Linux answering machine

[Chong Yu Meng]

On Thu, 2006-11-16 at 06:53 -0500, Matthew Carpenter wrote:
> On Thursday 16 November 2006 02:09, Chong Yu Meng wrote:
> > Hi all,
> >
> > This is probably going to sound like a strange request:
> >
> > I want to setup a Linux system that can receive phone calls through a
> > voice modem and Bluetooth headset, but I have no clue where to start.
> > The reason why I suddenly need to do this is, my wife recently bought a
> > Plantronics Bluetooth phone that cannot work with my current phone --
> > its a mechanical design incompatibility between an American product and
> > a German phone (long story!). Anyway, I've never had much luck with
> > cordless residential phones, having wasted quite a lot of money on 2
> > previous phones: one Philips phone with ridiculously short talk time of
> > 20 minutes, and one with speakers that are so soft that nobody who calls
> > me can hear what I am saying.
> 
> You don't want a "modem", you want an FXO card, something like a Digium card.  
> Search ebay for Digium-like FXO and FXS cards, but don't pay more than 
> USD$25.  The Digium cards are expensive, but the knockoffs are cheap and work 
> fine.  
> 
> Then you need software to talk to the FXO card.  I use Asterisk as a PBX and 
> the FXO card lets Asterisk interface with my plain old telephone line, kinda 
> acting like an answering machine, but able to send calls to my VoIP phones...  
> The bluetooth phone likely can interface with some VoIP software (if I'm 
> understanding you right about what it is)
> 

Thanks, Matthew ! It's a little more complicated than I would like. I'd
prefer not to have to setup VoIP and stuff just so my wife can answer
calls, but you may be right. I'll definitely keep it in mind. I've heard
of Asterisk, but haven't had a chance to look further into it.

Thanks and Regards,
pascal