[asterisk-users] Force a new user to configure Comedian mail?

[Dave Fullerton]

Jeremy Wadhams wrote:
> In Asterisk 1.4, is there any way to "force" new users to configure
> their mailbox?  I'm thinking a simple IVR that holds a user's hand
> through changing their PIN, recording their name, and setting up one or
> both greetings, the very first time they use the account.
>  
> I know I can publish docs that tell them how to use the "0" menu and do
> this by hand... but users are lazy and resent documentation.
>  
> Thanks!
> Jeremy Wadhams
> Yahoo Inc

In the sample voicemail.conf file you should find this section:

forcename=yes ; Forces a new user to record their name.  A new user is
               ;     determined by the password being the same as
               ;     the mailbox number.  The default is "no".
forcegreetings=yes ; This is the same as forcename, except for recording
                    ;     greetings.  The default is "no".

If these are set to yes and the user's voicemail password is set to 
their mailbox number, then the next time they enter the voicemail box it 
will ask them to record their name, greetings and change their password. 
NOTE!!!! Make sure you tell them NOT to set their new password to their 
extension when they reset it. They will end up going through all these 
steps the next time they enter their mailbox :) I forgot to tell a 
couple users this and I got a call asking why they had to record their 
greetings every time they went into their voicemail.

-Dave