G400E / chan_extra 2.0.8 -- needs old software

I recently had to build a couple of Asterisk servers with G400E cards, and discovered a serious problem with installing chan_extra 2.0.8 on Debian Jessie.

Due to a Linux kernel architecture change, DAHDI versions 2.8 and earlier will not build on a kernel newer than 3.13. But then chan_extra 2.0.8 (the newest version I can find) will not build against the latest DAHDI (2.10.2 + 2.10.2).

Fortunately, the motherboards were still (just about! -- they take awhile to boot) supported by Debian Wheezy; and I was able to meet the deadline by installing some older Asterisk and Dahdi versions, which do compile properly against the Wheezy stock kernel (3.2.0-4).

However, we can't rely on old kernel versions forever! Newer motherboards will have hardware which will require new drivers; and because of architecture changes, these newer drivers may not be buildable against older kernels.

Is a newer version of chan_extra available? Or will one be available soon? I can envisage some future motherboard design not working with a pre-3.13 kernel, and thus effectively obsoleting the G400 series

Hi Sir,

The G400P is our end of life product and the chan_extra is no longer updating on our agenda.

If possible, pls consider using our gsm gateway instead of G400P:
openvox.cn/products/voip-gateways/gsm-gateways.html

Well, that wasn't really the news I was wanting to hear; but at least I know now that it would not be a good idea to use these cards in new designs. Which is a bit of a shame, because they have always performed excellently once chan_extra could be persuaded to build.

I will certainly evaluate your GSM gateways for my next project.

Thanks for your understanding!
Our gsm gateway is a better option. Almost the same price, but better performance and richer features. You can test it and make your decision.