First, you must open your system's terminal program. In Ubuntu, it can be found here:

open the terminal program

Next, change into the directory where you've downloaded the firmware you'd like to install: 

ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ cd Downloads ubuntu@ubuntu:~/Downloads$ ls askozia-pbx-generic-pc-x86-i486-uclibc-2.0.1.img

Now, before attaching the target hard drive, usb stick or flash media we need to know which disks are present in the system and how they are named. The following command lists each disk recognized by the system

ubuntu@ubuntu:~/Downloads$ sudo fdisk -l | grep "Disk /dev/" Disk /dev/sda: 21.5 GB, 21474836480 bytes

Attach the media you wish to install the firmware onto. Re-running the previous command will reveal the new disk's name. In this case, it is /dev/sdb

ubuntu@ubuntu:~/Downloads$ sudo fdisk -l | grep "Disk /dev/" Disk /dev/sda: 21.5 GB, 21474836480 bytes Disk /dev/sdb: 1999 MB, 1999568384 bytes

If the disk was recognized by the system. It has probably already been automatically mounted. The firmware cannot be installed if the disk is already mounted. Execute the following command to find out where the disk is mounted (if it has more than one partition, it may be mounted in several locations).

ubuntu@ubuntu:~/Downloads$ df | grep "/dev/sdb" /dev/sdb1 1952192 1600 1950592 1% /media/KINGSTON

In this case, our disk has one partition. The partition name which needs to be unmounted is /dev/sdb1. To unmount that partition, execute the following command.

ubuntu@ubuntu:~/Downloads$ sudo umount /dev/sdb1

Now that the system is no longer directly using our disk, we can install the firmware on to it. The following command decompresses the image and writes it block-by-block onto the target device. The warning about trailing garbage is due to the digital signature on AskoziaPBX firmwares. Make sure to use the device name: /dev/sdb and not the partition name /dev/sdb1

ubuntu@ubuntu:~/Downloads$ sudo gunzip -c askozia-pbx-generic-pc-x86-i486-uclibc-2.0.1.img | sudo dd of=/dev/sdb bs=512 gzip: askozia-pbx-generic-pc-x86-i486-uclibc-2.0.1.img: decompression OK, trailing garbage ignored 63825+0 records in 63825+0 records out 32678400 bytes (33 MB) copied, 7.54102 s, 4.3 MB/s ubuntu@ubuntu:~/Downloads$

That's it. You now have the firmware on the target disk. Set your computer or embedded device to boot from this media and off you go. To check if the firmware was correctly written, detach and reattach it to your Linux system. There should be two partitions /system and /offload:

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To add a phone account, click on the "Accounts -> Phones" page.

From this menu, select the phone type you wish to add. On the "edit" page that now appears, you can configure your new phone.

These basic settings are the same for every phone account type. You can choose the phone's number, caller id, audio language, ring length and enter a description for the account type. For directly attached phones (analog and ISDN), the port the phone is attached to must also be selected.

These security and notifications settings are also common to all phone accounts.

The first option, Public Access, allows you to setup a publically dialable SIP address for this phone. If you check this option, this phone will be reachable at number@yourip. You can also set a more friendly prefix so it is then reachable at yourname@yourip.

The next two options involve how to handle missed calls. To use either of them, e-mail notifications must first be configured on your system so it can properly send e-mails.

After checking "notify me of missed calls via e-mail" and entering the phone owner's e-mail address in the box which appears, they will receive e-mails whenever a call is missed on this phone.

Checking "voicemail to e-mail" and again entering an appropriate e-mail address will enable a voicemail service on this phone (a definite ring length in General Settings must also be set). Callers will be prompted to leave a message. After recording, an e-mail with the audio message attached will be sent to the specified address.

The final section, Advanced Options, contains seldomly used configuration parameters. It also always contains a setting named "Manual Attributes." This will be discussed in the customization section.

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How can I manually edit the configuration files generated by AskoziaPBX?

Configuration files can be manually edited by using the Files tab in the Integrator Panel. The Integrator Panel can be accessed by pressing 'ESC' anywhere in the WebGUI. Changes made through this interface will survive reboots and are a part of the unified XML configuration for the installation.

Modifying files by hand (i.e. via SSH) will not work for anything other than quick testing. Since most of the system runs directly from a memory disk and the files within it are regenerated upon configuration changes and reboots, manual edits outside of the Integrator Panel do not survive for very long.

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Finding the System IP Address

If you have an analog phone connected to your system, the easiest way to find your system's IP address is to dial 000047 (0000IP). The system IP will be read back to you. If you do not have an analog phone connected, keep reading for other options.

The system IP address is also displayed on the console. If your system has a monitor attached to it, simply look in the middle of the screen being displayed to find the IP address.

If your system only has a serial console (running the "Embedded" image), you can connect to it with the following default settings:

• bits per second: 38400
• data bits: 8
• parity: none
• stop bits: 1
• flow control: none

If you are unable to access your system's console for some reason, you can check in your router's DHCP settings or logs page to see which address was given.

Logging in to the WebGUI

Now that you know the IP, log in to the WebGUI with the following default settings:

• url: http://yoursystemip
• username: admin
• password: askozia

System: General SetupYou can now start configuring things to your liking. The first stop is the System: General Setup screen, located in the upper-left corner of the page. This lets you change several important aspects of your system such as the default password. Change your password or your system is at risk!

The Regional Settings should also be set appropriately. Your "Time Zone" is important so your system knows what time it is. And, more importantly, the "Indication Tones" must be set correctly so the telephone tones played when placing and receiving calls match the country you are in.

The last settings on that page keep your system time synchronized to a very accurate Internet source. No changes should be necessary here.

Logging in to SSH

AskoziaPBX also provides SSH console access on the default port 22. The default login is:

• user: root
• password: askozia

For those users with command-line experience, this is a convenient way to monitor and debug your system. However, manual changes here will be reverted once the system reboots. Manual changes can be entered in the WebGUI with the Integrator Panel (press "ESC" anywhere in the WebGUI to activate it).

The root password is kept in sync with the WebGUI settings. This makes it even more important to not run your system with the default password set.

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To get a system up and running you can:

• buy a tested, ready-to-run Appliance
• build your own from off-the-shelf components

Ready-to-Run Appliance

Our webshop offers several pre-configured Appliances. They are designed to serve the needs of the average SOHO installation and are thoroughly tested with each of our releases. We offer IP-only, IP+Analog and IP+ISDN versions, all with free worldwide shipping.

If you do not want to mess with component assembly and testing, buy something that just works.

Build Your Own Appliance

There are several main components required when building your own appliance. The first of which is an embedded system or SBC (Single Board Computer) to run AskoziaPBX. This is a shrunk-down version of a household computer which requires very little electricity to operate. It also removes any unnecessary hardware from the system such as a graphics or sound card, CD-ROM, etc.

Alix SBCIt is designed to run software which performs a single function rather than that of a Desktop PC. This is why these types of systems are usually referred to as an Appliance.

One of the most popular embedded systems is the Alix SBC line from PC Engines. They have a 500MHz processor, 256MB of RAM and offer multiple Ethernet, miniPCI (or PCI) and USB interfaces. Rather than booting from a standard hard drive, these systems use a Compact Flash card to further reduce energy and maintenance requirements.

These boards are available in a variety of interface combinations, starting at around €100.

Telephony Connectivity

If your system only needs to connect to VoIP services, a SBC is all you need. However, if you wish to interconnect with classic telephone equipment and providers, you will also require an interface card. These cards convert the information and signaling coming in over telephony lines and from telephony devices into information usable by AskoziaPBX.

OpenVox B400MSince the Alix SBC line has mainly miniPCI connections, you will also need a card of this type. It also helps keep your system nice and small. OpenVox has some of the only offerings available for miniPCI.

For ISDN connections, their 4 port BRI ISDN card can be configured to connect to any combination of up to 4 ISDN lines (internal or external). These cards cost about €320.

OpenVox A400MFor Analog connections, their 4 port Analog card will usually cover the connectivity needs of a SOHO installation and costs about €200.

As you can see, the most expensive component in building your own Appliance is the telephony interface cards. This is, unfortunately, true for every manufacturer in the market and probably will not change soon.

Bulk-buys of these components reduces prices. This is what we've done in the webshop, allowing us to offer a complete appliance with a guarantee and custom case for less than the cost of its components.

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output of: ls /dev/disk*This will show which disks are recognized by the system. It is important to know this before attaching the disk so you can install the firmware on to the correct one. If it is done incorrectly, you can lose all of the contents of your Mac's hard drive.

Now that we know this, attach the disk you would like to install AskoziaPBX onto and open Disk Utility. In Disk Utility, you need to locate your disk, select any mounted partitions and unmount them.

unmounting recognized partitions

Once these are unmounted, switch back to Terminal and re-execute the command from above.

new output shows that /dev/disk2 is the new disk

The disk is attached to our system, it is not mounted and we know what its name is. We can now install the firmware. To do this, we execute a command on the terminal which decompresses the image and writes it bit-by-bit onto the newly attached disk.

output of: gzcat firmware.img | dd of=/dev/diskX bs=512That is a long command but it does exactly what we need it to. Once it has finished writing, you can see in the Disk Utility that the disk has new partitions on it. Eject this disk from the system. It is now ready to be used.

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There are three ways to get a system up and running:

• prepare the system storage media directly
• use the Live CD
• support us by buying a pre-installed system

Direct Media Installation

If your target system is an embedded system or does not have an attached CD-ROM, you will need to install the AskoziaPBX firmware directly on to its media. This boot media could be a Compact Flash card, an SD card, a hard drive or a USB stick. Anything your target system can boot from will work.

First you need to download the appropriate image from the Askozia website. If your system has a standard VGA output, you should download the "Generic" image. If its console is only accessible via a serial port, use the "Embedded" image. If you have purchased one of our products from the webshop, the latest firmware can be found on its product page.

A word about the firmware format before we continue. It is not a file which can simply be copied onto a disk and booted from. It is a compressed "image" of a hard drive which must be decompressed and written bit-by-bit onto a drive.

Now on to the Operating System specific instructions:

• using Mac OS X
• using Linux
• using Windows

Live CD

Installing a system using the Live CD is the easiest method if that system is a "standard" desktop PC. First, you will need to download the Live CD. The download link is located in the upper-right column of the Askozia website. Burn this image to a CD using your favorite disk authoring software and then boot it in the computer you wish to use for AskoziaPBX.

Once it has booted, the console menu will appear. Select option 8 from this menu and enter the desired target hard drive to begin the installation.

Note, this will delete everything on the target hard drive. Please choose carefully! The menu will also confirm this. Once you have agreed to the installation, the firmware will be written to your hard drive.

Any configuration changes made while using the Live CD will also be applied to the installed system. Once it has finished installing, the system will reboot. Please make sure your boot devices are set correctly, or simply remove the Live CD so the system actually boots from your freshly installed hard drive.

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