I can't help you two much with configuration of linux, but as to the call question. You will need some route for the server to be capable of sending/receiving calls. There is a couple of ways to do this cheaply.
Buy a standard telephone modem (usb, pci, or serial). And plug into wall a jack. This will only allow you one call at a time. But if this is just a proof of concept that sounds like it will be plenty. Your number would be whatever the phone jack corresponds to. Integrate it with something like skype. Buy one of the products similar to a magic jack which will work with linux. Or if you know someone who has a sip server already running. And is amiable to letting you piggy back off of it. Your phone number would point to that person's Server (be it one of the friends that the person is lending you, or a number that you have forwarded/ported at/to them) with it set to forward to your asterisk server. from there you could use your dialplan to do whatever you wanted it to. And for outbound you would send the calls out thru the friends server via sip or iax. James Shigley Monroe Telephone Answering Service 409-981-9213 Infinity 5.51,UC 4.02.3803, Blink 3.0.104 Ecreator:2.21, eResponse 1.1.7 Webportal,WebApps, CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This email, including any attachments, contains information which may be confidential or privileged. The information =is intended to be for the use of the individual or entity named above. If you are not the intended recipient, be aware that any disclosure, copying, distribution or use of the contents of this information is prohibited. If you have received this email in error, please notify the sender immediately by "reply to sender only" message and destroy all electronic and hard copies of the communication, including attachments. -----Original Message----- From: asterisk-users-boun...@lists.digium.com [mailto:asterisk-users-boun...@lists.digium.com] On Behalf Of UIT DEVELOPMENT Sent: Tuesday, January 05, 2010 1:54 PM To: Asterisk Users Mailing List - Non-Commercial Discussion Subject: [asterisk-users] Really Silly Question From Total Newbie ......................... My main question is: CAN I make call from that box to my cell phone using a soft-phone? If so, how can I do that? Also, can I use my cell phone to call into that box? I dont know if I have to get a phone number, or do I NEED a phone number? At the moment, I do not have any dollars to throw at this project. Its purely for learning, proof of concept sort of thing for myself on my spare time in the evenings. I would simply like to be able to call out and be able to call into that box. Later on down the road maybe I will get into setting up an IVR using a database so I can call into that system from wherever and get information read back to me. But, first things first.... I'd like to know if I am heading down the wrong path here. ........................... _______________________________________________ -- Bandwidth and Colocation Provided by http://www.api-digital.com -- asterisk-users mailing list To UNSUBSCRIBE or update options visit: http://lists.digium.com/mailman/listinfo/asterisk-users _______________________________________________ -- Bandwidth and Colocation Provided by http://www.api-digital.com -- asterisk-users mailing list To UNSUBSCRIBE or update options visit: http://lists.digium.com/mailman/listinfo/asterisk-users