Am I missing something obvious? Recently setup our first FreePBX 13 server and coming from earlier versions of FreePBX the users could login to the UCP (what was then called the ARI module) to set their own buddy list and edit the line keys on their Polycom phones. Of course OSS Endpoint Manager’s template editor still has a checkbox to make Buddy List entries “End User Editable (Through ARI Module)”, but I understand that’s out of date.
After logging into an extension via the UCP and going to Contacts I can create a Contact group and add contacts. The user can originate calls from the web interface. I can see this group and these contacts created under the Admin->Contact Manager module. What I can’t see is any way to use these contacts (or any GUI based way at this point) to edit the buddy list line keys on Polycom phones. Is this still possible, via either OSS Endpoint Manager or the commercial Endpoint Manager?
P.S. The Contacts - UCP wiki page has no documentation for me to refer to, so I haven’t been able to determine if that functionality was just completely removed intentionally, ignored due to OSS EPM aging, or planned as part of FreePBX 14. I could possibly see the intention being that users should just ignore the line keys on their phone and use the web control panel, but that isn’t stated anywhere that I’ve seen. https://wiki.freepbx.org/display/FPG/Contacts+-+UCP
If no one answers your question, be sure to submit a Feature Request through the Issues page. I was looking for the same thing in a recent install and I couldn’t find it either.
So you want to load your directory on your Polycom phone?
This is very helpful for Polycom’s and to load the directory for Aastracom/Mitel. Shows the name of the extension you are calling, while the phone is ringing.
Check this out that Chris wrote up for Polycom phones. It takes the extension on Freepbx and creates the buddy list for the phones to upload. And it auto updates. https://www.crosstalksolutions.com/freepbx-polycom-directory-automation/
I’m not sure where that came from as I understand the current UCP, the deprecated ARI Module, and OSS Endpoint are wholly individual entities. My point is that on former versions enabling the End User Editable feature within an OSS Endpoint template would allow the ARI Module to edit the template’s Buddy List. On 2.11 I just created a test extension, set up a fake device in OSS Endpoint Device List, and set the Buddy List to editable, then logged into the User Panel (ARI Module) to show that I can edit it. Changing these lines here will configure the buddy list buttons on a Polycom phone. I have uploaded screenshots below.
My question at this point is does this feature or one like it exist in recent versions with the UCP and UI rewrites? Are there any plans for this? I would be happy to write up my own hack or contribute, but I’m trying to determine where work is already being done so I don’t waste anyone’s time.
You are more than welcome to do so. Except we’ve had many complaints that OSS Endpoint Manager in 13 doesn’t even work. We brought on a community developer to help fix that and the community said he actually made it worse. So right now we are at a sort of crossroads with the module.
Things happen - the Chan-SCCP-B manager module is completely OBE now, so maybe it’s time. The OSS EPM is too big and unwieldy to be maintained by one person - it really does require a village, and one that’s willing to work together. At this point (especially from 13 on) it might just be time to say “It’s implemented in the PIAF”.
I’ve seen that previously, but my impression was that all phones would use the same directory, and again that has to be manually updated by an administrator. The original feature allowed individuals to customize their own line keys from a web interface.
Due to Andrew’s responses I’ll likely write a short script at least for the interim, then follow up with a web interface that integrates with our internal help desk web interface tools. Users will email in a ticket with their desired buddy list:
9999999 Buddy1
8888888 Buddy2
Providing the script a MAC address and the buddy list will dump the appropriate -directory.xml file. The web interface would be housed on a different server that only our NOC has access to, then it would FTP the directory file over to the FreePBX server. We only use Polycoms so what I would write would only be useful for those. If there’s interest I can post the source code of the tools I write up here for others to use.
