FreePBX
{{Short description|Open-source graphical user interface}}
{{Infobox software
| name = FreePBX
| logo = FreePBX Logo.png
| logo alt = FreePBX logo
| screenshot = FreePBX 17 screenshot.webp
| screenshot alt = Screenshot of the FreePBX 17 dashboard
| caption = Screenshot of the FreePBX 17 dashboard
| author = Coalescent Systems
Schmooze Com Inc
| developer = FreePBX Project
Sangoma Technologies Corporation
| released = {{Start date and age|2004|10|15}}
| latest release version = {{wikidata|property|preferred|references|edit|Q5499659|P348|P548=Q2804309}}
| latest release date = {{wikidata|qualifier|preferred|single|Q5499659|P348|P548=Q2804309|P577}}
| operating system = Debian Linux (officially supported), Linux, FreeBSD
| replaces = Asterisk Management Portal (AMP)
| platform = PHP, JavaScript, Shell script
| language = Brazilian Portuguese, Bulgarian, Czech, Chinese, English (US), English (UK), French, German, Hebrew, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Persian, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Ukrainian, Vietnamese
| language count = 22
| license = AGPL v3 and GPL v3
| qid = Q5499659
| repo = https://github.com/FreePBX
| website = https://www.freepbx.org/
}}
FreePBX is a web-based open-source graphical user interface (GUI) that manages Asterisk, a voice over IP (VoIP) and telephony server.{{cite book|last3=Madsen|first3=Leif|title=Asterisk: The Definitive Guide|year=2013|publisher=O'Reilly Media|isbn=978-1-4493-3242-6|page=800|url=https://shop.oreilly.com/product/0636920025894.do|edition=4th|first2=Jim|last2=Van Meggelen|first1=Russell|last1=Bryant|quote=FreePBX, the juggernaut of the Asterisk community. This interface (which is at the heart of many of the most popular Asterisk distributions, such as AsteriskNOW, Elastix, the FreePBX Distro, and PBX in a Flash), is unarguably a very large part of why Asterisk has been as successful as it has. With the FreePBX interface, you can configure and manage many aspects of an Asterisk system without touching a single configuration file. While we purists may like everyone to work only with the config files, we recognize that for many, learning Linux and editing these files by hand is simply not going to happen. For those folks, there is FreePBX, and it has our respect for the important contributions it has made to the success of Asterisk.}}
FreePBX is licensed under the GNU General Public License version 3,{{cite web|url=https://www.openhub.net/p/freepbx|title=FreePBX project in OpenHub|publisher=BlackDuck|access-date=2016-08-29}} with commercial modules available under their own licenses.
FreePBX is a component of the now discontinued FreePBX Distro, released by the FreePBX project, which was a maintained Linux system derived from the source code of the CentOS distribution with all components needed, including Asterisk, pre-installed and released as a turnkey distribution.
FreePBX is included in other open source distributions such as AsteriskNOW, Elastix and RasPBX. PBXact is a commercially supported offering from Sangoma that is based on FreePBX.
FreePBX is maintained by a community of developers and contributors using the GitHub platform.{{cite web|url=https://github.com/FreePBX|title=FreePBX|publisher=GitHub|access-date=2024-06-30}} The slogan for FreePBX is "Let Freedom Ring". The mascot for FreePBX, as seen in the logo, is Tango the frog.{{cite web |first=Crisy Meschieri| last=Dyment |title=FreePBX Logo and Character Redesign |url=https://www.behance.net/gallery/98188211/FreePBX-Logo-and-Character-Redesign |website=Behance |access-date=13 August 2024 |date=2 June 2020}}
History
FreePBX was initially released as the Asterisk Management Portal (AMP), version 1.10.002. This was originally created by Coalescent Systems and was a simple database that wrote configuration files for Asterisk to use.{{Cite web|url=https://www.freepbx.org/freepbx-yesterday-today-and-tomorrow/|title=FreePBX Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow|website=FreePBX Blog|publisher=FreePBX|language=en|date=2015-01-07|access-date=2024-08-05|first=Preston|last=McNair}}
The project was renamed to freePBX (later FreePBX) at version 2.0 for trademark reasons, as Asterisk was a registered trademark of the Digium corporation at the time (Digium is now also a subsidiary of Sangoma Technologies Corporation).
FreePBX was acquired by Schmooze Com Inc on February 22, 2013.{{cite web|url=http://blog.schmoozecom.com/post/43758468959/schmooze-com-acquires-freepbx-sipstation|title=Schmooze Com Acquires FreePBX & SIPSTATION|date=2013-02-22|access-date=2024-08-05|publisher=Schmooze Com|language=en}}
Schmooze Com Inc was acquired by Sangoma Technologies Corporation on Jan 2, 2015.{{Cite web|url=https://www.sangoma.com/press-release/sangoma-completes-acquisition-two-businesses/|title=Sangoma Completes the Acquisition of Two Businesses|archive-date=2024-06-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240629224139/https://sangoma.com/press-release/sangoma-completes-acquisition-two-businesses/|url-status=dead|website=Sangoma Technologies|language=en|date=2015-01-02|access-date=2024-08-05}}
Installation
FreePBX 17 is officially supported on Debian Linux. It is installed by using a bash script downloaded from the website on a freshly installed copy of Debian 12. The script installs all of the necessary prerequisites needed for FreePBX to run, including Asterisk. The software is also offered stand-alone and can be installed on a Linux distribution of choice, however, this requires installing all the prerequisites and Asterisk manually.
FreePBX up to version 16 can be installed as stand-alone software or as part of the pre-configured FreePBX Distro that includes the CentOS Linux operating system, the Asterisk PBX, FreePBX and necessary prerequisites.{{cite book|first1=David|last1=Merel|first2=Barrie|last2=Dempster|first3=David|last3=Gomillion|title=Asterisk 1.6: build feature-rich telephony systems with Asterisk|year=2009|publisher=Packt Publishing|publication-place=Birmingham, UK|publication-date=2009|isbn=978-1-8471-9863-1|quote="Making Asterisk Easy to Manage; CentOS; Preparation and installation; What is FreePBX?; FreePBX preparation and installation; FreePBX System Status Dashboard; Tools"}} Due to CentOS Linux being discontinued and the last supported version of CentOS 7 going out of support on June 30, 2024, FreePBX will no longer be providing a pre-configured FreePBX Distro. In-place upgrade/migration is not possible, but can be achieved by restoring a backup on the new version from the previous version.{{Cite web|url=https://www.freepbx.org/freepbx-17-beta-release-and-debian-future/|title=FreePBX 17 Beta and the Future with Debian|website=FreePBX Blog|publisher=FreePBX|language=en|date=2023-12-06|access-date=2024-05-17|first=Nenad|last=Corbic}} This move allows FreePBX to be run on a modern, secure and supported operating system. FreePBX 16 will be supported until the release of FreePBX 18 - FreePBX on this distribution will still work and be supported, however, there will be no further support for the underlying operating system.
Development
FreePBX is written in PHP, JavaScript and shell script and uses the LAMP stack.{{cite web|url=https://github.com/FreePBX/core#readme|title=FreePBX ReadMe|publisher=FreePBX|access-date=2022-01-09}} New releases of Asterisk have been accommodated by various updates to FreePBX. Updates have included new modules and support for additional capabilities such as voicemail, calling queues, fax, multiple languages, DAHDI and a local user directory.
FreePBX maintain the currently released version and the previous release behind this.{{Cite web|url=https://community.freepbx.org/t/freepbx-distro-support-timelines/84554|title=FreePBX distro support timelines|website=FreePBX Community Forums|language=en|date=2022-07-22|access-date=2024-06-29}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.freepbx.org/eol-notice-for-freepbx-13-and-14/|title=EOL Notice for FreePBX 13 and 14|website=FreePBX Blog|publisher=FreePBX|language=en|date=2022-11-02|access-date=2024-06-30|first=Lorne|last=Gaetz}} When a new version is released, the oldest supported version becomes end of life at the same time.
Version History
class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"
|+ class=nowrap|AMP Version History | ||
Version | Release Date | Features |
---|---|---|
style="background:#fdb3ab;color:black;" | 1.10.002 | 2004-10-15 | Initial release as Asterisk Management Portal (AMP){{cite web|url=http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=121515&package_id=132595|title=SourceForge.net: Files|archive-date=2007-10-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071008214651/http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=121515&package_id=132595|url-status=dead|language=en|access-date=2024-06-30}}
See [https://web.archive.org/web/20070124143113/http://sourceforge.net/project/shownotes.php?release_id=371924&group_id=121515 release notes] for features |
style="background:#fdb3ab;color:black;" | 1.10.003 | 2004-10-27 | See [https://web.archive.org/web/20070124143113/http://sourceforge.net/project/shownotes.php?release_id=371924&group_id=121515 release notes] for features |
style="background:#fdb3ab;color:black;" | 1.10.003a | 2004-10-29 | See [https://web.archive.org/web/20070124143113/http://sourceforge.net/project/shownotes.php?release_id=371924&group_id=121515 release notes] for features |
style="background:#fdb3ab;color:black;" | 1.10.004 | 2004-12-22 | See [https://web.archive.org/web/20070124143113/http://sourceforge.net/project/shownotes.php?release_id=371924&group_id=121515 release notes] for features |
style="background:#fdb3ab;color:black;" | 1.10.005 | 2004-12-28 | See [https://web.archive.org/web/20070124143113/http://sourceforge.net/project/shownotes.php?release_id=371924&group_id=121515 release notes] for features |
style="background:#fdb3ab;color:black;" | 1.10.006 | 2005-01-26 | See [https://web.archive.org/web/20070124143113/http://sourceforge.net/project/shownotes.php?release_id=371924&group_id=121515 release notes] for features |
style="background:#fdb3ab;color:black;" | 1.10.007 | 2005-03-28 | See [https://web.archive.org/web/20070124143113/http://sourceforge.net/project/shownotes.php?release_id=371924&group_id=121515 release notes] for features |
style="background:#fdb3ab;color:black;" | 1.10.007a | 2005-03-28 | See [https://web.archive.org/web/20070124143113/http://sourceforge.net/project/shownotes.php?release_id=371924&group_id=121515 release notes] for features |
style="background:#fdb3ab;color:black;" | 1.10.008 | 2005-05-25 | See [https://web.archive.org/web/20070124143113/http://sourceforge.net/project/shownotes.php?release_id=371924&group_id=121515 release notes] for features |
style="background:#fdb3ab;color:black;" | 1.10.009 | 2005-09-09 | See [https://web.archive.org/web/20070124143113/http://sourceforge.net/project/shownotes.php?release_id=371924&group_id=121515 release notes] for features |
style="background:#fdb3ab;color:black;" | 1.10.010 | 2005-11-18 | Final AMP release
See [https://web.archive.org/web/20070124143113/http://sourceforge.net/project/shownotes.php?release_id=371924&group_id=121515 release notes] for features |
colspan=3|Legend: {{legend2|#fdb3ab|Older version, unsupported|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}} |
class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"
|+ class=nowrap|FreePBX Version History | ||
Version | Release Date | Features |
---|---|---|
style="background:#fdb3ab;color:black;" | 2.0.0 | 2006-03-17 | Initial release as FreePBX
See [https://web.archive.org/web/20090109182539/http://www.freepbx.org/trac/browser/freepbx/branches/2.3/CHANGES release notes] for features |
style="background:#fdb3ab;color:black;" | 2.0.1 | 2006-03-17 | See [https://web.archive.org/web/20090109182539/http://www.freepbx.org/trac/browser/freepbx/branches/2.3/CHANGES release notes] for features |
style="background:#fdb3ab;color:black;" | 2.1.0 | 2006-05-15 | See [https://web.archive.org/web/20090109182539/http://www.freepbx.org/trac/browser/freepbx/branches/2.3/CHANGES release notes] for features |
style="background:#fdb3ab;color:black;" | 2.1.1 | 2006-05-30 | See [https://web.archive.org/web/20090109182539/http://www.freepbx.org/trac/browser/freepbx/branches/2.3/CHANGES release notes] for features |
style="background:#fdb3ab;color:black;" | 2.1.2 | 2006-09-14 | See [https://web.archive.org/web/20090109182539/http://www.freepbx.org/trac/browser/freepbx/branches/2.3/CHANGES release notes] for features |
style="background:#fdb3ab;color:black;" | 2.1.3 | 2006-09-25 | See [https://web.archive.org/web/20090109182539/http://www.freepbx.org/trac/browser/freepbx/branches/2.3/CHANGES release notes] for features |
style="background:#fdb3ab;color:black;" | 2.2.0 | 2007-01-05 | See [https://web.archive.org/web/20090109182539/http://www.freepbx.org/trac/browser/freepbx/branches/2.3/CHANGES release notes] for features |
style="background:#fdb3ab;color:black;" | 2.2.1 | 2007-02-06 | See [https://web.archive.org/web/20090109182539/http://www.freepbx.org/trac/browser/freepbx/branches/2.3/CHANGES release notes] for features |
style="background:#fdb3ab;color:black;" | 2.2.2 | 2007-06-08 | See [https://web.archive.org/web/20090109182539/http://www.freepbx.org/trac/browser/freepbx/branches/2.3/CHANGES release notes] for features |
style="background:#fdb3ab;color:black;" | 2.2.3 | 2007-07-18 | See [https://web.archive.org/web/20090109182539/http://www.freepbx.org/trac/browser/freepbx/branches/2.3/CHANGES release notes] for features. |
style="background:#fdb3ab;color:black;" | 2.3.0 | 2007-08-24 | See [https://web.archive.org/web/20090109182539/http://www.freepbx.org/trac/browser/freepbx/branches/2.3/CHANGES release notes] for features |
style="background:#fdb3ab;color:black;" | 2.3.1 | 2007-10-22{{cite web|url=http://www.freepbx.org/news/2007-10-22/freepbx-2-3-1-maintenance-release|title=FreePBX 2.3.1 Maintenance Release|publisher=FreePBX|access-date=2024-06-30|date=2007-10-22|archive-date=2007-10-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071026150738/http://www.freepbx.org/news/2007-10-22/freepbx-2-3-1-maintenance-release|url-status=dead|first=Philippe|last=Lindheimer}} | See [https://web.archive.org/web/20090109182539/http://www.freepbx.org/trac/browser/freepbx/branches/2.3/CHANGES release notes] for features |
style="background:#fdb3ab;color:black;" | 2.4.0 | 2008-02-10 | * Support for Asterisk 1.2, 1.4 and 1.6
|
style="background:#fdb3ab;color:black;" | 2.5 | 2008-09-19{{cite web|url=http://www.freepbx.org/trac/milestone/2.5|title=Milestone 2.5 - FreePBX - Trac|publisher=FreePBX|access-date=2024-06-30|date=2008-09-19|archive-date=2008-12-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081224004656/http://www.freepbx.org/trac/milestone/2.5|url-status=dead|language=en}} | See [https://web.archive.org/web/20081224004656/http://www.freepbx.org/trac/milestone/2.5 milestone] for features |
style="background:#fdb3ab;color:black;" | 2.6 | 2009-10-27 | * Added 'extended' module repository
|
style="background:#fdb3ab;color:black;" | 2.7 | 2010-03-01 | * New Fax module and improvements to underlying fax mechanism
|
style="background:#fdb3ab;color:black;" | 2.8 | 2010-07-13 | * Support for Asterisk 1.4 and 1.6+
|
style="background:#fdb3ab;color:black;" | 2.9 | 2011-05-08 | * Support for Asterisk 1.4, 1.6.2 and 1.8
|
style="background:#fdb3ab;color:black;" | 2.10 | 2012-02-29 | * Support for Asterisk 1.6, 1.8 and 1.10
|
style="background:#fdb3ab;color:black;" | 2.11 | 2013-05-14 | * Adds support for Asterisk 11
|
style="background:#fdb3ab;color:black;" | 12 | 2014-10-30 | * Moved to single version number
|
style="background:#fdb3ab;color:black;" | 13 | 2016-01-06{{Cite web|url=https://www.freepbx.org/happy-new-year-freepbx-13-out-of-rc/|title=Happy New Year, FreePBX 13 out of RC|website=FreePBX Blog|publisher=FreePBX|language=en|date=2016-01-06|access-date=2024-06-30|first=James|last=Finstrom}} | * Expanded localization support for audio and sound files
|
style="background:#fdb3ab;color:black;" | 14 | 2017-08-02{{Cite web|url=https://www.freepbx.org/freepbx-14-distro-14-more-blog/|title=FreePBX 14, Distro 14 & More!|website=FreePBX Blog|publisher=FreePBX|language=en|date=2017-08-17|access-date=2024-06-29|first=Andrew|last=Nagy}} | * PHP 5.6 support
|
style="background:#fdb3ab;color:black;" | 15 | 2019-10-31 | * Adds a new REST and GraphQL API
|
style="background:#fef8c6;color:black;" | 16 | 2021-10-31 | * PHP 7.4 support
|
style="background:#d4f4b4;color:black;" | 17 | 2024-08-02 | * Move from CentOS base to Debian Linux base
|
colspan=3|Legend: {{legend2|#fdb3ab|Older version, unsupported|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}} {{legend2|#fef8c6|Older version, still supported|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}} {{legend2|#d4f4b4|Latest version|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}} {{legend2|#c1e6f5|Preview version|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}} |
Hardware support
FreePBX supports numerous hardware manufacturers, including Algo, AND, AudioCodes, Cisco, Cyberdata, Digium, Grandstream, Mitel/Aastra, Nortel/Avaya, Panasonic, Polycom, Sangoma, Snom, Xorcom and {{Ill|Yealink|zh|亿联网络}}.{{cite web|url=http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/4/prweb9421216.htm|title=snom Phones Now Interoperable with Schmooze Com, Inc. Unified Communications Systems|archive-date=2016-03-05|date=2012-04-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305002348/http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/4/prweb9421216.htm|url-status=dead}} FreePBX developers estimate the distro has been deployed in millions of active PBX systems in over 220 countries and territories.{{Cite web|url=https://technews.tmcnet.com/ip-telephony/topics/partners/articles/84838-ip-telephony-feature-schmooze-com-eases-phone-system.htm|title=IP Telephony Feature: Schmooze Com Eases Phone System Use|website=TMCnet.com|publisher=TMCnet.com|language=en|date=2011-05-11|access-date=2024-06-29|first=Stefania|last=Viscusi}}
When Digium took over the Asterisk project, they released a series of SIP phones that tightly integrate with FreePBX, including provisioning support and apps.{{cite web|url=https://www.digium.com/products/ip-phones|title=IP Phones | Business VoIP Phones | Digium|access-date=2024-06-29|archive-date=2017-07-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170702151310/https://www.digium.com/products/ip-phones|url-status=dead}} Since both FreePBX and Digium were acquired by Sangoma, Sangoma have released a number of SIP phones that tightly integrate with FreePBX.{{Cite web|url=https://www.sangoma.com/products/phones-and-devices/|title=Phones and Devices - Sangoma Technologies|website=Sangoma Technologies|language=en|access-date=2024-06-29}}
Sangoma have also released certified appliances to run FreePBX.{{Cite web|url=https://www.freepbx.org/appliances/|title=Certified FreePBX Appliances | FreePBX - Let Freedom Ring|website=FreePBX|language=en|access-date=2024-06-29}} These are custom computer servers already configured with FreePBX. They are rated by the concurrent amount of calls the appliance can handle at once.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website|https://www.freepbx.org/}}
Category:Unified communications
Category:Software using the GNU Affero General Public License