partitioning screen gives you several options to choose from before the software partitions your drive. This gives you the opportunity to choose which data (if any) is removed from your system, and how the drive is partitioned. The following options are available:
This option will only remove any Linux partitions created from a previous Linux installation.
Select this option if you want to remove all partitions on your system, including those created by other operating systems (such as Windows).
You should choose this option if you want to retain all of your current data and partitions. You will need enough hard drive space for your Asterisk implementation. Twenty GB is a realistic minimum, but the minimum space is dependent on the needs of the system you want to create.
In most cases, you will want to choose Remove All Partitions. A hard drive dedicated to your Asterisk implementation is the best way to ensure maximum performance. Select the Review checkbox on the Automatic Partitioning screen if you want to review or modify your partition selections.
A list of the hard drives available for use is listed on the Automatic Partitioning screen. Select the checkbox next to the hard drive(s) you want to use for your system. Click Next to continue with the installation.
If you selected Remove All Partitions or Remove All Linux Partitions, a warning dialog will be displayed that asks if you want to proceed. Click Yes to proceed, or No to change your partition selection.
If you selected Review on the Automatic Partitioning screen, a screen will be displayed with the partitions created. You can modify your partitions on this screen. To proceed, click Next.
The Network Configuration screen is displayed.
You can configure the network devices associated with your system on the Network Configuration screen. Any network devices attached to your system are automatically detected by the installation program and displayed in the Network Devices list. You can either accept the device(s) automatically selected by the installation program, or you can edit them by selecting Edit.
The Time Zone Selection screen is displayed.
The Time Zone Selection screen offers several ways for you to select the time zone appropriate for your installation. You can either use the world map, which displays major cities, select from a list of locations and time zones, or select the System Clock Uses UTC to use the system time. Once you have selected a time zone, click Next.
The Administrator Password screen is displayed.
You must set a password for the AsteriskNOW administrator account, “admin”. This password will be used to log on to the system, as well as the Asterisk GUI. Set and confirm an administrator password, and then click Next to proceed.
The About to Install screen is displayed, giving you an opportunity to delay or abort the installation process. If you are ready to continue with the installation, click Next.
The Installing Packages screen is displayed.
While AsteriskNOW is being installed, the Installing Packages screen will be displayed. The installation will continue for a few minutes.
Once the installation is complete, the system will prompt you to reboot. Remove the installation disk you created, and click Reboot. After rebooting, a URL to access the Asterisk GUI will be displayed.
Once you have completed your installation and rebooted your machine, you will be able to access the Asterisk GUI. The URL used to access the Asterisk GUI is the IP address or hostname displayed after rebooting your machine. Enter this IP address in your browser URL. You will be able to refine your AsteriskNOW installation by accessing the Asterisk GUI.
You can also try out AsteriskNOW using the available VMware Player image (http://www.vmware.com/download/player/), Xen universal guest domain image (http://wiki.rpath.com/wiki/Xen_Solutions_Using_rPath_Technologies) or the LiveCD (just burn and boot). All alternate installations can be downloaded from the AsteriskNOW download page.
Note: When using the LiveCD, the default username is “admin” with “password” as the password.
An AsteriskNOW Users’ Guide is currently under development by the Asterisk community on the Asterisk Forums. For additional information on AsteriskNOW, including step-by-step installation screenshots and configuration screenshots showing the setup wizard, please refer to http://www.asterisknow.org, and visit the Asterisk Forums at http://forums.digium.com. For more information and help with rPath Linux, please see rPath’s wiki, http://wiki.rpath.com.