gundy dot org

Things are always harder then they’re supposed to be. Plugging in a SIP client to Asterisk should be easy, right? Well, it is, if everything is just perfect. I took a few notes and a few screenshots to help others if they find this fairly typical setup is more difficult then it should be.

Here are the relevant parts (IP addresses and mailbox number changed to protect the innocent) of my sip.conf:

[general]
port => 5060
bindaddr => aaa.bbb.ccc.ddd
disallow => all
allow => ulaw
allow => alaw
context => sip-users
canreinvite => no
nat => no

[gabe]
username => gabe
secret => ****
mailbox => 1337
callerid => Gabe Gunderson <1337>
type => friend
host => dynamic

To to avoid NAT issues (on my side, not the server side), this communication is going over an OpenVPN connection. Make sure your tunnel is up before you start Ekiga and go to the preferences page. Set “Listen On” to tun0 and not eth0 (which is the default). The settings don’t seem to “take” until you restart Ekiga.

I like to keep things simple in the codec department. The VSP we’re using offers only G.711 (U-LAW or PCMU and A-LAW or PCMA). We’re using U-LAW since it’s the standard here in the U.S. and it costs the CPU very little to go from U-LAW < => U-LAW. It’s a little fatter in the tubes, but that’s not a big deal on this particular install.

Here’s a typical Account. I’ve chosen to use names for sip users instead of numbers. It makes the configs a little easier to read and you can always map numbers to names in the dial-plan.

If you have problems, there are a few things you can do to help figure out what’s going on.
Try the following:

• Run Ekiga from the command line with the debug switch:
  ‘ekiga -d 2′
• Or get specific debugging from Asterisk, like so:
  server*CLI> sip debug peer gabe
  SIP Debugging Enabled for IP: aaa.bbb.ccc.ddd:5060

Looks like Digium gets funded. This can only mean good things for the development of Asterisk. It’s interesting to see that Digium has been in the black for a while:

Digium won’t disclose any specific data on its financial performance, but says it has been profitable since 2002, generating 100 percent growth in revenues each year since.

It takes one kind of vision to create a business around Open Source, but another to make that same business something *big*. Hopefully this first round of funding leads to the next big thing and makes a good thing even better.

However, the cynic in me doesn’t really care how they do. The code will always be there - in good times and bad. Is that wrong?

O.K. I’m over it. Go Digium! Support Digium! Buy Digium!

DevUtah’s February Geek Dinner will be held at the Miller Business Innovation Center on Wednesday February 22 at 6 PM.

David Spann and Alistair Cockburn will lead a discussion on “Introducing Agile to the Organization”. If you’ve heard of Agile methodologies but can’t get others in your organization interested; or if you’ve been a member of a high performing Agile team but can’t find the right words to convince upper management to spread the “gospel”, this discussion may be helpful. David and Alistair will take your questions before they begin and will respond to as many as possible. Being agile by nature, they want to meet your (the customer’s) interest. If you’ve only heard about Agile, feel free to do a little research and post beginner questions as well.

Speakers
David Spann is high-tech management consultant who focuses teams on making a reasonable return on investment while exceeding customer expectations. David has helped conduct each of the annual Agile Software Conferences since the first one held at Westminster College in 2002 and is currently involved with Alistair Cockburn in developing Utah’s Agile Project Leadership Network.

Alistair Cockburn is an internationally known project witchdoctor and strategist. He co-authored the 2001 Manifesto for Agile Software Development and the 2005 project management “Declaration of Inter-Dependence” and has written several best-selling books.

Grub
A build-your-own taco buffet will be catered by Megan Faulkner Brown.
The meal cost is $12. You can prepay from the wiki or just bring cash to pay at the door.

Please RSVP:
RSVP here.

Businessweek’s article might not be front page stuff, but it is cool when my dad and mom hear about Open Source. That only happens when biz week writes about it. It’s not like they read slashdot.

Now, how do I get some of that money?