asterisk users - May 2007 - using Playback() to play a random sound file

I've got a directory under /var/lib/asterisk/sounds which contains a  
bunch of sound files.  I would like to call the Playback command to  
play the files, but I need it to select a file to play randomly.  Is  
there any way to do this?

~jay

On Tue, 1 May 2007, Jay Austad wrote:
> I've got a directory under /var/lib/asterisk/sounds which contains a
bunch of
> sound files.  I would like to call the Playback command to play the files, 
> but I need it to select a file to play randomly.  Is there any way to do 
> this?
I do this with an AGI.

Thanks in advance,
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Steve Edwards      sedwards@sedwards.com      Voice: +1-760-468-3867 PST
Newline                                             Fax: +1-760-731-3000

Unless there is some native rand() function available in Asterisk, I'd
look into writing a simple AGI using Perl, PHP or Python to return back
a random file to Playback().

More information here: http://www.voip-info.org/wiki-Asterisk+AGI

HTH

- sf

Jay Austad wrote:
> I've got a directory under /var/lib/asterisk/sounds which contains a
> bunch of sound files.  I would like to call the Playback command to play
> the files, but I need it to select a file to play randomly.  Is there
> any way to do this?
> 
> ~jay
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>

I have accomplished a similar outcome that what you are mentioning, but
I use Music on Hold rather than Playback(). Using MOH was a very simple
solution, although I do not know if it is specifically what you are
looking for. This solution allows you to set a time limit on playback as
well as continue to dial extensions. We use the /var/lib/asterisk/sounds
directory and listen to it randomly - can be quite hilarious at times.

To do this, we put a symlink to the sounds directory in the mohmp3
directory and enabled random play. When I want to listen to it use the
following:

----------
[sound-player]
exten => s,1,Answer
exten => s,2,SetMusicOnHold(sounds) ;Name of Music context
exten => s,3,WaitExten(3600|m) ;Wait (for an hour) while listing to the
MOH
exten => s,4,Goto(sound-player,s,2) ;After timeout, start the next hour

;OPTIONAL - Dialing 1 Skips to next audio file
exten => 1,1,SetMusicOnHold(default) ;Change MOH context to drop current
stream (Sometimes I would be placed back on the same music stream, this
seems to reset that)
exten => 1,n,WaitExten(.1|m) ;Play that stream for 1/10 of a second
exten => 1,n,SetMusicOnHold(sounds) ;Reset to what you really want to
hear
exten => 1,n,Goto(custom-music-player,s,3) ;Go to play the MOH sounds
----------

This is actually part of an application that we use as an internal
"radio." Very simple in concept and function, but it randomly plays a
directory full of sound files with the option to "skip" ahead to the
next file. I use variables instead of static contexts though.

I hope this helps you accomplish what you are trying to do.

--
Thanks,
  Brandon Comouche

-----Original Message-----
From: asterisk-users-bounces@lists.digium.com
[mailto:asterisk-users-bounces@lists.digium.com] On Behalf Of Jay Austad
Sent: Tuesday, May 01, 2007 9:02 PM
To: Asterisk Users Mailing List - Non-Commercial Discussion
Subject: [asterisk-users] using Playback() to play a random sound file

I've got a directory under /var/lib/asterisk/sounds which contains a  
bunch of sound files.  I would like to call the Playback command to  
play the files, but I need it to select a file to play randomly.  Is  
there any way to do this?

~jay
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