<!DOCTYPE refentry PUBLIC "-//OASIS//DTD DocBook V4.1//EN">
<refentry>
<refentryinfo>
	<date>2004-07-18</date>
</refentryinfo>
<refmeta>
	<refentrytitle>
		<application>asterisk</application>
	</refentrytitle>
	<manvolnum>8</manvolnum>
	<refmiscinfo>asterisk 1.0</refmiscinfo>
</refmeta>
<refnamediv>
	<refname>
		<application>asterisk</application>
	</refname>
	<refpurpose>
	All-purpose telephony server.
	</refpurpose>
</refnamediv>
<refsynopsisdiv>
	<cmdsynopsis>
	<command>asterisk</command>
<arg><option>-hfdvVqpRgcin</option></arg>
<arg><option>-C </option><replaceable class="parameter">file</replaceable></arg>
<arg><option>-U </option><replaceable class="parameter">user</replaceable></arg>
<arg><option>-G </option><replaceable class="parameter">group</replaceable></arg>
<arg><option>-x </option><replaceable class="parameter">command</replaceable></arg>
	</cmdsynopsis>
	<cmdsynopsis>

	<command>asterisk -r</command>
	<arg><option>-v</option></arg>
<arg><option>-x </option><replaceable class="parameter">command</replaceable></arg>
	</cmdsynopsis>
</refsynopsisdiv>
<refsect1>
	<refsect1info>
		<date>2004-07-01</date>
	</refsect1info>
	<title>DESCRIPTION</title>
	<para>
	<command>asterisk</command> is a full-featured telephony server which
	provides Private Branch eXchange (PBX), Interactive Voice Response (IVR),
	Automated Call Distribution (ACD), Voice over IP (VoIP) gatewaying, 
	Conferencing, and a plethora of other telephony applications to a broad
	range of telephony devices including packet voice (SIP, IAX, MGCP, Skinny,
	H.323) devices (both endpoints and proxies), as well as traditional TDM
	hardware including T1, E1, ISDN PRI, GR-303, RBS, Loopstart, Groundstart,
	ISDN BRI, and many more.
	</para>
	<para>
	Asterisk reads most of its configuration files from configuration files
	located in /etc/asterisk.  Virtually all aspects of the operation of
	asterisk's configuration files can be found in the sample configuration
	files.  The format for those files is generally beyond the scope of this
	man page.
	</para>
	<para>
	When running with <command>-c</command>, <command>-r</command> or <command>-R</command>
	options, Asterisk supplies a powerful command line, including command
	completion, which may be used to monitors its status, perform a variety
	of administrative actions and even explore the applications that are
	currently loaded into the system.
	</para>
</refsect1>
<refsect1>
	<title>OPTIONS</title>
	<variablelist>
	<varlistentry>
		<term>-C <replaceable class="parameter">file</replaceable></term>
		<listitem>
			<para>
			Use <filename>file</filename> as master configuration file
			instead of the default, /etc/asterisk/asterisk.conf
			</para>
		</listitem>
	</varlistentry>
	<varlistentry>
		<term>-c</term>
		<listitem>
			<para>
			Provide a control console on the calling terminal.
			Specifying this option implies <command>-f</command> and will cause
			asterisk to no longer fork or detach from the controlling terminal.
			</para>
		</listitem>
	</varlistentry>
	<varlistentry>
		<term>-d</term>
		<listitem>
			<para>
			Enable extra debugging statements.
			</para>
		</listitem>
	</varlistentry>
	<varlistentry>
		<term>-f</term>
		<listitem>
			<para>
			Do not fork or detach from controlling terminal.
			</para>
		</listitem>
	</varlistentry>
	<varlistentry>
		<term>-g</term>
		<listitem>
			<para>
			Remove resource limit on core size, thus forcing Asterisk to dump
			core in the unlikely event of a segmentation fault or abort signal.
			<command>NOTE:</command> in some cases this may be incompatible
			with the <command>-U</command> or <command>-G</command> flags.
			</para>
		</listitem>
	</varlistentry>
	<varlistentry>
		<term>-G <replaceable class="parameter">group</replaceable></term>
		<listitem>
			<para>
			Run as group <replaceable>group</replaceable> instead of the
			calling group.  <command>NOTE:</command> this requires substantial work
			to be sure that Asterisk's environment has permission to write
			the files required for its operation, including logs, its comm
			socket, the asterisk database, etc.
			</para>
		</listitem>
	</varlistentry>
	<varlistentry>
		<term>-h</term>
		<listitem>
			<para>
			Provide brief summary of command line arguments and terminate.
			</para>
		</listitem>
	</varlistentry>
	<varlistentry>
		<term>-i</term>
		<listitem>
			<para>
			Prompt user to intialize any encrypted private keys during startup.
			</para>
		</listitem>
	</varlistentry>
	<varlistentry>
		<term>-n</term>
		<listitem>
			<para>
			Disable ANSI colors even on terminals capable of displaying them.
			</para>
		</listitem>
	</varlistentry>
	<varlistentry>
		<term>-p</term>
		<listitem>
			<para>
			If supported by the operating system (and executing as root),
			attempt to run with realtime priority for increased performance and
			responsiveness within the Asterisk process, at the expense of other
			programs running on the same machine.
			</para>
		</listitem>
	</varlistentry>
	<varlistentry>
		<term>-q</term>
		<listitem>
			<para>
			Reduce default console output when running in conjunction with
			console mode (<command>-c</command>).
			</para>
		</listitem>
	</varlistentry>
	<varlistentry>
		<term>-r</term>
		<listitem>
			<para>
			Instead of running a new Asterisk process, attempt to connect
			to a running Asterisk process and provide a console interface
			for controlling it.
			</para>
		</listitem>
	</varlistentry>
	<varlistentry>
		<term>-R</term>
		<listitem>
			<para>
			Much like <command>-r</command>.  Instead of running a new Asterisk process, attempt to connect
			to a running Asterisk process and provide a console interface
			for controlling it. Additionally, if connection to the Asterisk 
			process is lost, attempt to reconnect for as long as 30 seconds.
			</para>
		</listitem>
	</varlistentry>
	<varlistentry>
		<term>-U <replaceable class="parameter">user</replaceable></term>
		<listitem>
			<para>
			Run as user <replaceable>user</replaceable> instead of the
			calling user.  <command>NOTE:</command> this requires substantial work
			to be sure that Asterisk's environment has permission to write
			the files required for its operation, including logs, its comm
			socket, the asterisk database, etc.
			</para>
		</listitem>
	</varlistentry>
	<varlistentry>
		<term>-v</term>
		<listitem>
			<para>
			Increase the level of verboseness on the console.  The more times
			<command>-v</command> is specified, the more verbose the output is.
			Specifying this option implies <command>-f</command> and will cause
			asterisk to no longer fork or detach from the controlling terminal.
			This option may also be used in conjunction with <command>-r</command>
			and <command>-R</command>
			</para>
		</listitem>
	</varlistentry>
	<varlistentry>
		<term>-V</term>
		<listitem>
			<para>
			Display version information and exit immediately.
			</para>
		</listitem>
	</varlistentry>
	<varlistentry>
		<term>-x <replaceable class="parameter">command</replaceable></term>
		<listitem>
			<para>
			Connect to a running Asterisk process and execute a command on
			a command line, passing any output through to standard out and
			then terminating when the command execution completes.  Implies
			<command>-r</command> when <command>-R</command> is not explicitly
			supplied.
			</para>
		</listitem>
	</varlistentry>
	</variablelist>
</refsect1>
<refsect1>
	<title>EXAMPLES</title>
	<para>
	<command>asterisk</command> - Begin Asterisk as a daemon
	</para>
	<para>
	<command>asterisk -vvvgc</command> - Run on controlling terminal
	</para>
	<para>
	<command>asterisk -rx "show channels"</command> - Display channels on running server
	</para>
</refsect1>
<refsect1>
	<title>BUGS</title>
	<para>
	Bug reports and feature requests may be filed at http://bugs.digium.com
	</para>
</refsect1>
<refsect1>
	<title>SEE ALSO</title>
	<para>
	*CLI&gt; <command>help</command> - Help on Asterisk CLI
	</para>
	<para>
	*CLI&gt; <command>show applications</command> - Show loaded applications
	</para>
	<para>
	http://www.asterisk.org - The Asterisk Home Page
	</para>
	<para>
	http://www.asteriskdocs.org - The Asterisk Documentation Project
	</para>
	<para>
	http://www.voip-info.org/wiki-Asterisk - The Asterisk Wiki
	</para>
	<para>
	http://www.digium.com/ - Asterisk sponsor and hardware supplier
	</para>
	<para>
	http://www.markocam.com/ - Asterisk author's web cam
	</para>
</refsect1>
<refsect1>
	<title>AUTHOR</title>
	<para>
	<author>
		<firstname>Mark Spencer &lt;markster@digium.com&gt;</firstname> 
	</author>
	</para>
	<para>
	<author>
		<firstname>Countless other contributers, see CREDITS with distribution for more information</firstname> 
	</author>
	</para>
</refsect1>
</refentry>
