[Asterisk-Dev] Asterisk + AstLinux testing images now available

[Kristian Kielhofner]

Hello everyone,

	A few days ago on *-dev I proposed the idea of making AstLinux images 
on a routine basis as a test platform for Asterisk.  The ultimate goal 
is to have a web driven interface (accessible to the public) where users 
can download the latest and greatest versions of Asterisk (HEAD, STABLE, 
and recently 1.2.0-beta*), apply optional patches from Mantis (or 
elsewhere), compile third party apps, BRIStuff, etc.  Possibly if only 
to see if it compiles, with the goal of creating AstLinux disk images 
and an ISO that can also be used as a live cd for testing or even (oh 
no!) production systems (don't do that)...

	The ultimate goal here is to reduce the problems commonly associated 
with testing, and to get more people to test Asterisk.  Just in time for 
1.2!!!  While I don't have the web interface, I have scripted my build 
system enough that it will (on a daily basis, or whenever):

- download and compile (hopefully) Asterisk, libpri, and zaptel
- create appropriate AstLinux images (net4801, geni586, live cd)
- upload them to my webserver for all to test and enjoy

	For now, it seems like it would be quite simple to even interface to 
the asterisk-cvs mailing list and automatically checkout and build 
asterisk, etc. as soon as patches go in.  (There would be a ~20 min. 
delay, but it would still be beneficial).

	And now, onto the images:

http://build.astlinux.org

	Here is the naming convention of the file names, with a sample:

AstLinux-08282005-CVS-HEAD-05-47-27-sc1100a.img.gz

This is AstLinux, with CVS HEAD checked out on August 08, 2005 at 
5:47:27 (that's with seconds, in UTC), and it has been compiled for the 
SC1100 based single board family of computers (Soekris Net4801, PC 
Engines WRAP, RouterBoard, etc).

AstLinux-08282005-CVS-HEAD-06-40-57-geni586a.img.gz

This is practically the same thing, checked out almost an hour later, 
and it has been compiled for i586 and higher machines (generic PC hardware).

	As I mentioned there is also an ISO with a very long filename that 
includes the above images, and can be used as a live cd for testing. 
Once I get the booting from USB in the 2.6 kernel working again, the 
i586 image will also boot quite nicely from a USB key/thumb drive.

P.S. - I probably won't turn on the "automatic build" until sometime 
next week, please test these images and make sure they work before I 
start cranking out images every 15 minutes when Kevin submits a patch! :)

-- 
Kristian Kielhofner