Asterisk@Home

Flash Operator Configuration Files

The FOP can be configured by editing the configuration files that are shipped with it. They can be found in the /var/www/html folder and can also be accessed from the Asterisk Management Portal.

The files include:

•op_astdb.cfg

•op_buttons.cfg

•op_buttons_additional.cfg

•op_buttons_custom.cfg

•op_server.cfg

•op_style.cfg

op_server.cfg is the most important for initial setup. Here the main FOP configuration lives, including the IP address of the Asterisk service, the username and password for accessing FOP, as well as any debugging settings that should be applied. You can also configure your available conferences here for example. The other files can be used to add customized settings such as extra buttons for the system and modifications to the style of the FOP.

Web MeetMe

Web MeetMe is a web-based front end to the MeetMe add-on for asterisk. It allows us to monitor and control conferences. By clicking on Web MeetMe Control on the Asterisk@Home web interface, we are taken to the interface for this program. We access it by inputting the conference number, taking us to a screen that lists all the participants in the conference. We are made aware of the caller's name, user ID, channel, and which mode they are in, such as "listen and talk" or "listen only". We can also modify these modes by clicking a link, and we can remove a participant from the conversation entirely. This sort of control is extremely handy for users not comfortable controlling a conference from their handset, as the visual cues and graphical interfaces to commands make it extremely easy to get to grips with.

Flexibility When Needed

We have looked at a few graphical configuration tools that add a lot of convenience and ease of use to the Asterisk system. As with any GUI, the focus is clarity, ease of use, and intuitive design. When we take a powerful command-line or service-based application and add a GUI to it, there is often a loss of flexibility. As Asterisk holds flexibility as one of its most important aspects, this may seem like a major downside to Asterisk@Home.

However, we can still get under the skin and make up for some of the shortcomings in the graphical interfaces. As we have seen, the Asterisk Management Portal provides a direct link to the text configuration files; a testament to the fact that the GUI is merely a layer upon a powerful underlying system.

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