Setting up a PBX for Israel<->US communication

[Amos Shapira]

2009/2/14 Tzafrir Cohen <tzafrir at cohens.org.il>:
> On Fri, Feb 13, 2009 at 01:54:53PM +1100, Amos Shapira wrote:
>> I saw somewhere that the Xen hosts provided by VPSLink already have
>> 1000HTz clocks on them, saving a kernel recompilation.
>
> But is it actually 1000Hz?

How can you tell without access to the kernel config? The CPU MHz is 2200.

>
> Try:
>
> Build DAHDI[*] on that system without installing it:
>
>  svn co http://svn.digium.com/svn/dahdi/linux dahdi-linux
>  svn co http://svn.digium.com/svn/dahdi/tools dahdi-tools
>  cd dahdi-linux
>  make # maybe you also need KVERS, KSRC and such
>  cd ../dahdi-tools
>  configure --with-dahdi=../dahdi-linux
>  make dahdi_test
>  modprobe crc_ccitt
>  insmod ../dahdi-linux/drivers/dahdi/dahdi.ko
>  insmod ../dahdi-linux/drivers/dahdi/dahdi_dummy.ko
>
>  # and now finally test:
>  ./dahdi_test -v -c 5
>
>  # When you're done:
>  rmmod dahdi_dummy dahdi
>
> [*] I use DAHDI in this case because for Zaptel you'd still have to
> install udev rules, whereas DAHDI uses '!' in device names to make the
> device files be generated with proper names. This is handy if you don't
> have either installed and didn't set up udev rules yet.

Thanks for the pointer. But do I need all this? I got the impression
that if I don't use meetme (what's that for?) or another feature which
people manage by without then I don't need all this at all.

>
> In addition to that, if you need to mess with kernel module building,
> you'll find that with Debian things actually work, whereas with Centos
> you have to fight the system harder to make them so.

I'll see. Thanks.

When I start using this knowledge for my workplace I'll have to do it
on CentOS anyway (it's our SOE now, by my own decision) so I'll have
to deal with it anyway.

>
>>
>> >
>> > See also http://docs.tzafrir.org.il/#_kernel_configuration
>> >
>> > I would also recommend:
>> >
>> > 1. Debian :-) (As I package Asterisk for it)
>>
>> I used Debian for over 10 years but now I got used to CentOS (simply
>> because it's so much easier to find hosts which support it for my work
>> needs).
>
> I recently looked for unmanaged hosts and there Debian was generally as
> common as Centos. Most managed hosts used cPanel and alike that I simply
> can't stand.

I can't stand cPanel either. With Debian hosting at least on one place
(I think Spry, the parent of VPSLink) I got stuck with an old Debian
on a Virtuozo VPS which I can't upgrade without just installing the
machine from scratch (I know Debian supports in-place upgrades, but
the virtual host setup won't allow this).

>
>>
>> > 2. Do consider Asterisk SVN trunk. At least if this is a home PBX.
>> > Specifically The extra timing source stuff might be of direct interest
>> > to you.
>>
>> I don't know Asterisk at all so not sure I should try the latest and
>> greatest where I'll never know whether something is broken because I
>> did it wrong or because it's really broken.
>
> In that case, latest stable is now branch 1.6.0 (e.g. 1.6.0.5).

It was 1.6rc1 about three days ago when I looked . I'd rather stick to
something which reached .23 for now.

>
> 1.4 is still being maintained, but not sure for how long.

1.6 was rc1 just this week.

Are you saying that once I decide to go with Asterisk I also have to
keep close chase of their latest release in order to have it supported
(i.e. bug and security fixes)?

Cheers,

--Amos