For those of you not familiar with the product, AsteriskNOW is a free Linux install image (.iso file) that reduces the process of building an Asterisk-based system to “burn, boot and run”.  Simply download the .iso image, burn it to a CD, drop the CD into your soon-to-be Asterisk computer and boot.  The integrated installation process will ask a few basic questions, install Linux, Asterisk, the FreePBX GUI and all the other bits and pieces necessary to transform an ordinary PC into an extraordinary communications platform.

AsteriskNOW 1.5 accomplishes the same goal (easy-to-install Asterisk) as AsteriskNOW 1.0 did, but that’s where the similarity ends.  We’ve been collecting feedback from users since the launch of 1.0 and the changes in 1.5 reflect the general consensus.

CentOS Linux 5.2

We’ve replaced the original rPath Linux distribution with CentOS 5.2.  While rPath has some amazing capabilities its focus is on building fixed-function appliances, which makes it complex and sometimes awkward for end users to add packages or customize the system.  CentOS is an Enterprise-class Linux distribution derived from sources freely provided to the public by a prominent North American Enterprise Linux vendor.

Yum Package Management / Updates

With CentOS 5.2, the native ‘yum’ package management tool handles software updates and customizations, making AsteriskNOW 1.5 simple to manage.  Digium has launched its own yum software repository so updates to Asterisk, LibPRI, DAHDi and other core packages are as simple as “yum update asterisk”.  We’ve also drastically simplified the process of upgrading Asterisk.  Want to go from 1.4 (and associated packages) to 1.6 (and associated packages)?  No problem.  Install an upgrade package and the system will be reconfigured to run the latest stable version of 1.6.

Click Here to Continue Reading