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Celliax Developer's LiveCD 0.0.32


This CD contains all you need to run and modify Celliax software on Linux and Windows platforms. You can download it!

What's New in 0.0.32:

  • LiveCD:
    • Now you can save all your configuration between reboots (Celliax, Skype, Language, etc). You can save all of them on a regular file on your hard disk (or on a USB key) and have all of it automatically reloaded at next boot. No more need to "retrain" Skype at each reboot!
    • Linux support for all kind of datacables in the Celliax Devkits
    • New kernel 2.6.17.14 with ark3116 and working wireless ipw2200 modules
    • Headless Celliax, cellphones, Asterisk and Skype (without X)! Booting in console mode you find a script (/usr/local/asterisk/usr/sbin/celliax_server) that automatically launch Xvfb (the fake X11 server), Skype and Celliax. Also via ssh! Isn't that cute?
    • Graphic configuration for Celliax
    • Automatically download the latest sources with an svn script (/usr/local/asterisk/usr/sbin/svn_celliax, now's working)
    • Contains the Windows XP drivers for the Celliax DevKit datacables
  • Celliax (both Linux and Windows):
    • Asterisk 1.2.13
    • New configuration file format
    • Better interaction with Skype (no more stuck in skype_dir, much faster skype_dir on Windows)
    • Source code is more readable (but will be much cleaned, refactored and polished in the future ;) ) and beginning of Doxygen documentation
  • And many more minor things...

Welcome to the Celliax Developer CD Alpha 0.0.32

You can download it!

This is pre-Beta software, bugs are expected, be nice and report them at www.celliax.org/trac

For managing a cellphone, you will need a Celliax Hardware Adapter, that you can build yourself or having a couple adapters sent to you PAYING ONLY SHIPMENT.
But you can test the Celliax software also without any hardware.

Please enjoy!

Celliax LiveCD

To use and modify Celliax you don't have to install anything on your hard disk, it runs entirely from the (live)CD. When you stop using it and reboot the computer, nothing has been changed or modified.

This liveCD contains:

  • For normal usage:
    • Linux LiveCD based on a streamlined Knoppix 5.0.1, ready to run with a preconfigured installation of Celliax
    • Kernel 2.6.17.14, with working wireless ipw2200 and ark3116 module for new datacables!
    • All Celliax functions can be managed with mouse, no command line commands needed for basic usage
    • Graphic interface familiar and easy to use for Windows users
    • Asterisk 1.2.13
    • Skype 1.3.53 official
    • Firefox 1.5.0.6
  • For software development:
    • Complete development environment, with editors, compilers, tools, dev libraries, etc.
    • Script to download the most recent sources from the Celliax Development SVN repository (/usr/local/asterisk/usr/sbin/svn_celliax
    • All the tools needed to remaster the liveCD itself. For remastering, please see http://knoppix.net/wiki/Knoppix_Remastering_Howto

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To begin using Celliax LiveCD, just leave this CD in the CDrom drive and reboot your computer

For managing a cellphone, you will need a Celliax Hardware Adapter, that you can build yourself or having a couple adapters sent to you PAYING ONLY SHIPMENT.
But you can test the Celliax software also without any hardware.

  1. During the boot you will be asked to choose your language/keyboard
  2. When the boot is completed, you first launch Skype by clicking with the mouse in the Applications menu (first item on top)
  3. Enter the details of your Skype account in the Skype client, and check the box "Sign me in when Skype starts"
  4. Try a Skype call to echo123, the Skype test call to an automatic answering machine, just to see if Skype is working
  5. The sound levels are automatically preset for interfacing cellphones and voicemodems. If you are using mic and headphones you probably need to raise the level of master, pcm, and capture with the Mixer you find in the Application menu (fourth item from top), or with "alsamixer -V all" from a terminal
  6. If the call goes well, from the Applications menu launch Celliax (second item from top)
  7. Authorize the Skype client to be contacted from Celliax, it will ask you about that. Check the "don't ask me again in the future" checkbox.
  8. Then close SKYPE from its own menu File->Close so it saves its configuration
  9. Only after closing Skype, close the Celliax-Asterisk console by typing: "stop now" in it
  10. Then, relaunch Skype and Celliax from the menu
  11. Using mic and headphones, the call is initiated by an incoming sound in the mic. You can then use the dial and hangup console commands to interact.
  12. Dialing 4 you will make a call to Skype user echo123, dialing 5 you call Digium via IAX, dialing 6 you will check the latency
  13. After the "Congratulation" message, you will enter the Skype Contacts Directory, where you can choose which one of your Skype Contacts you want to call
  14. At this point, maybe you want to save ALL configurations, so all will work again next time you boot the LiveCD, without bringing Skype up and down, etc. From the Application menu, choose Save ALL configs and follow the instructions. All configs will be automatically restored next time you boot. If when you boot you don't want to restore the configs, type "knoppix myconfig=no" at the boot prompt.
  15. For troubleshooting, see the Celliax Step by Step Guide
  16. Enjoy!

You can then open an xterm and use (from the knoppix home directory) the script /usr/local/asterisk/usr/sbin/svn_celliax to download the most recent sources (/usr/local/asterisk/usr/sbin/svn_celliax), then go in the newly created "celliax" directory and read the aptly named README file for instruction on compilation and installation.

For the ubergeeks between us:
Headless Celliax (without real X11 running)

  • after you saved your configuration (particularly the Skype configuration) as explained before
  • reboot and at the boot prompt type "knopppix 2"
  • you will end up at runlevel 2, without X
  • type "kbdconfig" at the console, so you can choose your keyboard
  • type "su - knoppix", so you became the knoppix user (the Skype config you saved is for that user)
  • type "/usr/local/asterisk/usr/sbin/celliax_server"
  • you get Celliax and Skype running on the console, under the (fake) Xvfb X11 server. Yay!

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Installing and Using Celliax on Windows XP

For managing a cellphone, you will need a Celliax Hardware Adapter, that you can build yourself or having a couple adapters sent to you PAYING ONLY SHIPMENT.
But you can test the Celliax software also without any hardware.

  1. If you have not previously installed CygWin, in the CD you will find the setup.exe CygWin installer. Click on it and follow the instructions to install a basic CygWin environment on your computer.
  2. Then install, using again the setup.exe CygWin installer, the following additional Libs packages needed by Celliax. You will find them in the Libs section of the installer:
    • libcurl3
    • libgettextpo0
    • mingw-runtime
    • minires
    • openssl
    • readline
  3. Copy from the CD the file asterisk-celliax.tgz on your /usr/local directory in CygWin.
  4. Now from within the CygWin environment, go to that directory (cd /usr/local), then extract the Celliax files (tar xzf asterisk-celliax.tgz)
  5. That's it!
  6. If it is not yet started, start Skype in the usual way
  7. Now from inside the CygWin environment you can run /usr/local/asterisk/usr/sbin/celliax
  8. Don't forget to authorize the Skype client to be contacted from Celliax, it will ask you about that. Check the "don't ask me again in the future" checkbox ;-)
  9. Using mic and headphones, the call is initiated by an incoming sound in the mic. You can then use the dial and hangup console commands to interact.
  10. Dialing 4 you will make a call to Skype user echo123, dialing 5 you call Digium via IAX, dialing 6 you will check the latency
  11. After the "Congratulation" message, you will enter the Skype Contacts Directory, where you can choose which one of your Skype Contacts you want to call
  12. For troubleshooting, see the Celliax Step by Step Guide
  13. Enjoy!

If you have a developer's installation of CygWin, you can then use (from your home directory) the script /usr/local/asterisk/usr/sbin/svn_celliax to download the most recent sources (/usr/local/asterisk/usr/sbin/svn_celliax), then go in the newly created "celliax" directory and read the aptly named README file for instruction on compilation and installation.

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Troubleshooting Celliax Step by Step

For managing a cellphone, you will need a Celliax Hardware Adapter, that you can build yourself or having a couple adapters sent to you PAYING ONLY SHIPMENT.
But you can test the Celliax software also without any hardware.

  1. Connect your regular headset/microphone to the computer and start the Skype software in the usual way.
  2. Make a test call to echo123 (that is the exact Skype name you have to call).
    Your call is working? You are hearing yourself after you have recorded some words?
  3. GOOD! Go ahed! (if this step fails, retry until it works. Go to www.skype.com for help on troubleshooting. If this does not works, what is following is CERTAIN not to work).
    OK, the test call has worked.
  4. So, unplug the headset/microphone from the computer.
  5. Now put the SIM in the cellphone that will stay wired to the computer.
  6. Connect the datacable and the audiocables to the cellphone that will stay wired to the computer.
  7. Now put ON the cellphone that will stay wired to the computer.
  8. Wait some seconds, then connect the audiocables and the datacables to the computer. Pay attention to put the MIC jack in the MIC connector of the soundcard :), and not reversing the connection.
  9. Now start the celliax software.
  10. If the Skype software ask you an authorization for celliax to connect to it, click yes and check the box "don't ask me again in the future"
  11. You can begin to test it:
    • from your personal cellphone, call the cellphone wired to the computer, and hope it will answer you.
    • if it do not answer, probably you have to raise the input volume of your soundcard
      • in the liveCD: Applications Menu->Mixer (the third item on top), raise the Capture volume
      • in Windows XP: start menu -> all programs -> accessories -> entertainment -> volume control), go to the "recording" settings (options -> properties -> adjust volume for recording) and raise the microphone volume)
    • if it answer, dial immediately 4 from your personal cellphone keypad. I mean dial 4 IMMEDIATELY, not waiting.
  12. This will start a test call to echo123 (the same test call you made before, but this time you are using your personal cellphone, not the headphones/microphone).
  13. If it answers, but the sound you record is horrible, or you can't have the numbers you dial correctly interpreted by Celliax (eg. doubled, or missing figures), probably you have to lower the input volume of your soundcard
    • in the liveCD: Applications Menu->Mixer (the third item on top), lower the Capture volume
    • in Windows XP: start menu -> all programs -> accessories -> entertainment -> volume control), go to the "recording" settings (options -> properties -> adjust volume for recording) and lower the microphone volume)
    • is amazing how low you have to put the volume with some soundcards
  14. If this go through, you're setup. Be happy!

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Network Problems?

If you can't connect to the Internet from the LiveCD, maybe the problem is that your router sent via DHCP an invalid broadcast address of 255.255.255.255 to configure your network card. That router is buggy (mine too ;-)).

Anyway, to try to connect you have to change that configuration by hand. So open an xterm and type in it:

  • su
  • ifconfig -a | more

You will see something like (maybe you have to press on the space bar to see all the results):


eth0      Link encap:Ethernet  HWaddr 00:04:76:F0:1C:EE  
          inet addr:1.124.232.44  
Bcast:255.255.255.255  Mask:255.255.255.0
          BROADCAST MULTICAST  MTU:1500  Metric:1
          RX packets:12 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
          TX packets:3 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
          collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000 
          RX bytes:1538 (1.5 KiB)  TX bytes:1522 (1.4 KiB)
          Interrupt:17 Base address:0x2f80 

lo        Link encap:Local Loopback  
          inet addr:127.0.0.1  Mask:255.0.0.0
          inet6 addr: ::1/128 Scope:Host
          UP LOOPBACK RUNNING  MTU:16436  Metric:1
          RX packets:2 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
          TX packets:2 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
          collisions:0 txqueuelen:0 
          RX bytes:100 (100.0 b)  TX bytes:100 (100.0 b)

sit0      Link encap:IPv6-in-IPv4  
          NOARP  MTU:1480  Metric:1
          RX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
          TX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
          collisions:0 txqueuelen:0 
          RX bytes:0 (0.0 b)  TX bytes:0 (0.0 b)

What interest you is the interface that has an "int addr" and that is not a Loopback, in this case eth0.

So, in this case, in the same xterm type:

  • ifconfig eth0 up
  • route add default gateway 1.124.232.1
  • ping google.com

NB: You have to substitute your interface name if it is not named eth0.

NB: Also, you have almost for sure to substitute your gateway address. Please note that the gateway address is just the "int addr" of eth0 you just read, with the figures after the last dot (in this case 44) substituted by the figure 1.

If you see google.com answering you, your connection is now OK. Interrupt the ping with Control-C, or closing the xterm. Unfortunately, you'll have to do all this each time you reboot the LiveCD.

If this does not work, try to look for help (with another computer, or rebooting in your usual operating system) in the Knoppix site at www.knoppix.net (this LiveCD is just Knoppix with Celliax preinstalled).

Good Luck!

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