Asterisk is…¶

• an Open Source software development project
• written in the C Programming Language
• running on Linux (or other types of Unix )
• powering Business Telephone Systems
• connecting many different Telephony protocols

• a toolkit for building many things:

  • an IP PBX with many powerful features and applications
  • VoIP Gateways
  • Conferencing systems
  • and much, much more
  • supporting VoIP Phones as well as PSTN and POTS
  • speaking SIP , the most common VoIP protocol, among others

YouTube Videos¶

• Systm 5 Episode on Asterisk (from 2006 - see Asterisk Wiki for current installation instructions)
• Official Asterisk Channel
• Asterisk 123: Intro to Asterisk from Astricon 10
• Asterisk 12 Overview from Astricon 10

Resources for understanding¶

• Acronyms and Terminology
• Telephony Terminology
• Asterisk Terms Glossary

• Telecom Acronyms (very comprehensive)

• Telephony Protocols

• IP Telephony Protocols Overview
• SIP Overview

• A Hitchhiker's Guide to SIP

• Linux & Unix

• Linux Newbie Guide
• Beginner Tutorials

• Unix Beginner Tutorial

• Installing and Configuring Asterisk

• Asterisk: The Definitive Guide 3^rd Edition

• The Asterisk Wiki

• C Programming

• C Programming Tutorial
• Interactive C Tutorial
• C Programming Quick Guide

Where to get help¶

• Email Lists and Live Chat (IRC)

• Asterisk Mailing List and IRC

• Web Discussion Forums

• Asterisk Community Forums

• Online Community

• Voip Users Conference main site and on Google+

Avoiding obsolete or incorrect information¶

When reading about Asterisk on the web, you may come across old or incorrect information.

• Check which version of Asterisk is mentioned. There are significant changes in every version.
• Check the published date of the article if the Asterisk version isn’t provided.
• Take things with a grain of salt until checked with another resource or proven correct through your own testing.
• Refer to the Asterisk Wiki and the Official Asterisk Youtube Channel for the most accurate and up to date details on the specific version of Asterisk you are using.

Please note that it is always possible that even the official documentation does not match what is written into the source code itself. If you find something lacking or incorrect in the Asterisk documentation, please communicate it through comments on the Asterisk Wiki or by filing an issue through the Asterisk Issues Tracker .