<refentry>
<refentryinfo>
	<date>2010-08-03</date>
</refentryinfo>
<refmeta>
	<refentrytitle>
		<application>asterisk</application>
	</refentrytitle>
	<manvolnum>8</manvolnum>
	<refmiscinfo>asterisk 1.6</refmiscinfo>
</refmeta>
<refnamediv>
	<refname>
		<application>asterisk</application>
	</refname>
	<refpurpose>
	All-purpose telephony server.
	</refpurpose>
</refnamediv>
<refsynopsisdiv>
	<cmdsynopsis>
	<command>asterisk</command>
<arg><option>-BcdfFghiImnpqRtTvVW</option></arg>
<arg><option>-C </option><replaceable class="parameter">file</replaceable></arg>
<arg><option>-e </option><replaceable class="parameter">memory</replaceable></arg>
<arg><option>-G </option><replaceable class="parameter">group</replaceable></arg>
<arg><option>-L </option><replaceable class="parameter">loadaverage</replaceable></arg>
<arg><option>-M </option><replaceable class="parameter">value</replaceable></arg>
<arg><option>-U </option><replaceable class="parameter">user</replaceable></arg>
<arg><option>-s </option><replaceable class="parameter">socket-file</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>2010-08-03</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, IAX2, MGCP, Skinny,
	H.323, Unistim) 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>
	At start, Asterisk reads the /etc/asterisk/asterisk.conf main configuration
	file and locates the rest of the configuration files from the configuration
	in that file. The -C option specifies an alternate main configuration file.
	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>
	<para>
	Asterisk is a trademark of Digium, Inc.
	</para>
</refsect1>
<refsect1>
	<title>OPTIONS</title>
	<variablelist>
	<varlistentry>
		<term>-B</term>
		<listitem>
			<para>
			Force the background of the terminal to be black, in order for
			terminal colors to show up properly.
			</para>
		</listitem>
	</varlistentry>
	<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>
			<para>
			Note: This always sets the debug level in the asterisk process,
			even if it is running in the background. This may affect the size
			of your log files, if the debug level is specified in logger.conf.
			</para>
		</listitem>
	</varlistentry>
	<varlistentry>
		<term>-e <replaceable class="parameter">memory</replaceable></term>
		<listitem>
			<para>
			Limit the generation of new channels when the amount of free memory has decreased to under <replaceable>memory</replaceable> megabytes.
			</para>
		</listitem>
	</varlistentry>
	<varlistentry>
		<term>-f</term>
		<listitem>
			<para>
			Do not fork or detach from controlling terminal.  Overrides any preceding specification of <command>-F</command> on the command line.
			</para>
		</listitem>
	</varlistentry>
	<varlistentry>
		<term>-F</term>
		<listitem>
			<para>
			Always fork and detach from controlling terminal.  Overrides any preceding specification of <command>-f</command> on the command line.
			</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 for IAX2
			secure authentication during startup.
			</para>
		</listitem>
	</varlistentry>
	<varlistentry>
		<term>-I</term>
		<listitem>
			<para>
			Enable internal timing if DAHDI timing is available.
			The default behaviour is that outbound packets are phase locked
			to inbound packets. Enabling this switch causes them to be
			locked to the internal DAHDI timer instead.
			</para>
		</listitem>
	</varlistentry>
	<varlistentry>
		<term>-L <replaceable class="parameter">loadaverage</replaceable></term>
		<listitem>
			<para>
			Limits the maximum load average before rejecting new calls.  This can
			be useful to prevent a system from being brought down by terminating
			too many simultaneous calls.
			</para>
		</listitem>
	</varlistentry>
	<varlistentry>
		<term>-m</term>
		<listitem>
			<para>
			Temporarily mutes output to the console and logs.  To return to normal,
			use <command>logger mute</command>.
			</para>
		</listitem>
	</varlistentry>
	<varlistentry>
		<term>-M <replaceable class="parameter">value</replaceable></term>
		<listitem>
			<para>
			Limits the maximum number of calls to the specified value.  This can
			be useful to prevent a system from being brought down by terminating
			too many simultaneous calls.
			</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>
			<para>
			Note: <command>astcanary</command> will run concurrently with
			<command>asterisk</command>. If <command>astcanary</command> stops
			running or is killed, <command>asterisk</command> will slow down to
			normal process priority, to avoid locking up the 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>-s <replaceable class="parameter">socket file name</replaceable></term>
		<listitem>
			<para>
			In combination with <command>-r</command>, connect directly to a specified
			Asterisk server socket.
			</para>
		</listitem>
	</varlistentry>
	<varlistentry>
		<term>-t</term>
		<listitem>
			<para>
			When recording files, write them first into a temporary holding directory, 
			then move them into the final location when done.
			</para>
		</listitem>
	</varlistentry>
	<varlistentry>
		<term>-T</term>
		<listitem>
			<para>
			Add timestamp to all non-command related output going to the console
			when running with verbose and/or logging to the console.
			</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>
			<para>
			Note: This always sets the verbose level in the asterisk process,
			even if it is running in the background. This will affect the size
			of your log files.
			</para>
		</listitem>
	</varlistentry>
	<varlistentry>
		<term>-V</term>
		<listitem>
			<para>
			Display version information and exit immediately.
			</para>
		</listitem>
	</varlistentry>
	<varlistentry>
		<term>-W</term>
		<listitem>
			<para>
			Display colored terminal text as if the background were white
			or otherwise light in color.  Normally, terminal text is displayed
			as if the background were black or otherwise dark in color.
			</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 "core show channels"</command> - Display channels on running server
	</para>
</refsect1>
<refsect1>
	<title>BUGS</title>
	<para>
	Bug reports and feature requests may be filed at https://issues.asterisk.org
	</para>
</refsect1>
<refsect1>
	<title>SEE ALSO</title>
	<para>
	*CLI&gt; <command>help</command> - Help on Asterisk CLI
	</para>
	<para>
	*CLI&gt; <command>core show applications</command> - Show loaded dialplan applications
	</para>
	<para>
	*CLI&gt; <command>core show functions</command> - Show loaded dialplan functions
	</para>
	<para>
	*CLI&gt; <command>dialplan show</command> - Show current dialplan
	</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>
</refsect1>
<refsect1>
	<title>AUTHOR</title>
	<para>
	<author>
		<firstname>Mark Spencer &lt;markster@digium.com&gt;</firstname> 
	</author>
	</para>
	<para>
	<author>
		<firstname>Countless other contributors, see CREDITS with distribution for more information.</firstname> 
	</author>
	</para>
</refsect1>
</refentry>
