[SOLVED] FreePBX Distro 5.211.65-14 upgraded to 5.211.65-15: zaphfc module was removed from DAHDI

OK, let me check if I’m able to remove it in a clean way…I’m also worried to do a reboot…

Yes it is:

[root@freepbx zaphfc]# rpm -qa | grep kmod-dahdi
kmod-dahdi-linux-2.9.2-18_centos6.2.6.32_431.el6.x86_64.x86_64
kmod-dahdi-linux-2.9.2-19_centos6.2.6.32_431.el6.x86_64.x86_64

How can I get rid of it (kmod-dahdi-linux-2.9.2-19) to contiune and go down to the yum downgrade road? I’m in a loop because it seem impossible to downgrade…as you correctly bet.

Its not that easy to downgrade things.

I would need to work through it on a box. PM me SSH access and I will work through it and let you write up a wiki on how to do it for others.

As far as the issue I really am sorry that removing something that we never actually stated was being done created issues. I guess we just assumed nobody was using it since we never stated we were adding patches for openvox and have not had that in for very long. A year at the most.

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Ok I think I have the downgrade all worked out for you. To anyone using this we never recommend manual downgrades but if you have no other choice here it is.

yum shell
erase dahdi-linux* dahdi-tools* libtonezone* kmod-dahdi* wanpipe*
install dahdi-linux-2.9.0.1 dahdi-linux-debuginfo-2.9.0.1 dahdi-linux-devel-2.9.0.1 dahdi-linux-kmod-debuginfo-2.9.0.1*
install kmod-dahdi-linux-2.9.0.1* 
install dahdi-tools-2.9.0.1* dahdi-tools-debuginfo-2.9.0.1* dahdi-tools-doc-2.9.0.1
install libtonezone-2.9.0.1 libtonezone-devel-2.9.0.1
install wanpipe-7.0.9.3-kernel.2.6.32.431.el6.dahdi.2.9.0.1*
ts solve
ts run
quit
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OK, I did the Yum Shell procedure and, despite the system still shows:

  • kmod-dahdi-linux-2.9.2-18_centos6.2.6.32_431.el6.x86_64
  • kmod-dahdi-linux-2.9.2-19_centos6.2.6.32_431.el6.x86_64

as installed packages, along with the:

  • kmod-dahdi-linux-2.9.0.1-67_centos6.2.6.32_431.el6.x86_64

the procedure itself seems to have worked as expected (I sent you a PM with details).

After that I rebooted the system, then I just checked that FreePBX DAHDI settings were all there (they were untouched) and I did the only one thing that seemed necessary and requested by FreePBX DAHDI Config module: to edit the DAHDI Hardware settings of my PSTN Card, settings that were lost in between (I presume that’s normal due to what we did).

Finally dahdi_hardware shows me the card status and, through Asterisk console, I’m able to see (via show dahdi channels and show dahdi status) that all seems come back to work! I tested an (here: early morning) incoming call and I see it flows through the system.

I will test the system today for outgoing calls but I feel it would be OK.

Should I worry about kmod-dahdi-linux-2.9.2 packages? I’m really too scared to touch anything now.

P.S.
Funny: in the end today I think I’m the only one in the planet Earth with FreePBX Distro 5.211.65-15 AND DAHDI 2.9.0.1 and I learned a series of BIG lessons!

I modified the Thread title…it seems more pertinent to cite zaphfc removal (so if other users search for zaphfc they will find this thread for sure).

I’m in debt with you all.

The points are now:

  • What will then happen with (FreePBX/Schmooze provided) zaphfc?
  • Who is actually responsible for developing (and which take care of) zaphfc?
  • What actions should be done to continue running (or to implement a new) FreePBX Distro system (without worring for its future in terms of software upgrades) that uses generic (not only OpenVox branded) HFC “Cologne Chip” based ISDN cards?
  • Is there a Hardware related roadmap about FreePBX DAHDI Firmware (thus administrators can understand what is going to happen with their specific Hardware)?
  • In which way you manage (or interact with) the development and the maintenance of DAHDI drivers to incorporate them into FreePBX DAHDI and SHMZ OS?

We all know that ISDN BRI is typically “European” and it’s not so common in North America region…this maybe explains why issues with zaphfc (if any…I could the only one up to know) and FreePBX Distro will eventually only hit European based system that uses those HFC based BRI ISDN cards (in the end, I’m looking now, the zaphfc support lasted about 18 months since its inclusion with the FREEPBX-6241, it was a milestone).

This could be a subject for another specific Thread, I suppose.

It wasn’t that we specifically removed that driver it was we removed openvox patch which contained that driver. As far as who maintains it I have no clue but it should be submitted back to Digium for inclusion in stock DAHDI.

As far as long term I would suggest getting a card that is natively supported by DAHDI as we are trying not to patch DAHDI moving forward or we get caught in this situation where we need to get updated DAHDI out for bugs and new Digium cards but can not cause other vendors patches do not work. I would get any of the Digium or Sangoma cards as they do not require any patching to DAHDI.

2 Likes

Hi Tony, that’s quite reasonable, I need time to manage such Hardware transition.

It’s a pity that zaphfc looks “without parents”…without software developers that take care of it continuosly and promptly (as you pointed out regarding how OpenVox behaved with you).

Consider that HFC based cards are there (especially on the European market) for so long…I think well before 2005 (mISDN era?)…that the chip tecnology used in those (cheap) cards is very stable today; the weak point is the software layer above them or, at least, the way each vendor during these years managed it.

So, if I understood your words, zaphfc is actually managed and developed (only) by OpenVox because they based some of their cards on the HFC “Cologne Chip” (as, example, HFC-S PCI A) that needs the zaphfc Kernel Module…is it right? …I thought that Digium take the zaphfc under its umbrella some years ago…but not.

I have no clue who manages or has managed zaphf and never said it was openvox just that we were getting it because we were including patches from OpenVox that included zaphfc. I just know its not part of stock DAHDI which we get from upstream digium direct.

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OK, better wording: looks like that zaphfc is actually managed and developed (only) by OpenVox…never said that you told me that OpenVox own zaphfc (which, I think, is not possible).

Either the case someone maybe could state this is incorrect (I, as user, have less information than you). Maybe there are (few) others Hardware Vendors out there (other than OpenVox) that actually provide their “flavoured” version of zaphfc but, again, I never verified about that.

So, if I understand well what you wrote, the point is that, whoever is managing the zaphfc (actually is OpenVox), it “should go” to Digium and (try to/ask to) collaborate with them to let them incorporate zaphfc support into their (stock) DAHDI SO the source of DAHDI used on FreePBX Distro will have the zaphfc without the need that you do/ask for QA/patching over a module that you didn’t/don’t/will not control directly (DIGIUM and the Community would to that? Naaaaaaaa). I’m just speculating. Too much…

Same problem for me and the yum shell solved the problem.

As discussed, this could have been better managed (lost time after the upgrade of FreePBX :-()

True but as discussed those patches were never supported

Let me (very) friendly disagree on wording: those patches were included in FreePBX DAHDI implementation at some time in a (far/near) past…so writing “those patches were never supported” should be better rewritten into “some patches are now unsupported” (only to avoid confusion; of a total of four patches to kmod-dahdi-linux, the OSLEC one is still present): it can’t be realistically true that FreePBX (kmod-dahdi-linux) Developers, during time, added various (un)supported patches (to add PSTN Cards support as per FreePBX users/Vendors requests) at time they first included them in the FreePBX kmod-dahdi-linux…it’s more realistically true that some of them become unsupported very lately, after years/months after they first inclusion in the FreePBX kmod-dahdi-linux build process.

Speaking about “Patches” we should then clarify which versions of which Patches (the term “those patches” is way too generic) are now unsupported (and why it happened exactly).

I can’t speak about Allo or Rhino Cards support on FreePBX DAHDI but, again, the zaphfc support into FreePBX DAHDI (and I reasonably can imagine the Patch - or Patches - provided by OpenVox during time, as you instructed me) was certainly included “officially” since February 2013 both on FreePBX provided kmod-dahdi-linux RPM package (delivered on/for FreePBX Distro) and through the relevant FreePBX DAHDI Config module (I remember it well: I issued the FREEPBX-6241 Feature Request even if, at time, I definitely missed the kmod-dahdi-linux “side of the story”…as instead I learned few weeks ago).

Only very lately (with the latest FreePBX DAHDI 2.9.2 release) those patches were abruptly removed en-block (the kmod-dahdi-linux provided by FreePBX isn’t built anymore with those patches included → this means that, as example, the “0001-openvox.patch” patch isn’t just the only one that wasn’t included during latest kmod-dahdi-linux built process).

Ok. We don’t need to keep dredging up this subject and debating it over and over. It’s done. Let’s move on. That was my point anyways. The backwards patches have fixed said systems. Is there anything to debate anymore?

Really regretting saying anything here so I take back what I said. I leave this thread as it is. Really I don’t work on this anyways so it’s outside my scope.

Parnassus and others who are no longer supported here, perhaps you should take the debate out of “Distro Discussion & Help”, there are many people who have built from

quite successfully, including myself (yes there are still some ISDN BRI’s in North America, but not many), and yes you probably should not rely on the FreePBX Dahdi helper module, just go the old fashioned way. (there is always more than one way to skin a cat :slight_smile: )

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Last Update: 2013-05-23

Last Modified Download Date: 2011-10-30

Hardly latest by any means but whatever suits you I suppose.

Perhaps so, but luckily for me, neither ISDN signalling nor the Cologne chip has changed since it was released.

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Well, I am in Colombia and we use the EURO BRI as well.
The downgrade process worked, but now I am stuck with no clear upgrade route. Any chance the patch will be re-included in DAHDI?

No it will not be re-included. You are stuck on that “line” of the FreePBX distro.

I’ve just hit this limitation too…

Checked the supported cards, OpenVox B100P is listed as Supported (its in the list), Certified - No, but works (as of 13th Jan 2015) but when installed in a fresh install of 64-bit freePBX and no cards show up…

Run the downgrade instructions and reboot, card shows up correctly.

I feel the list of supported cards is now somewhat misleading: It (I think) should say: Certified - No, Works No, better yet, remove from the list as it is NOT supported if you have removed the drivers etc!

mjcp

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I’m stuck on the issue too :

OpenVox B100P is listed as Supported
Not shown in Digital Hardware on the latest 6.12.65-26 distro
Module zaphfc still listed on Dahdi Config - Module Settings , Checked
FATAL: Module zaphfc not found. after a service dahdi restart
Card listed on dahdi_hardware command.
Andrew said it will be never re-icluded in distros
I can clearly understand this is a way to promote using other partners card…but , are all other OpenVox card still supported (read usable) ? if yes, why B100P is not ??
Or…if all OpenVox cards are not usable, why are they still there ??

Let us know please
Thank you