OK, enough theory. Open up the file /etc/asterisk/extensions.conf, and let’s take a
look at your first dialplan (which was created in Chapter 5, User Device Configuration). We’re going to add to that.
As is typical in many technology books (especially computer programming books), our first example is called “Hello World!”
In the first priority of our
extension, we answer the call. In the second, we play a sound file named
hello-world, and in the third we
hang up the call. The code we are interested in for this example looks
like this:
exten => 200,1,Answer() same => n,Playback(hello-world) same => n,Hangup()
If you followed along in Chapter 5, User Device Configuration, you’ll already have a channel or two
configured, as well as the sample dialplan that contains this code. If
not, what you need is an extensions.conf file in your /etc/asterisk/ directory that contains the
following code:
[LocalSets] ; this is the context name exten => 100,1,Dial(SIP/0000FFFF0001) ; Replace 0000FFFF0001 with your device name exten => 101,1,Dial(SIP/0000FFFF0002) ; Replace 0000FFFF0002 with your device name exten => 200,1,Answer() same => n,Playback(hello-world) same => n,Hangup()
If you don’t have any channels configured, now is the time to do so. There is real satisfaction that comes from passing your first call into an Asterisk dialplan on a system that you’ve built from scratch. People get this funny grin on their faces as they realize that they have just created a telephone system. This pleasure can be yours as well, so please, don’t go any further until you have made this little bit of dialplan work. If you have any problems, get back to Chapter 5, User Device Configuration and work through the examples there.
If you don’t have this dialplan code built yet, you’ll need to add it and reload the dialplan with this CLI command:
*CLI>dialplan reload
$sudo /usr/sbin/asterisk -rx "dialplan reload"
Calling extension 200 from either of your configured phones should reward you with the voice of Allison Smith saying “Hello World.”
If it doesn’t work, check the
Asterisk console for error messages, and make sure your channels are
assigned to the LocalSets
context.
We do not recommend that you move forward in this book until you have verified the following:
Even though this example is very short and simple, it emphasizes the core concepts of contexts, extensions, priorities, and applications. You now have the fundamental knowledge on which all dialplans are built.