[Asterisk-Users] Linux Distribution for Asterisk server use

[Tzafrir Cohen]

Hi

On Sun, Jul 03, 2005 at 08:45:05AM +0200, TWV wrote:
> Hello,
> 

Disclaimer: I'm a Debian fan and also maintain a small Debian derivative
distro specilized for Linux.

>  
> 
> My question is about which Linux distribution to choose for Asterisk. (/me
> holds breath)  OK, hopefully you're still reading, because whatever you were
> thinking now, you're thinking wrong! ;)
> 
> First of all, I want to make clear that I have read EVERY message and reply
> that I could possibly find about this topic, so that includes the dozens of
> messages here on the Asterisk mailinglists, on the Digum forum, and even
> Google search results!
> 
>  
> 
> Still, my question was not answered!  Mainly because the same answer always
> came back: "Use the one you are most comfortable with".  Well, I already
> knew that (linux is linux), but it doesn't apply to my situation at all!

Linux distros are not that different from one another. Why do you want a
recommendation for a specific distro? The base is quite the same.

BTW: why limit yourself to Limux only? I believe Asterisk/zaptel will
run on FreeBSD as well (Not sure about Open/NetBSD).

Familiarity with the distro will save you a lot of time.

> 
>  
> 
> Let's make things clear and concrete now:
> 
> In my professional life, I work as a windows system & network administrator
> and as a developer on the .NET platform, and have a long and extensive
> experience with telecom and VoIP.  Working for a telecom company, I now have
> accepted the challenge to extend our offering with Asterisk.  

[breaking the paragraph, so readers can take some air]

> During the
> past 6 months, I have learned as much as I possibly could about the Asterisk
> PBX, successfully set up a complete test environment, developed IVR systems,
> and now we feel the time is right to put these services into production.
> BUT, before we can go live, one important problem remains: as I said, I am a
> Windows guy, I have a VERY profound knowledge of Windows and manage almost
> 20 Windows 2003 Servers that run mission-critical applications on a 365/24/7
> basis, and support a large number of Windows applications and Web services
> (some of the applications I have developed are used by more than 25000 users
> every day!)  

[ readers: breathe again ]

> Why am I telling this?  Well, because I want to make it clear
> that I am perfectly happy with my platform/OS (windows), and have no intent
> whatsoever to ever change servers or application platforms to linux (let
> alone my workstation).  What's more, I have NEVER come in to contact with
> linux/unix before, so I have never worked with ANY distribution.
> 

Fine. Therefore there's no specific linux distro you're familiar with.

>  
> 
> Having explained all this, it should sound logical that I chose the
> AsteriskWin32 version for learning Asterisk.  Of course, I realize that we
> can't put any production system on AsteriskWin32.  So before we can go live
> with Asterisk servers and services, this last issue remains to be resolved:
> what Linux distribution should I choose (and learn)?

I'm not familiar enough with AsteriskWin32, but I'm not sure if it will
actually save you more grieff that it will give you.
I doubt it if it will save you much. If you have a spare computer, a
simple linux distribution will not be some complicated to get started.
Linux distros do a good job at providing the rest of the required
components.

We created our distro (http://www.xorcom.com/rapid ) also for people
with no Linux exprince. I don't believe you need to start messing with a
compiler just to have a functioning Asterisk system.

Part of what I like with Linux, and with Debian in particular, is that
the distro automates most of the necessary procedures you would have
normally done by hand and thus prevents you from doing them wrongly.

It takes extra effort to build a package that adhares to the Debian
Policy, but eventually it pays off, as you have another package that
play along nicely with the rest of your system. When you create a
software you tend think about your package only. The Debian Policy
forces you to think about the rest of the system.

Anyway, this applies for using Debian with the pre-built packages (and
perhaps with your own tweaks to them) rather than with a an installation
from /usr/src . 

> 
> As I explained, I see Linux merely as a "necessary evil" (because of my lack
> of knowledge) for running Asterisk.  So I'm asking about the best linux
> distribution only to put up asterisk servers.  I'm NOT asking for the
> easiest one or so (I always enjoy challenges and learning new things), 

Have it your way, then, :-p 

  http://www.linuxfromscratch.org/

> I'm
> asking for the best choice to build a carrier grade telecom system, having
> to support thousands of users each and every day.  So it must be reliable
> and easy to maintain and upgrade.  We are going to use Asterisk in our own
> datacenters (supporting nation-wide services), as well as in servers that we
> sell to corporations and callcenters for use as an advanced PBX/CTI system).

If you need to upgrade more than one box, I'd say that binary packages
(from the distro or ones you build) are definetly the way to go, as they
make testing updates much easier.

BTW: which other distros have pre-built packages?

* I heard something about FreeBSD ports
* Packages for Fedora were mentioned a number of monthes ago. 
* I saw recently in the developers list that someone's working on Mandrake 
  packages. 
* There's supposed to be a Gentoo ebuild, and it was reffred to as
  "ancient" by someone on the IRC.
* The Ubuntu/universe packages seem to be older copies of the pakcages from
  Debian/unstable.

Anyway we (Xorcom) will try to keep in line with Sarge for a while and
progress with Asterisk.

-- 
Tzafrir Cohen         | tzafrir at jbr.cohens.org.il | VIM is
http://tzafrir.org.il |                           | a Mutt's  
tzafrir at cohens.org.il |                           |  best
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