System information

Obviously, new users do not fit any particular kind of mold. While some will happily
spend hours experimenting and reading various blogs describing the trials and tribu-
lations of others, many people who have become enthusiastic about this technology
are completely uninterested in such pursuits. They want a simple, straightforward, step-
by-step guide that’ll get them up and running, followed by some sensible examples
describing the best methods of implementing common functionality (such as voicemail,
auto attendants, and the like).
To the members of the expert community, who (correctly) perceive that Asterisk is like
a web development language, this approach doesn’t make any sense. To them, it’s clear
that you have to immerse yourself in Asterisk to appreciate its subtleties. Would one
ask for a step-by-step guide to programming and expect to learn from it all that a lan-
guage has to offer?
Clearly, there’s no one approach that’s right for everyone. Asterisk is a different animal
altogether, and it requires a totally different mind-set. As you explore the community,
though, be aware that it includes people with many different skill sets and attitudes.
Some of these folks do not display much patience with new users, but that’s often due
to their passion for the subject, not because they don’t welcome your participation.
The Asterisk Mailing Lists
As with any community, there are places where members of the Asterisk community
meet to discuss matters of mutual interest. Of the mailing lists you will find at http://
lists.digium.com, these three are currently the most important:
Asterisk-Biz
Anything commercial with respect to Asterisk belongs in this list. If you’re selling
something Asterisk-related, sell it here. If you want to buy an Asterisk service or
product, post here.
Asterisk-Dev
The Asterisk developers hang out here. The purpose of this list is the discussion of
the development of the software that is Asterisk, and its participants vigorously
defend that purpose. Expect a lot of heat if you post anything to this list not spe-
cifically relating to programming or development of the Asterisk code base. General
coding questions (such as queries on interfacing with AGI or AMI) should be di-
rected to the Asterisk-Users list.
The Asterisk-Dev list is not second-level support! If you scroll
through the mailing list archives, you’ll see this is a strict rule. The
Asterisk-Dev mailing list is about discussion of core Asterisk de-
velopment, and questions about interfacing your external pro-
grams via AGI or AMI should be posted on the Asterisk-Users list.
6 | Chapter 1: A Telephony Revolution