Asterisk uses several directories on a Linux system to manage the various aspects of the system, such as voicemail recordings, voice prompts, and configuration files. This section discusses the necessary directories, all of which are created during installation and configured in the asterisk.conf file. It’s important to keep the correct time in FreePBX, especially if your system has time conditions enabled. If you notice your server has the incorrect time, the first place you will want to check is the FreePBX web interface under Admin - System Admin - Time Zone: Make sure to click Submit after making any changes. Recordings This is a module for FreePBX©. FreePBX is an open source GUI (graphical user interface) that controls and manages Asterisk© (PBX). FreePBX is licensed under GPL. FreePBX is a completely modular GUI for Asterisk written in PHP and Javascript. Call Recording Reports $99.00 for 25 year license Many industries must record and archive calls for Customer Satisfaction, Employee Evaluation and Training, Security, and Legal Compliance reasons. Managing these recordings within Asterisk typically involves lots of management time sorting and filtering CDR reports to manually extract system. These recordings are called Announcements/System Recordings (these terms are used interchangeably) in FreePBX. Whenever you create an IVR application you select which audio file should be played back to the callers in Announcement field. How to create a custom recording? Go to Admin-System Recordings and press Add Recording. They are all stored in the custom sound directory. So even if you give them the same name as one of the official system recordings it will not replace it as the system does not use the custom directory unless told to as is the case in our dialplan when you use those recordings for IVR creation and other places.
Learning has never been so easy!
This article explains how to create system recordings within the Elastix system which can be used in an IVR or for an Announcement. The instructions below assume you are recording using a phone (physical or soft phone) and were written using Elastix version 2.3.0r8 (64-bit version of the Elastix distro).
7 Steps total
Step 1: Login to Elastix
Open the web interface of your Elastix server.
If you get a message about the site's security certificate, click the link that says Continue to this website.
Login with an Elastix user account that is a member of the Elastix administrator's group.
If you get a message about the site's security certificate, click the link that says Continue to this website.
Login with an Elastix user account that is a member of the Elastix administrator's group.
Step 2: Find the System Recordings Area
After logging in, click on the PBX tab. On the PBX Configuration menu on the left-hand side of the screen, click on System Recordings.
Step 3: Setup for Adding a Recording
After you click on System Recordings, you will be redirected to the Add Recording menu. Enter the extension number of the phone that will be used to do the recording, and then click Go.
Type a name in the Name this Recording box, but we do not need to click Save until the recording has been made and we are satisfied with it.
Step 4: Record from a Phone and Save
On the phone with the extension number mentioned in the previous step, dial *77 and press Send.
As soon as the call is connected, you will hear a beep, which means the recording has begun.
When finished recording, press the pound key (#). You will then hear an automated menu play telling you that you can press 1 to listen to the recording or press *# to re-record. Please be advised that when you press *# to re-record, the recording starts instantly. You may hear part of a beep at most, but start speaking as soon as you press *# (and then press # once you have finished recording).
As soon as the call is connected, you will hear a beep, which means the recording has begun.
When finished recording, press the pound key (#). You will then hear an automated menu play telling you that you can press 1 to listen to the recording or press *# to re-record. Please be advised that when you press *# to re-record, the recording starts instantly. You may hear part of a beep at most, but start speaking as soon as you press *# (and then press # once you have finished recording).
Once you are satisfied with the recording, go back to the Add Recording menu from the previous step and save your recording. You should see a message that your recording was saved, and you should see it in the list of recordings on the right-hand side of the screen.
Step 5: Check Your Work
To verify the recording was captured on the server, click on the name of the recording in the list of recordings to reach the Edit Recording menu.
The recording you created should be the only one in the list of files. Click the sound icon to download the recording to your computer.
You can also add other system recordings that will follow / precede the sound that you recorded.
The recording you created should be the only one in the list of files. Click the sound icon to download the recording to your computer.
You can also add other system recordings that will follow / precede the sound that you recorded.
Step 6: If You Just Want to Edit a Recording...
You may just be wanting to edit an existing recording rather than create a new one. If that is the case, follow the steps above to add the new recording, but when you reach the Edit Recording menu, remove the recording. This will not remove the sound you recorded but rather just the recording object within Elastix.
Then, click on the recording whose message you want to change to get to the Edit Recording menu and select the new file that was recorded from the dropdown list. Then click Save.
Step 7: Deleting Sound Files from the Server
If server storage fills up and sounds need to be deleted, one can utilize WinSCP to manage files on the Elastix server. To do this open WinSCP using the default settings, connect to the ip address or DNS name of your Elastix server with either root permissions or is a member of the Elastix administrator group. Then, in the right-hand pane (Elastix server's disk), navigate to /var/lib/asterisk/sounds/custom. Everything in that folder is a custom sound recorded from an extension and can easily be deleted. Delete anything not needed.
Be careful not to delete any recordings that are being used as part of an IVR, Announcement, etc.!
Published: Nov 08, 2013 · Last Updated: Sep 12, 2013
1 Comment
- JalapenoSupukudruku Apr 22, 2015 at 05:36pmThis was so helpful! Thank you so much!!!! We have been trying to get this working forever. I probably should have started here first!
I would consider a DAS storage solution. As you mentioned, you can run into issues if you use a network storage device and it becomes unavailable. I would also advise against using SMB/CIFS. I would recommend an NFS share if going that route. The only thing that can help you deal with the network storage issue though is;
DOCS
Changing the path is relatively simple in newer FreePBX versions. I think you have to unhide some read only settings but you can change it right in the GUI.
But it sounds like you've got this far and you are running into an issue with the CDR report not reflecting the change. You are speaking about the 'Reports -> CDR Report' correct? Not the commercial 'Call Recordings' Report? Or the UCP?
How are you testing that it doesn't work? Are you just changing the call recording location and trying to browse old recordings? Or are you recording a new call after the change?
I would give this a read if you haven't, it sounds very similar.
Freepbx Change System Recordings
They mention that you need to rsync old recordings (if you are only testing those) which is why I asked how you are testing.
Freepbx System Recordings Directory
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