FreeSWITCH Software Overview and Guide

FreeSWITCH is an open-source software that allows you to create a custom phone system. It's a powerful tool that can be used for a wide range of applications, from simple phone systems to complex communication platforms.

FreeSWITCH is written in C and is released under the Apache License, which means it's free to use and distribute. This makes it a popular choice for developers and businesses looking for a cost-effective solution.

FreeSWITCH can be used to create a variety of communication systems, including voice over internet protocol (VoIP) systems, video conferencing systems, and even social media platforms. It's highly customizable and can be integrated with a wide range of third-party applications and services.

One of the key benefits of FreeSWITCH is its ability to handle high volumes of traffic and provide reliable performance, making it a great choice for large-scale communication systems.

FreeSWITCH is a Software Defined Telecom Stack that enables the digital transformation from proprietary telecom switches to a versatile software implementation. This means it can run on any commodity hardware, from a Raspberry PI to a multi-core server.

FreeSWITCH can handle voice, video, and text communications from an IP Network (VoIP) and the PSTN (regular landlines). It supports all popular VoIP protocols, as well as interfacing with PRIs.

Here are some of the things you can do with FreeSWITCH:

FreeSWITCH is extremely flexible and can be used in any way you can imagine.

You can start building FreeSWITCH by following the step-by-step tutorials provided for each operating system.

The recommended method is to use Debian, which is a popular choice for its stability and ease of use.

Here are the operating systems with tutorials available:

Building FreeSWITCH from source can be a bit involved, but don't worry, we've got you covered.

There are example Dockerfiles available to build FreeSWITCH and its dependencies from source. You can use these to get started.

If you're new to this, it's recommended to follow the step-by-step tutorials for each operating system:

These tutorials will walk you through the process of building FreeSWITCH with the provided dependency packages, making it easier to get up and running.

To get started, you'll want to download the necessary software and tools.

You can find the software download links on the official website of the software provider, which is listed in the "Software Requirements" section.

The software is available in both 32-bit and 64-bit versions, depending on your computer's architecture.

You'll also need to download the configuration file, which can be found in the "Configuration" section.

Make sure to download the correct version of the software and configuration file for your specific needs.

FreeSWITCH is built with a modular architecture, which makes it fully customizable. This means you can pick and choose which functionalities are enabled, and even replace parts of the system with different implementations.

The core of FreeSWITCH provides a base system that's used by all the modules, but most of the features are achieved by standalone modules that aren't dependent on each other. This modular design is key to FreeSWITCH's extensibility, scalability, flexibility, and stability.

FreeSWITCH can be run on systems as small as an embedded softphone or as big as a cluster of full-blown carrier switches, making it a versatile solution for various use cases.

The architecture of this system is a modular design, allowing for easy scalability and maintenance.

It's similar to a Lego structure, where each module can be added or removed as needed.

This modularity is made possible by the use of microservices, which are small, independent services that communicate with each other through APIs.

Microservices are a key feature of this system, allowing for greater flexibility and fault tolerance.

Each microservice is responsible for a specific task, such as user authentication or data storage.

This approach is in contrast to a monolithic architecture, where all functions are contained within a single unit.

The use of microservices also enables the system to be more easily upgraded or modified, without affecting the entire system.

As a result, the system can adapt to changing requirements and user needs more efficiently.

The modular design of this system also makes it easier to integrate with other systems and services.

This is because each module can be easily connected to other modules or external services through APIs.

The use of APIs allows for a high degree of flexibility and interoperability.

In contrast, a monolithic architecture can make it difficult to integrate with other systems.

The system's architecture is also designed with security in mind, using a variety of techniques to protect user data.

One of these techniques is encryption, which ensures that data is protected from unauthorized access.

The system also uses access controls, such as authentication and authorization, to limit access to sensitive data.

These security measures are in place to protect user data and prevent unauthorized access.

The system's architecture is designed to be highly available, with multiple redundancy and failover mechanisms in place.

This ensures that the system remains available even in the event of hardware or software failures.

FreeSWITCH is an incredibly versatile platform that supports a wide range of communication protocols, including VoIP, WebRTC, and PSTN. It can run on anything from a single core VM to a 32-core full dedicated server, making it a great choice for both small and large-scale deployments.

One of the key features of FreeSWITCH is its support for encryption, including ZRTP, DTLS, SIPS, and WSS. This ensures that your communications are secure and protected from eavesdropping.

FreeSWITCH also has a vast array of audio codecs at its disposal, including G722, PCMU, PCMA, Opus, Speex, AMR, GSM, VP8, and VP9. This means you can choose the perfect codec for your specific use case.

But what really sets FreeSWITCH apart is its modular design. You can easily add or remove modules as needed, and even write your own custom modules using popular programming languages like Lua, JavaScript, and more.

Here are some of the key module types you can use with FreeSWITCH:

FreeSWITCH also includes a range of advanced features, such as automatic speech recognition, text-to-speech, and call recording. And with its hot reload feature, you can easily update your modules without having to restart the entire system.

Freeswitch is built with a modular architecture, making it fully customizable. This means you can pick and choose which functionalities are enabled, while also allowing you to replace parts of the system with different implementations.

The core system provides a base system used by all modules, but most of the functionalities are achieved by standalone modules. These modules are not dependent on each other, which makes Freeswitch stable and less prone to problems with one feature bringing down the whole system.

Freeswitch is designed to be extensible, allowing new features to be added easily. This is achieved through a modular system that makes it easy to add or remove modules as needed.

Here are the types of modules that make up Freeswitch:

Freeswitch is also scalable, meaning it can be run on systems as small as an embedded softphone or as big as a cluster of full-blown carrier switches. This makes it a great choice for a wide range of applications, from small businesses to large enterprises.

FreeSWITCH is an open-source project that relies on contributions from its community to stay alive. Contributions to the FreeSWITCH source code are best made through GitHub pull requests.

The license under which FreeSWITCH operates is the MPL 1.1 (Mozilla Public License), but individual modules may use other licenses. This means you should check the specific license for any module you're working with.

If you're interested in contributing to FreeSWITCH, there are several ways to do so. Here are some options:

Contributions to the FreeSWITCH project can be made in various ways.

The recommended way to contribute to the FreeSWITCH source code is through GitHub pull requests.

If you're interested in donating, you can click on the donate link on the FreeSWITCH website.

You can also contribute by joining the documentation team, reporting bugs, or developing software as a developer.

Here's a list of ways to contribute to FreeSWITCH:

FreeSWITCH itself is licensed under the MPL 1.1 (Mozilla Public License). This means that the core software is open-source and allows for modifications and distribution.

Some individual modules might be using other licenses, so it's essential to check the specific licensing terms for each module you plan to use.

Commercial modules are a game-changer for enterprises who need customized support or advanced capabilities for their FreeSWITCH setup.

FreeSWITCH Advantage offers a commercial, enterprise-grade release of the software that can be used to build private cloud applications.

Rich Protocol Support is a key feature of FreeSWITCH Advantage, providing SIP compliance across all transports.

WebRTC is another advanced feature that allows for native services to the browser without a gateway.

Advanced feature support includes text-to-speech, call recording, voice mail, and more.

Integrated Video MCU offers higher level functions such as customizable video layouts, mixed protocol conferences, and screen sharing.

Advanced Support is available for deployment assistance, priority bug fixes, and custom deployment assessment.

If you're looking for a specific module, note that AMD Mods are available, but DEBIAN 8 is NOT SUPPORTED.

The Answering Machine Detection module is a licensed commercial module that can be purchased for $50 per channel.

This module is a key technology for autodialers, allowing them to detect live human pickup and answering machine.

FreeSWITCH is built on top of the Lua programming language, which provides a flexible and dynamic scripting environment. This allows developers to create custom modules and scripts to extend the functionality of the platform.

The FreeSWITCH engine is written in C and uses a modular design, making it easy to add new features and functionality. This modularity also allows for hot-swapping of modules, enabling developers to make changes without restarting the system.

FreeSWITCH supports a wide range of audio codecs, including Opus, G.729, and GSM, providing high-quality voice and audio transmission.

API commands can be issued from the command line, script, or sent from a remote computer via the event socket.

There are hundreds of APIs available from the different modules, and you can type "show api" in the command line to see all APIs based on the modules that are loaded.

API commands can be used to return status information, such as how many listeners are in a conference.

The core also provides API commands, which are located in the Commands module.

These API commands can be used to control the currently running application, such as pausing a file being played.

You can run FreeSWITCH on a variety of platforms, including Linux, Mac OS X, BSD, Solaris, and even Windows. This flexibility makes it a great option for developers and users alike.

FreeSWITCH can be built to run as a background process, also known as a daemon in UNIX or Linux systems, or a service on Windows platforms. This allows you to interact with FreeSWITCH using the Command Line Interface (CLI).

If you don't want to operate your own server, SignalWire offers cloud-hosted FreeSWITCH services from dedicated servers to auto-scaling cloud-hosted services. This is a great option if you're short on resources or want to focus on development rather than server management.

FreeSWITCH can run on a variety of platforms, including Linux, Mac OS X, BSD, Solaris, and even Windows.

You can run FreeSWITCH as a background process, also known as a daemon in UNIX or Linux systems, or as a service on Windows platforms.

FreeSWITCH can be embedded in your application on any device, making it a versatile tool.

If you don't want to operate your own server, SignalWire offers cloud-hosted FreeSWITCH services, including dedicated servers and auto-scaling cloud-hosted services.

Debian is the preferred Linux distribution for FreeSWITCH, as the developers have worked out all dependencies on this platform, making installation and startup smooth.

FreeSWITCH can run on small hardware like a Raspberry Pi, and can scale up to powerful data center servers with dozens of CPU cores.

You can expect FreeSWITCH to handle thousands of concurrent phone calls, depending on your hardware and applications.

Many organizations use Freeswitch to provide Communication as a Service (CAAS).

Freeswitch is also used by a lot of organizations to provide Communication as a Service (CAAS).

You can check out the official Freeswitch documentation on their Confluence page for more information on how to get started.

Freeswitch is maintained on the signalwire GitHub page.