There are two ways to connect to an Asterisk console, either a foreground console when starting the Asterisk process or by connecting to a remote console after Asterisk is already running.
Connecting to a foreground console
This is as simple as passing the -c
flag when starting Asterisk.
-c Provide a control console on the calling terminal. The console is similar to the remote console provided by -r. Specifying this option implies -f and will cause asterisk to no longer fork or detach from the controlling terminal. Equivalent to console = yes in asterisk.conf.
When working on a foreground console, you won't be able to exit
, instead you'll have to stop Asterisk to return to the Linux shell. Most people will use a remote console when performing administration tasks.
After Asterisk has finished loading, you'll see the default CLI prompt. The text "server" will be replaced with your system's hostname.
server*CLI>
Connecting to a remote console
Connecting to a remote console using the -r
or -R
flags.
-r Instead of running a new Asterisk process, attempt to connect to a running Asterisk process and provide a console interface for controlling it. -R Much like -r. Instead of running a new Asterisk process, attempt to connect to a running Asterisk process and provide a console interface for controlling it. Additionally, if connection to the Asterisk process is lost, attempt to reconnect for as long as 30 seconds.
To exit a remote console, simply type 'quit' or 'exit'. Please note that you can differentiate between a remote console and a foreground Asterisk console, as 'quit' or 'exit' will not function on the main console, which prevents an accidental shutdown of the daemon. If you would like to shutdown the Asterisk daemon from a remote console, there are various commands available.