TIPS 3CX on a Raspberry Pi

[MisterQ]

Is there a PIAF5 on 3CX on Raspberry Pi Distro? I see lots of chatter around the net, about 3CX on Raspberries. I have a Pi3 and a PiZero sitting idle...

 

[hecatae]

@MisterQ there is this https://www.3cx.com/docs/3cx-tunnel-session-border-controller/

Whether or not it's what you are looking for....

 

[wardmundy]

To get a full-blown 3CX install on a RasPi, I think some of the 3CX components would have to be recompiled for the ARM processor.

Looks to me like the RasPi3 has plenty of horsepower for a small PBX given the fact that it runs fine on CloudAtCost with no hiccups.

So you might want to drop @Nick Galea a note.

 

[MisterQ]

Thanks @hecatae - I will give that a try.

Thanks @wardmundy - it would appear that the base is built. Now to work out what a PIAF5 build (not on a Pi) gives me that a base SBC/Pi build does not.

 

[wardmundy]

Thanks @hecatae - I will give that a try.

Thanks @wardmundy - it would appear that the base is built. Now to work out what a PIAF5 build (not on a Pi) gives me that a base SBC/Pi build does not.

Just add a new 3CX server to CloudAtCost, and you've got the best of both worlds.

 

[MisterQ]

But I am going on a couple of cruises in a few months (Singapore-Phuket-Perth, then Sydney-NZ-Sydney) and want to take it with me. (Or were you running from Cloudatcostfor that...)

 

[wardmundy]

But I am going on a couple of cruises in a few months (Singapore-Phuket-Perth, then Sydney-NZ-Sydney) and want to take it with me. (Or were you running from Cloudatcostfor that...)

Just coming back from a week at sea with CloudAtCost. Worked perfectly through satellite WiFi using 3CX Clients for Mac AND iOS. YMMV!

 

[MisterQ]

Might give both a try (on the trips) - we will be somewhat distant from the "Cloudatcost" Servers - probably more than one satellite hop.

It struck me on last trip, that it would serve the cruise lines (and passengers) well, to have some more phone smarts. They have the embedded cabin to cabin phone system, but most people spend most of their time out of their cabin. One can sign up for at sea phone service, which makes me think that have a "mini-cell-tower" on board - which you can sign up for, for a fee. With some smarts they could enable that to work with all on-ship cell-phones - only those that have paid for the service get to call and receive external calls, but the rest get "in ship only calling" - the number of times we had an "I am going to check out XYZ, then ABC - I will try to find you afterwards", and end up wandering all over, and eventually getting back to the cabin as last resort.

 

[MisterQ]

@MisterQ there is this https://www.3cx.com/docs/3cx-tunnel-session-border-controller/

Whether or not it's what you are looking for....

I thought it was, and tried an install, but it appears that the 3CX architecture is different, I have yet to find an architecture spec on it, so am guessing a bit here. This mentions being an SBC (Session Border Controller), which it would appear is not the fully fledged PBX, but a secure satellite concentrator??

That means that the best approach with a Pi and 3CX, is to use the primary PBX on cloudatcost as ward suggests, and a Pi as the "remote" SBC. I think I might put that an a Pi Zero, if it's a relatively minimalistic config needed...

Oh, wait, I just found the "Best of Both Worlds" http://nerdvittles.com/?p=21498 post. That talks about Setting up the Pi with the "Gold Standard" Article config, in conjunction with 3CX.

So, there are two (at least) approaches (ignoring Wazo/Xivo) I am tempted to set up as follows a) primary server/service on Cloudatcost b) a Pi3 at home running "Gold Standard" config c) a PiZero running SBC (also talking back to the primary), that I can take on the road with me. Does that make sense. Part of this is exploring the options, part is having a basic functioning pbx - just for me (well, so she who must be obeyed can chat with friends in america - she does that now with facebook messenger voice, and our cell plan here in Aus has free calling to the USA, but it's handy to have a USA number that US Friends can call to get through to us. )

Ward, I love your work, and the enthusiasm and diversity - but as a tech writer, you make a great lawyer. The posts are wonderful and the narrative approach is brilliant for a "step by step, do what I do", but they typically just do the "how", and not the "why". I used to be a Software Engineer in an O/S Development group, and later an architect for a major telco, in a previous life, and documentation was king.

 

[Setel]

I wonder what else is needed?
Pi Zero is not supported because the .NET Core JIT depends on armv7 instructions not available on Pi Zero.