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This document presents the various box types used by VOCP.
To create, edit and manage you voice mail system configuration, you use the BoxConf configuration GUI as the root user. When creating a new box, you will be asked to select the type of box from a list. The available box types, and the conditions surrounding their use, are described here.
All Boxes
One feature is common to all boxes - they have a number (normally,
three digits). This number must be unique as a caller can access any box
directly by entering the box number after any prompt (by using *NNN#,
where NNN is the box number).
Most boxes may have a message set. This message is the name of the rmd
file to play upon entering the box. This filename is should be entered relative
to /var/spool/voice/messages, thus if you have these two files on you hard drive
/var/spool/voice/messages/rootbox.rmd
/var/spool/voice/messages/spanish/welcome.rmd
you would enter messages rootbox.rmd and spanish/welcome.rmd,
respectively.
A number of box configuration parameters are common to a few types of boxes.
Boxes will safely ignore parameters that are irrelevant to them (for instance,
a faxondemand box will ignore the owner attribute).
| parameter |
description |
| autojump |
Boxes with this autojump set to a valid system box number will automatically
jump to that box after playing the box message. |
| branch |
The branch attribute specifies the list of options available to the caller
in this box.This line should have the format SELECTION=DESTINATION[,SELECTION=DESTINATION...]
For instance 0=998,1=011,2=012 will configure the box so a caller
pressing 0 is directed to box 998, 1 goes to 011 and 2 leads to box 012.
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| email |
The email attribute specifies 1 or more internet email addresses to which
notifications should be sent. Notifications of pager messages or new voice
mail for the box will be sent to this email address, with an the message attached
if so specified in the vocp.conf file. Use a comma seperated list
to send to multiple addresses (eg user1@example.com,user2@example.com). The email subject and sender
are set in the vocp.conf file. Since the email is generated by VOCP automatically, if you are having
difficulties receiving the messages, ensure that any filters you have installed do not reject the email or discard
it.
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| name |
Will mainly be useful later but can help you remember which box is which - shows up in the boxconf main interface. It is an
arbitrary string. |
| numDigits |
Multi digit mode is entered at any time using the star (*) key: * DDD# will normally direct you to box DDD directly.
However, single digit input has now been replaced with fixed digit input. Defaulting to 1 digit, boxes can now have their numDigits attribute set to some other number and will timeout immediately after receiving that many key presses. You may use this attribute, for instance, to create a series of boxes numbered according to user initials.
by setting the root box to have numDigits 2. The branch can still be set, for example to allow a "press 1 for english, 2 for spanish, etc" although there will be a slight delay for users who enter only 1 digit on a box with numDigits set > 1 |
| owner |
The owner attribute specifies the system username of the person who owns
the box. Voice mail for the box will be owned by this user. In the case of
script or command shell boxes, the executable programs will be run as this
user. |
| password |
The password attribute sets the password used to access the box (log in
and retrieve messages, in the case of mail boxes, or log in and run programs
in the case of command boxes). It may be
a sequence of digits (eg '1234')
textual content (eg 'hello' entered as 42 32 53 53 63#, see the
text input section
for details)
an encrypted version of the above (you can use the /usr/local/vocp/bin/cryptpass.pl
program to create these with crypt)
|
restrictFrom
restrictLoginFrom |
If you have caller ID, you can use these to box attributes
to restrict public access and login access respectively.
The values of these attributes are treated as regular expressions, in the same manner as for
CID filtering |
None Boxes
The none box is key to user navigation. Its name is derived from
the fact that no action is taken upon entering this box, except perhaps playing
a message. none boxes are used to implement menues and messages for
callers.
none boxes must at a minimum, either have a message or autojump
set (they may have both).
When the box is entered, the message will be played if it is set.
If branches are specified (eg 1=100,2=200,0=998) single digit user
input will move the caller to the appropriate box (box 100, for input 1 in this
example).
If autojump is set, the caller will jump to the box number specified after
the message plays.
Accessing these boxes may terminate the VOCP session, if the box is a dead
end (no autojump, no branches).
Command Boxes
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Q
I get a 'this function has not been enabled' error when trying to transfer a call to VOCP from the Call Center.
A
Because the Call Center must send a signal to the vgetty process, ... |
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The command boxes may be accessed by logging into the system (they
are described in greater detail in the command
shell section of the site or the included doc/command-shells.txt
file). They provide a command shell on the VOCP system, from which the logged
on caller can execute selected programs and hear resulting output (be it numeric,
a sequence of sound files to play or text-to-speech output). Command shells are
a powerfull feature but, as such, require some extra attention when configuring
- so be sure to check out command-shells.txt.
These boxes must have a valid system user set as the owner and a password
set.
Exit Boxes
The exit boxes do just that - they exit the system. They may
have a message set, in which case the message will be played upon entering the
box. After message play, the system exits and the call is terminated.
We use the exit box to provide a 1 key hangup by creating an exit
box with number 998 and adding 0=998 to the branches of the root (001)
box. That way, when VOCP answers at the same time as you do, you may press 0,
the system hangs up and you can continue with the call.
Accessing these boxes will (obviously) terminate the VOCP session.
Fax-On-Demand Boxes
The faxondemand boxes allow you to give callers access to a number
of faxes of their choice. Upon entering the box, the message is played if it
is set then the modem switches to fax mode and sends the file set with the fax
to send field.
This fax to send must be set the full path to a file in an appropriate
format (g3). You can convert postscript or a variety of image formats to g3 using
the VOCPhax interface.
Accessing these boxes will terminate the VOCP session, causing mgetty to go
into fax mode and handle the remainder of the call to send the fax.
Group Boxes
The group boxes act like mailing lists for voicemail. group
boxes have members (a list of comma separated box numbers, eg 100,200,500).
The members must be mail type boxes or other group
boxes. When a group box is accessed, the message is played (if set),
the caller is beeped and recording commences. After the recording is done, the
message is delivered to all mail boxes in the group and all mail boxes in the
groups contained within the group, recursively.
These boxes must have at least 1 member.
Accessing these boxes will terminate the VOCP session after the message has
been recorded.
Mail Boxes
The mail boxes are end points in the call flow where callers may
leave voicemail messages. These boxes must have an owner and a password
set. Upon accessing the box, callers will hear the message (if set) and then
record a message that will be delivered to the box.
Accessing these boxes will terminate the VOCP session. The box owners can
call the system and log
into their mail boxes, to retrieve and delete their voicemail messages.
Pager Boxes
The pager boxes ask callers to enter a numeric message (composed
of DTMF digits) and delivers an 'email page' with the contents of the caller
input to the box's email address. These boxes must have an email address
set.
Accessing these boxes will terminate the VOCP session after the caller has
entered the number and pressed #.
ReceiveFax Boxes
The receivefax boxes allow you to create a box that, when accessed,
plays the message (if set), terminates the VOCP session and switches the modem
to fax mode. Callers may use this box to send faxes to you. This box is not,
strictly, necessary (as VOCP will intercept the fax tone of an incoming fax call
and exit appropriately) but may be useful.
Accessing these boxes will terminate the VOCP session and let mgetty handle
the rest of the call, in fax mode.
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| You can use VOCPLocal to test your system using keyboard and speakers, instead of the phone. |
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Script Boxes
The script box is akin to a command shell box
in that it will (optionally) accept user input (whether numeric or textual),
run a local program and use that program's output to answer the user. Depending
on the type of return specified in the configuration, VOCP will either
- read the exit status of the program (exit)
- read the numerical output of the program (output)
- play the files specified by the program (files, these must be compatible
.rmd files)
- use Text-To-Speech
to synthesize a spoken response (tts)
- send the fax specified by the program's output (sendfax, must be
in g3 format)
These boxes must have an owner set and the script they run must be
either owned by the box owner or the root user. Scripts currently run as the
owner of the box, so be careful with who has control of the scripts and the box
configuration. A good technique, if you have no need to run a script as a particular
user, is to have the scripts owned by root, mode 0755 and have the script boxes
owned by a user like nobody or some other specially created and powerless
user.
Script boxes are a lot like command shell selections,
so take a look at the description below and see the command
shells section of the site.
If the box is a dead end (no autojump, etc. set) or has a return of sendfax,
the call will terminate after access to the box.
Conclusion
We have covered all the currently support VOCP box types. The boxconf program
should be rather intuitive but check the box
configuration section of the site and let us know if you are having difficulties.
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