Installing the FreePBX Distro
1. Download the ISO file from the FreePBX web-site.
2. Convert the ISO file to a DVD or CD. On Windows 7 machines, right click on the file and select "open with," and then Windows Disc Image Burner. For computers running other operating systems, Google convert ISO to CD and you'll find plenty of instructions.
3. Select a computer to install the FreePBX Distro on. EVERYTHING ON THIS COMPUTER WILL BE DELETED AND REPLACED WITH THE FREEPBX DISTRO. Configure the computer to boot from a DVD or CD. Insert the DVD or CD into the computer and turn it on.
NOTE: You must be connected to the internet to run the installer
If you're installing using a USB drive, you may encounter a "kickstart" error while installing. If you do, don't fret! Just keep hitting enter when the prompts appear and everything will probably work just fine.
4. The installer will begin with a black background and with white text appearing down screen. Within 30 seconds, the screen will change to a blue background. A gray window will appear that asks you to configure your TCP/IP settings. The default settings should work fine, so press the TAB key until the red "OK" box is highlighted in white, and then press ENTER.
5. The system will present you with a window showing that it is retrieving images while it downloads the install package from the internet. That should take 3-5 minutes.
6. After the system is done downloading the install files from the internet, you'll see a series of messages asking you about your network configuration. The default selections are fine in most cases, so just press TAB until the red "Yes" box is highlighted in white and then press ENTER. Keep repeating this process until you reach the "Time Zone Selection" screen.
7. Eventually, you will reach the "Time Zone Selection" screen. If your system clock uses GMT (most do not), hit space. Then, hit TAB to move to the time zone selection area. Use the up and down arrows to select the time zone where you will use the system, and then hit TAB until the red "OK" button is highlighted in white. Then, hit ENTER.
8. The installer will ask you to to select your Root password. The Root password is the password you'll use to login to the Linux command prompt later. Selecting a secure password is very important. Type the password, hit TAB, type it again, hit TAB, and then hit ENTER.
9. The installer will do a dependency check, will format your hard drive, and then start the package installation process. There may be a significant delay before the installation actually starts, so be patient. Eventually, the installation will show you a progress bar indicating the percentage completed and the time elapsed/remaining. That process should take between 20 and 30 minutes.
10. The installer will install the bootloader and some other scripts, and then reboot your computer. More white text will appear on a black background as the completed installation boots. A few additional packages will be installed and updated while in this mode. Your computer will then reboot again.
11. Your computer will boot again, and you'll reach the Linux console/command prompt login. You can login here using the username "root" without quotes, and the Root password you selected earlier.
12. After you login, type "ifconfig" at the command line and determine the IP address of your machine (to the right of eth0). Then type "exit" to return to the login screen.
13. Go to another computer on the same network and enter that IP address into your web browser. The first time you do so you'll be asked to select the admin user and the admin password. That username and password will be used in the future to access the FreePBX configuration screen. You will also be asked to set the "FOP Password" which you can use to access the "Flash Operator Panel."
Note: These passwords do not change the Root password! They are only used for access to the FreepBX web interface.
14. The main FreePBX screen will offer you four options:
PBX Adminstrator will allow you to configure your PBX. Use the admin user and admin password you configured in the step above to login. This section is what most people refer to as "FreePBX."
The User Control Panel (aka ARI) allows users to listen to their voicemail mesages and change certain features such as call forwarding. Users login using their extension number and voicemail password. The Administrator logs in using the username "admin" and the password set-up during the install.
The Flash Operator Panel is a screen that allows an operator to control calls, using the FOP Password you configured above. It is disabled by default in the FreePBX Distro, but can be enabled in the Advanced Settings Module, by changing "Disable FOP" to False, clicking the green check-box to the right that appears after changing it to False, and then clicking the Orange "Apply Configuration Changes" at the top.
Alternatively, you can install the Flash Operator Panel 2 (a commercial product that works much better than the original, free Flash Operator Panel, but which has limited utility unless you pay for a license), by typing
yum install fop2-freepbx
at the command line.
15. The FreePBX Distro offers you the option of installing some additional features. From the command prompt, you can install certain additional features by typing "yum install (name of feature)".
For a full list of add-ons that can be installed using "yum install" click here:
http://www.freepbx.org/forum/freepbx-distro/distro-discussion-help/add-on-rpms
For example, if you want to install Flash Operator Panel 2, type:
yum install fop2-freepbx
at the command line.
If you want to install the Aastra Scripts, type
yum install aastra-xml-scripts
at the command line.
For more information on the Aastra Scripts or to download instructions on how to use them, click on this link:
http://www.aastra.com/xml-scripts-for-pbx-in-a-flash.htm
or this link:
http://pbxinaflash.com/forum/showthread.php?t=7712
First Steps After Installation
For some suggestions on what to do after you finish the installation read about the First Steps After Installation.
Upgrading the FreePBX Distro
For information on the release versions and how to upgrade the FreePBX Distro read Upgrading the FreePBX Distro.