# Installation Written against Debian 12 + Asterisk 20 + Apache 2.4 + Postfix + MySQL/MariaDB, running under Virtualmin. Adjust paths if your layout differs. Everything installs to `/opt/vm-transcribe` with audio in `/var/lib/vm-transcribe`. Nothing is installed into system Python. > **Frontend lives in a separate repo.** This backend repo ships a *synced > copy* under `frontend/`. Build the real app in `/home/jp/Work/voicemail-ui` > and rsync the result to the web root (see §6). Keep the two in sync with > `rsync -a /home/jp/Work/voicemail-ui/ frontend/` then commit. --- ## 0. Prerequisites ```bash # Asterisk voicemail must use file-based storage (the default), not ODBC/IMAP grep -E '^(odbcstorage|imapserver)' /etc/asterisk/voicemail.conf # expect nothing # tools sudo apt install ffmpeg sox python3-venv # sox optional (gsm) sudo apt install default-mysql-server # or mariadb-server which certbot # for the portal's TLS node --version && npm --version # Node 18+ for the frontend # an MTA on localhost:25 sudo ss -ltnp | grep ':25 ' ``` **Check disk space before you start.** A full `/var` makes Postfix reject all mail with `452 4.3.1 Insufficient system storage`, which looks like a bug in this pipeline but is not: ```bash df -h /var ``` --- ## 1. MySQL (storage + contacts + CDR) The backend shares the Asterisk `asterisk` database. Create a least-privilege user and a credentials file: ```bash sudo mysql -e "CREATE USER IF NOT EXISTS 'asterisk'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'PICK_A_STRONG_PASSWORD';" sudo mysql -e "GRANT SELECT,INSERT,UPDATE,DELETE,CREATE,INDEX,ALTER ON asterisk.* TO 'asterisk'@'localhost';" sudo mysql -e "FLUSH PRIVILEGES;" ``` Write `/opt/vm-transcribe/db_secret` (mode `640 root:root`): ```bash sudo install -o root -g root -m 640 /dev/null /opt/vm-transcribe/db_secret sudo tee /opt/vm-transcribe/db_secret >/dev/null <<'EOF' MYSQL_HOST=localhost MYSQL_USER=asterisk MYSQL_PASSWORD=PICK_A_STRONG_PASSWORD MYSQL_DB=asterisk EOF ``` `vm_store` uses MySQL whenever this file (or `VM_MYSQL_*` env vars) exists; otherwise it falls back to SQLite. The schema is created on first connect. (Optional) To load call records into the same DB, wire Asterisk CDR via `cdr_adaptive_odbc` + `res_odbc` + the MariaDB ODBC driver, then run `src/vm_backfill_cdr.py` to import `Master.csv` history. --- ## 2. Core pipeline (mailcmd + venv) The `install.sh` script builds the venv, installs `faster-whisper`, deploys the mailcmd scripts, seeds `telegram.conf`, pre-caches the whisper model **as the asterisk user**, and rewrites `voicemail.conf`'s `mailcmd=`. > `install.sh` reads sources from `/home/jp/asterisk-vm` (the deploy path in > AGENTS.md). Either symlink/clobber that path to this repo, or edit the `SRC=` > line at the top of `scripts/install.sh` before running. ```bash sudo scripts/install.sh ``` Verify the wiring: ```bash grep '^mailcmd' /etc/asterisk/voicemail.conf # mailcmd=/opt/vm-transcribe/venv/bin/python3 /opt/vm-transcribe/vm_mailcmd.py ``` ### Test it before trusting it Build a fake notification and pipe it through **as the `asterisk` user** — testing as yourself hides permission problems: ```bash cd /home/jp/Work/asterisk-voicemail python3 tests/make_test_mail.py /path/to/some.wav you@example.com > /tmp/t.eml sudo chmod 644 /tmp/t.eml sudo -u asterisk /opt/vm-transcribe/venv/bin/python3 \ /opt/vm-transcribe/vm_mailcmd.py < /tmp/t.eml sudo tail -5 /var/log/asterisk/vm_mailcmd.log ``` You should see `transcribed … chars` then `sent enriched notification to …`. Confirm the mail actually left: ```bash sudo grep "to=" /var/log/mail.log | tail -1 # status=sent ``` Also verify the fail-safe — a message with **no** audio must relay unchanged rather than erroring: ```bash printf 'From: a@b\nTo: you@example.com\nSubject: no audio\n\nbody\n' > /tmp/n.eml sudo chmod 644 /tmp/n.eml sudo -u asterisk /opt/vm-transcribe/venv/bin/python3 \ /opt/vm-transcribe/vm_mailcmd.py < /tmp/n.eml # log: "no audio attachment; relaying original" ``` --- ## 3. Telegram (optional) 1. Create a bot: message [@BotFather](https://t.me/BotFather) → `/newbot` → copy the token. 2. Put it in `/opt/vm-transcribe/telegram.conf` (`sudo`, mode 640 root:asterisk). 3. **Each recipient must message the bot once** (`/start`) — Telegram forbids bots from initiating conversations. 4. Discover chat IDs and test: ```bash sudo /opt/vm-transcribe/venv/bin/python3 /opt/vm-transcribe/vm_tg_setup.py ids sudo /opt/vm-transcribe/venv/bin/python3 /opt/vm-transcribe/vm_tg_setup.py test 1001 ``` The `test` subcommand sends a real DM with a playable voice note and exits non-zero on failure. See [CONFIGURATION.md](CONFIGURATION.md#telegramconf) for per-mailbox routing. --- ## 4. Contacts (MySQL) Contacts live in the MySQL `contacts` table — there is no file/Google/CardDAV backend anymore. Load your address book from a vCard/CSV export: ```bash sudo -u asterisk /opt/vm-transcribe/venv/bin/python3 \ /opt/vm-transcribe/vm_import_contacts.py /path/to/contacts.vcf ``` Confirm lookup works: ```bash sudo -u asterisk /opt/vm-transcribe/venv/bin/python3 \ /opt/vm-transcribe/vm_contacts.py '<07700900123>' ``` --- ## 5. Backend services Install both units (API + legacy portal/audio): ```bash sudo install -d -o asterisk -g asterisk -m 750 \ /var/lib/vm-transcribe /var/lib/vm-transcribe/audio sudo /opt/vm-transcribe/venv/bin/pip install fastapi 'uvicorn[standard]' python-multipart pymysql # API unit reads MySQL creds from api.env sudo install -o root -g root -m 640 /opt/vm-transcribe/db_secret /opt/vm-transcribe/api.env sudo install -o root -g root -m 644 systemd/vm-api.service /etc/systemd/system/ sudo install -o root -g root -m 644 systemd/vm-portal.service /etc/systemd/system/ sudo systemctl daemon-reload sudo systemctl enable --now vm-api vm-portal sudo systemctl is-active vm-api vm-portal curl -s http://127.0.0.1:8098/api/healthz # {"ok":true,...} curl -s http://127.0.0.1:8099/healthz # {"ok":true,"messages":N} ``` The services run as `asterisk` (so they can read `voicemail.conf` and the spool) and bind **loopback only** — `IPAddressAllow=localhost` means Apache is the only possible client. --- ## 6. React frontend (build + deploy) The interactive UI is a React SPA built in `/home/jp/Work/voicemail-ui`: ```bash cd /home/jp/Work/voicemail-ui npm install npm run build # outputs dist/ ``` Deploy the static build to the web root (Apache serves it and proxies `/api/` to :8098 and `/audio/` to :8099): ```bash sudo -A rsync -a --exclude node_modules --exclude dist \ /home/jp/Work/voicemail-ui/ /home/txt3/domains/vm.txt3.net/public_html/ ``` Keep this repo's copy in sync for documentation/commit purposes: ```bash rsync -a /home/jp/Work/voicemail-ui/ frontend/ # then git commit under frontend/ ``` --- ## 7. Apache vhost + TLS **Order matters.** Installing a vhost that references a cert which does not yet exist breaks `apache2ctl configtest`, which blocks reloads for *every* site on the box. So: DNS → cert → full vhost. ### 7a. DNS ```bash dig +short vm.txt3.net A # must return your ORIGIN ip ``` Behind Cloudflare, set the record to **DNS only (grey cloud)** first, or the HTTP-01 challenge is intercepted by the edge. ### 7b. Minimal :80 vhost, so certbot can answer the challenge ```bash sudo install -d -o www-data -g www-data -m 755 /var/www/vm.txt3.net/public_html sudo cp apache/vm.txt3.net-step1.conf /etc/apache2/sites-available/vm.txt3.net.conf # edit ServerName / paths / IPs to match your host sudo a2ensite vm.txt3.net sudo apache2ctl configtest && sudo systemctl reload apache2 ``` ### 7c. Issue the certificate ```bash sudo certbot certonly --webroot -w /var/www/vm.txt3.net/public_html \ -d vm.txt3.net --cert-name vm.txt3.net ``` ### 7d. Full vhost — HTTPS + reverse proxy ```bash sudo a2enmod proxy proxy_http headers rewrite ssl sudo cp apache/vm.txt3.net.conf /etc/apache2/sites-available/vm.txt3.net.conf # edit ServerName, cert paths, IPs, DocumentRoot sudo install -d /var/www/vm.txt3.net/public_html/.well-known/acme-challenge sudo apache2ctl configtest && sudo systemctl reload apache2 ``` The shipped `apache/vm.txt3.net.conf` already proxies `/api/` → :8098, `/audio/` → :8099, serves the React `dist` as `DocumentRoot`, and adds an SPA fallback (`RewriteRule ^ /index.html`). ### 7e. Verify through the real hostname Not localhost — the whole point is to exercise Apache, TLS and the proxy: ```bash R="--resolve vm.txt3.net:443:ORIGIN.IP" curl -s $R https://vm.txt3.net/api/healthz curl -s $R -o /dev/null -w '%{http_code}\n' https://vm.txt3.net/login curl -s $R -D- -o /dev/null https://vm.txt3.net/login | grep -iE 'strict-transport|content-security|x-frame' # SPA fallback curl -s $R -o /dev/null -w '%{http_code}\n' https://vm.txt3.net/some/route ``` Behind a CDN, `curl https://host/` tests the *CDN*, not your origin. Always `--resolve` to the origin IP when verifying a change. --- ## 8. Backfill existing voicemails ```bash V=/opt/vm-transcribe/venv/bin/python3 sudo -u asterisk $V /opt/vm-transcribe/vm_import.py --dry-run # preview sudo -u asterisk $V /opt/vm-transcribe/vm_import.py --limit 5 # trial sudo -u asterisk $V /opt/vm-transcribe/vm_import.py # all sudo -u asterisk $V /opt/vm-transcribe/vm_backfill_cdr.py # CDR history ``` Idempotent — safe to re-run; it resumes rather than duplicating. Expect a `no_speech` count: 44-byte WAVs are hung-up calls with no audio, not failures. Reckon on ~1.5 s per message plus transcription time; 157 messages took 3m40s on 4 cores. --- ## 9. Log in Browse to `https://vm.txt3.net/` and log in with a **mailbox number and its existing voicemail PIN** from `voicemail.conf`. No new passwords are created. --- ## Uninstall ```bash sudo systemctl disable --now vm-api vm-portal sudo rm /etc/systemd/system/vm-api.service /etc/systemd/system/vm-portal.service sudo systemctl daemon-reload sudo a2dissite vm.txt3.net && sudo systemctl reload apache2 # restore the original mailcmd sudo cp /etc/asterisk/voicemail.conf.bak- /etc/asterisk/voicemail.conf sudo asterisk -rx 'voicemail reload' sudo rm -rf /opt/vm-transcribe # keep /var/lib/vm-transcribe for the data # MySQL: DROP USER 'asterisk'@'localhost'; (optionally DROP DATABASE asterisk;) ```