Asterisk is…
an Open Source software development project
written in the C Programming Language
powering Business Telephone Systems
connecting many different Telephony protocols
a toolkit for building many things:
- an IP PBX with many powerful features and applications
- VoIP Gateways
- Conferencing systems
- and much, much more
YouTube Videos
Systm 5 Episode on Asterisk (from 2006 - see Asterisk Wiki for current installation instructions)
Resources for understanding
Acronyms and Terminology
Telecom Acronyms (very comprehensive)
Telephony Protocols
Linux & Unix
Installing and Configuring Asterisk
Asterisk: The Definitive Guide 3rd Edition
C Programming
Where to get help
Email Lists and Live Chat (IRC)
Web Discussion Forums
Online Community
Voip Users Conference main site and on Google+
Avoiding obsolete or incorrect information
When reading about Asterisk on the web, you may come across old or incorrect information.
Check which version of Asterisk is mentioned. There are significant changes in every version.
Check the published date of the article if the Asterisk version isn’t provided.
Take things with a grain of salt until checked with another resource or proven correct through your own testing.
Refer to the Asterisk Wiki and the Official Asterisk Youtube Channel for the most accurate and up to date details on the specific version of Asterisk you are using.
Please note that it is always possible that even the official documentation does not match what is written into the source code itself. If you find something lacking or incorrect in the Asterisk documentation, please communicate it through comments on the Asterisk Wiki or by filing an issue through the Asterisk Issues Tracker .