Comments on: Introducing Phone Genie for Asterisk (Email Edition)

By: FSD

FSD — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 15:28:04 +0000

Yes, I know its already available. Thats why it would be useful. End users can use the same feature codes remotely that they use while they are in the office. They don’t have to learn or remember anything else.

[WM: The only problem with the dial-up method is that the FreePBX Feature Codes represent a very small subset of what is available in the Asterisk CLI. For end-users, the FreePBX feature set is probably more than adequate. For administrators supporting remote Asterisk systems, probably not. Nerd Vittles obviously caters more to the latter group rather than the former.]

By: FSD

FSD — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 09:32:37 +0000

This is not as useful of a feature as it could be. What would be more useful would be for the user to call in, authenticate, and dial a feature code to activate any one of a number of features. It’s more secure, more intuitive, and anyone who has access to email has access to a phone or cell phone.

Look, I’m not saying this is a bad feature. What it does is highlight the fact that you can use email as a control mechanism to a large sophisticated system (of any type).
FSD

[WM: A good bit of what you suggest already is available using a dial-up connection to DISA with existing FreePBX Feature Codes.]

By: Jason T

Jason T — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 04:50:07 +0000

I recently found out that Sipgate USA lets you receive SMS on their DID’s, the messages show up on their website.
I though it be cool to be able to manage asterisk or be able to initiate a call by sending an SMS to my box thus avoiding DISA.
I don’t know much about this kind of thing but I’m sure it’d be a cool project for Nerd Vittles.

By: ward

ward — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 13:52:19 +0000

To use SendMail as a message forwarding service for email aliases, see this thread on the PIAF Forum. For example, you might want to create an email alias of mycellphone@dhf34.nerdvittles.com which would let people send messages to your mobile phone without your having to disclose your cellphone number.

By: FSD

FSD — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 15:24:12 +0000

The other thing to remember about this feature is that the average user will have to understand commands like "database put CF 701 6781234567" in order to turn on call forwarding. How many users are going to be able to understand that? My guess is not very many. [WM: Most Nerd Vittles subscribers aren't "average users" :wink: ]

By: ward

ward — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 20:40:44 +0000

For PBX in a Flash users ONLY since we have no idea how anyone else's installed version of SendMail is configured!!! If you'd prefer to use your existing SendMail setup rather than PostFix, skip the Postfix Installation and Configuring Postfix steps above (except for explanatory purposes for what you'll be doing), and... cd /etc/mail Edit sendmail.mc: nano -w sendmail.mc Comment out the following line like this: dnl # DAEMON_OPTIONS(`Port=smtp,Addr=127.0.0.1, Name=MTA')dnl Save this update and recompile: Ctrl-X, Y, then Enter m4 sendmail.mc > sendmail.cf Add your FQDN for your server to local-host-names or emails to/from the domain will bounce: Edit local-host-names: nano -w local-host-names dhf34.nerdvittles.com Save the file: Ctrl-X, Y, then Enter. Add entries to the end of the access file as shown below. Be sure all OK entries for specific email addresses precede the REJECT entry for the FQDN: Edit access: nano -w access dlrpzh7b3@dhf34.nerdvittles.com OK dhf34.nerdvittles.com REJECT Save the file and rebuild the hash file: Ctrl-X, Y, then Enter makemap hash access.db < access Restart SendMail: service sendmail restart MORAL OF THE STORY: With PBX in a Flash, you can have your SendMail SMTP server set up to support Phone Genie in less than 2 minutes.

By: James

James — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 14:16:36 +0000

Ward – great article. This has also given me an idea about how to integrate Hylafax/Avantfax email to fax. Looks like a great project for the holidays.

By: json

json — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 13:02:47 +0000

Just one question: Why? Why would anyone want to do this?! [WM: Hmm. You obviously don't do much traveling. :roll: Some might actually pick up some pointers on how to use email for other types of remote control applications. Imagination is a wonderful thing.]