DAHDI and Asterisk PCI Card Setup: Comprehensive Guide

This document provides a step-by-step guide to set up an Asterisk server with a DAHDI-compatible PCI card. It covers the entire process from installing the PCI board to configuring drivers, firmware, and necessary software components, as well as troubleshooting tips.

1. Hardware Installation

Power off the server.
Insert the PCI card (e.g., Sangoma A200) into an available PCI slot.
Ensure the card is securely seated.
Boot the server into the BIOS to confirm the card is detected (if applicable).

2. Operating System Installation

Recommended OS: Use Ubuntu 20.04 for compatibility.
Install Ubuntu without applying updates during installation to avoid newer kernel versions.
Set the timezone to match your location using:
```
sudo timedatectl set-timezone <your-timezone>
```

3. Kernel Preparation

Verify Kernel Version

The recommended kernel is 5.4.x. Confirm it by running:

uname -r

Downgrade Kernel (if necessary)

Install the 5.4.x kernel:

sudo apt-get install linux-image-5.4.0-xx-generic linux-headers-5.4.0-xx-generic

Reboot into the older kernel by selecting it in the GRUB menu.
Confirm the kernel version after reboot:
```
uname -r
```

4. Prepare for DAHDI Installation

Dependencies

Install necessary packages for building DAHDI:

sudo apt-get install -y build-essential gcc g++ make libncurses5-dev libtool autoconf automake pkg-config m4 linux-headers-$(uname -r)

Create System-wide Source Directory

Navigate to the system source directory:
```
cd /usr/src
```

Download the latest DAHDI tarball:

sudo wget http://downloads.asterisk.org/pub/telephony/dahdi-linux-complete/dahdi-linux-complete-current.tar.gz

Extract the tarball:

sudo tar -xvzf dahdi-linux-complete-current.tar.gz

5. Install DAHDI

Build DAHDI Linux Modules

Navigate to the DAHDI Linux directory:

cd /usr/src/dahdi-linux-complete-<version>/linux

Build the kernel modules:
```
sudo make
sudo make install
```
Load the DAHDI kernel module:
```
sudo modprobe dahdi
```

Install DAHDI Tools

Navigate to the tools directory:

cd /usr/src/dahdi-linux-complete-<version>/tools

Build and install tools:

sudo autoreconf -i
sudo ./configure
sudo make
sudo make install
sudo make config

Verify the installation:
```
sudo dahdi_cfg -vv
```

6. Install Wanpipe Drivers

Download the latest Wanpipe drivers:

sudo wget https://ftp.sangoma.com/linux/current_wanpipe/wanpipe-<latest>.tgz

Extract the drivers:
```
sudo tar -xvzf wanpipe-<latest>.tgz
```
Navigate to the extracted directory:
```
cd wanpipe-<latest>
```
Build and install the drivers:
```
sudo ./Setup install
```
Follow the prompts to configure WANPIPE for DAHDI.

7. Configuration and Testing

Verify Hardware Detection

Run the following to confirm hardware is detected:

sudo dahdi_hardware

Generate DAHDI Configuration

Generate the configuration files:

sudo dahdi_genconf

Start DAHDI

Start the DAHDI service:

sudo /etc/init.d/dahdi start

Test Configuration

Check the DAHDI configuration:

sudo dahdi_cfg -vv

8. Troubleshooting Tips

Missing Kernel Headers: Ensure headers for the current kernel are installed.
```
sudo apt-get install linux-headers-$(uname -r)
```
Module Loading Issues: Check for module-related errors:
```
dmesg | grep dahdi
```
Rebuild Modules: Clean and rebuild DAHDI modules if issues persist:
```
cd /usr/src/dahdi-linux-complete-<version>/
```