I want to set up a Linux answering machine/voice mail deal that will e-mail me phone messages. I looked into the "voice modem" (vgetty) stuff, but I'm not getting a warm fuzzy feeling about it from reading the mailing lists - much of it old and not encouraging - and it seems that there is not a lot of manufacturers of voice modems today etc. I currently have a Panasonic KX-T616 phone system and the hand sets. Are there any Asterisk systems that would support them? I could just upgrade to a newer digital Panasonic system and continue to use the handsets (there is a serial interface I could talk to via linux)? Perhaps all I need is some type of phone card that can act as an answering machine connection? I am also looking into the possibility of replacing the Panasonic equipment with an asterisk system - but I have some doubts. It seems to me that a PBX should have a RTOS that Linux might talk to - my background is EE with work with embedded micros so I realize there are limitations in using linux as "the switch". My needs are humble - I have 3 CO lines and 16+ extensions - I would like to end up with something OSS/GPL if I can. It would be nice to detect Fax calls and run caller ID to the LCD on the telephones. Should I be looking at Asterisk? What hardware should I consider? I wouldn't be against paying someone on this list for a 1/2 hour phone consultation if you know this stuff inside out. I also humbly worry about maintaining something written in perl, as perl is a "write only" programming language in my experience. Most any other language would be easier to maintain (I've written a few things in perl - there is nothing quite like coming back and looking at my own perl code from a few years ago and finding I don't a clue as to what I was doing with less than a exhaustive inspection.) -- -------------------------------------------------- Karl Schmidt EMail Karl@xtronics.com Transtronics, Inc. WEB http://xtronics.com 3209 West 9th Street Ph(785) 841-3089 Lawrence, KS 66049 FAX(785) 841-0434 When angry count four; when very angry, swear. --Mark Twain -------------------------------------------------