A1200P on Ubuntu 9.10

yes, you can just compile dahdi-linux and apt-get other packages, but please download the same version of dahdi-linux from asterisk.org

Here is what I did for installing asterisk with A1200 on Ubuntu Karmic (9.10):

Step 1: (took part of the script from here: http://dudanogueira.com.br/ubuntu/AsteriskOnUbuntuCurrent.sh ):

export MYSQL_ROOT_PW=sql123
export FREEPBX_VERSION=2.5.1
export ASTERISK_DB_PW=amp109
export IP_ADDRESS=192.168.1.100

# ensure package directory up to date and system upgraded
apt-get -y update
apt-get -y upgrade

# retrieve utilities and set debconf to noninteractive front-end
apt-get -y install debconf-utils
debconf-set-selections <<CONF_EOF
debconf debconf/frontend select noninteractive
CONF_EOF

# install mysql server
apt-get -y install mysql-server

# configure mysql root password
mysqladmin -u root password ${MYSQL_ROOT_PW}

debconf-set-selections <<CONF_EOF
debconf debconf/frontend select Dialog
CONF_EOF

# install packages needed beyond base install with openssh server
apt-get -y install linux-headers-`uname -r` --force-yes
apt-get -y install make bison flex g++ gcc apache2 php5 php5-curl
apt-get -y install php5-cli php5-mysql php-pear php-db php5-gd curl
apt-get -y install sox libncurses5-dev libssl-dev libmysqlclient15-dev
apt-get -y install mpg123
#clear

# place source packages in standard place
cd /usr/src

Step 2 - Followed sub-sections 1 and 2 of these instructions: http://wiki.openvox.cn/index.php/OpenVox_A1200P_Dahdi_en#Step_2:_Software_Installation_and_Setup

Note that when making 'sudo make' for the dahdi-linux there was an error like this: [/usr/src/dahdi-linux-2.2.0.2/drivers/dahdi/wctc4xxp/base.o] Error 1

The solution was found here:
www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/msg232817.html

Step 3 - install asterisk packages:
sudo apt-get install asteriskasterisk-config asterisk-doc asterisk-mp3 asterisk-mysqlasterisk-sounds-main asterisk-sounds-extra

When installing these packages it will also install the dkms-dahdi package. If you follow its output you will see that it does not install the opvxa1200 module! At some point it asks:

Setting up dahdi-linux (1:2.2.0.2~dfsg-1ubuntu2) ...

Configuration file `/etc/dahdi/modules'
==> File on system created by you or by a script.
==> File also in package provided by package maintainer.
What would you like to do about it ? Your options are:
Y or I : install the package maintainer's version
N or O : keep your currently-installed version
D : show the differences between the versions
Z : background this process to examine the situation
The default action is to keep your current version.
*** modules (Y/I/N/O/D/Z) [default=N] ?

I chose the default (N). The output kept on ignoring the opvxa1200 module:
wct4xxp: done wcte12xp: done wct1xxp: done wcte11xp: done wctdm24xxp: done wcfxo: done wctdm: done wcb4xxp: done wctc4xxp: done xpp_usb: done


At this point - REBOOT

After reboot: lsmod | grep dahdi looks like that
dahdi_transcode 7108 1 wctc4xxp
dahdi_voicebus 36192 2 wctdm24xxp,wcte12xp
dahdi 197832 12 xpp,dahdi_transcode,wcb4xxp,wctdm,wcfxo,wctdm24xxp,wcte11xp,wct1xxp,wcte12xp,dahdi_voicebus,wct4xxp,opvxa1200
crc_ccitt 1852 2 dahdi,hisax

and lsdahdi looks like that:
### Span 1: OPVXA1200/12 "OpenVox A1200P/A800P Board 13" (MASTER)
1 FXO FXSKS RED
2 EMPTY
3 EMPTY
4 FXS FXOKS
5 EMPTY
6 EMPTY
7 EMPTY
8 EMPTY
9 EMPTY
10 EMPTY
11 EMPTY
12 EMPTY

I hope this helps to anyone who is trying this combination. The only mystery I still have is what will happen once the Ubuntu kernel and dahdi-dkms packages will be updated. I hope there will be no need to recompile everything again from scratch...

After many tries, I am about to give up of using the Debian packages with this configuration.
Although the dahdi-linux package contains the opvxa1200 code and it is also supported by the dahdi-dkms package, for unknown reason, I did not manage to make it load the kernel module.
Manually compiling just the dahdi-linux and dahdi-utils (as suggested above), does not work with the Debian packages of Asterisk and its additional packages.

Only full manual installation is working, but then you don't get to benefit from the regular updates of the Debian packages. Since I'm using the latest edition of the Ubuntu Server (9.10), these updates are essential!

Any ideas how to overcome this? The key is to find the right way to have the dahdi-dkms package dynamically load the opvxa1200 module, but I did not find how to do that.

Please download the same version with dahdi-linux package from asterisk.org, add our A1200 driver in source, then make,
copy the opvxa1200.ko to the right position, run " depmod -a"

This solution is no good, as the Debian packages of Asterisk and Dahdi insist on using their dahdi-packages. Meaning, they will ask to install dahdi-linux, dahdi-dkms and dahdi-source packages anyway and this will override what you are suggesting. As I mentioned above - the solution is to find the way to make dahdi-dkms load the opvxa1200 module (which comes with dahdi-linux and dahdi-dkms Debian packages).

We can't modify the debian packages, you should ask the debian source to check it, we can do nothing with it, sorry