FOP future plans?
As the system administrator for a small business, I have to make decisions on what software to purchase for our servers. I am currently in the process of testing products for our VOIP system so we can get rid of the old Fonality software on it.
After testing the demo version of FOP2, I like what I have seen. It seems simple enough to install and configure. It also has enough features that we won't miss the use of HUD. However, it looks like it is not being maintained as well as it could be. The main indicator of that is the latest version not being written specifically for CentOS 6. I should mention that it did work fine on my test server, though.
The main thing I wish to know is if there are plans for a FOP 3, or will FOP 2 continue to be updated over the next few years? My company is not interested in purchasing a product which is already behind on updates, only to have it stop working due to updating the VOIP server's software. If there is a completely new edition of the software coming out, we also don't want to be spending money twice on such similar products.
After testing the demo version of FOP2, I like what I have seen. It seems simple enough to install and configure. It also has enough features that we won't miss the use of HUD. However, it looks like it is not being maintained as well as it could be. The main indicator of that is the latest version not being written specifically for CentOS 6. I should mention that it did work fine on my test server, though.
The main thing I wish to know is if there are plans for a FOP 3, or will FOP 2 continue to be updated over the next few years? My company is not interested in purchasing a product which is already behind on updates, only to have it stop working due to updating the VOIP server's software. If there is a completely new edition of the software coming out, we also don't want to be spending money twice on such similar products.
Comments
FOP2 is being heavily updated, and because of that the next release is being withheld a little bit. Actually because it is a little bit *too* current for its time. In any case 2.27 will be released probably by the end of this month.
You can get 2.27, that is in beta, works on any centos version, debian and ubutu with no symlinks. I have also created an arm/raspberry pi version last week.
http://download.fop2.com/fop2-2.27-centos-i386.tgz
http://download.fop2.com/fop2-2.27-centos-x86_64.tgz
http://download.fop2.com/fop2-2.27-debian-i386.tgz
http://download.fop2.com/fop2-2.27-debian-x86_64.tgz
http://download.fop2.com/fop2-2.27-arm.tgz
As you notice, the centos package now does not include a version as it will work with versions 5 and 6.
Regarding the *too* current, you can take my word or not, but the problem is related to the HTML5 websockets implementation that was implemented in FOP2 a long while ago, before even browsers had the feature enabled.
Now that browsers have websockets enabled, it is actually a problem as the specification -and the implementations- are not finished and differ from browser to browser.
Version 2.27 includes Secure Web Sockets support. And this is actually the reason for not releasing it officially yet, as firefox is stricter than chrome in that regard, and browsers do not like self signed certificates much, and for websockets *they DO NOT ASK THE USER FOR ACCEPTING the certificate*. What this means is that you might won't be able to connect via https:// to fop2 unless you do some manual tweaks on the browser so it accepts your certificate. It also requires a fop2.cfg addition to point to your certificate and key files, something that is *not* simple to find/set.
So, I have the option to disable websockets in the stock config (and use the ancient flash xmlsockets), or try to document/catch all those things before release and having a zillion support requests because of distinct/contradictive/poor websockets implementations in browsers.
The big list of new features is:
[list:1lv3ykvy][*:1lv3ykvy]SMS sending via: khomp, web services, chan_dongle. Chrome speech recognition for entering sms text.
Chrome extension for FOP2.[/*:m:1lv3ykvy]
[*:1lv3ykvy]Separate buttons for blind and supervised transfers[/*:m:1lv3ykvy]
[*:1lv3ykvy]New Server architecture and support for secure web sockets. It works now with *every* websocket implementation *ever*. [/*:m:1lv3ykvy]
[*:1lv3ykvy]ODBC Voicemail support for voicemail explorer[/*:m:1lv3ykvy]
[*:1lv3ykvy]Drag&Drop transfer support[/*:m:1lv3ykvy]
[*:1lv3ykvy]Added Sample Thirdlane auto-configuration scripts. [/*:m:1lv3ykvy]
[*:1lv3ykvy]Several small additions and bug fixes andnew translations[/*:m:1lv3ykvy][/list:u:1lv3ykvy]
Here is the change log as of today:
date: Fri Feb 01 12:54:48 2013 -0300
summary: fop2_client: strip space from dial string
date: Fri Feb 01 10:54:37 2013 -0300
summary: Add turkish translation
date: Wed Jan 30 17:49:13 2013 -0300
summary: fop2admin: fix sorting number/name to not collide with types
date: Wed Jan 02 15:23:42 2013 -0300
summary: Add Catalan translation
date: Wed Jan 02 15:21:30 2013 -0300
summary: Add url to notifylib just in case I add it in the future
date: Fri Nov 30 16:15:26 2012 -0300
summary: fop2_client: Update js client to add separate blind and supervised transfers
date: Fri Nov 30 16:14:55 2012 -0300
summary: fop2_server: New architecture for FOP2 server. Secure Web Socket Support.
date: Fri Nov 30 16:14:29 2012 -0300
summary: scripts: Force utf8 on autoconfig scripts
date: Wed Nov 21 12:05:23 2012 -0300
summary: fop2_client: Update dutch translation
date: Tue Nov 06 00:35:26 2012 -0300
summary: fop2_client: Prevent pickup action when own extension is busy
date: Tue Oct 30 12:06:21 2012 -0300
summary: fop2_server: Fix pausing queue members that are not buttons. Simplify unpark calls
date: Tue Oct 30 11:55:01 2012 -0300
summary: fop2_client: Add logout on UI even if no position is set
date: Wed Oct 24 19:41:51 2012 -0300
summary: fop2_client: Add setvar to notifyringing on client
date: Wed Oct 24 16:53:07 2012 -0300
summary: fop2_server: Small fix in read server config to accept settings with zero value
date: Fri Oct 19 19:39:03 2012 -0300
summary: fop2_client: Stop observing key up to try to prevent duplicates. add some check to mwi null to prevent warning
date: Fri Oct 19 17:15:07 2012 -0300
summary: fop2_client: Add some time to registration results via web to be displayed
date: Tue Oct 16 16:40:00 2012 -0300
summary: fop2_server: Query cdr variable for monitor inbound instead of linked chan to fix recording elastix
date: Thu Sep 20 15:40:53 2012 -0300
summary: fop2_server: Fix setvar for reading port for panel contexts variable files
date: Tue Sep 18 18:32:10 2012 -0300
summary: fop2_client: update dbgrid.php to use preg_split
date: Tue Sep 18 18:30:48 2012 -0300
summary: fop2_client: Expand main grid when there are no elements in the right column
date: Tue Sep 18 17:26:28 2012 -0300
summary: fop2_server: Increase websocket payload size 10fold
date: Fri Sep 14 16:00:37 2012 -0300
summary: scripts: Fixed problem with 10 digit extensions and autoconfig scripts
date: Fri Sep 07 10:57:51 2012 -0300
summary: Add support for ChanVariable in manager events for RINGING setvar states
date: Wed Aug 22 16:09:30 2012 -0300
summary: Add dutch translation js files
date: Thu Aug 09 12:42:50 2012 -0300
summary: Server: Custom permission sample in fop2.cfg
date: Wed Jul 25 17:08:37 2012 -0300
summary: Fixed version detection for FreePBX for 2.10 to get the correct queue context on config scripts
date: Tue Jul 10 19:07:29 2012 -0300
summary: Fix sample buttons.cfg for cssclass parameter
date: Tue Jul 10 18:20:26 2012 -0300
summary: Separate css definitions for park, trunk and conference buttons
date: Fri Jul 06 12:08:35 2012 -0300
summary: Add support for odbc voicemail
date: Wed Jun 27 14:53:36 2012 -0300
summary: Add experimental drag&drop support (enableDragTransfer in presence.js)t
date: Thu Jun 14 15:31:57 2012 -0300
summary: Add noCdr to fop2dummy context in extensions-override
date: Tue May 29 09:45:54 2012 -0300
summary: Server: pass uniqueid as monitor_exec_args for record, to get correct unique for cdr updating. Set default direction to inbound if not set.
date: Tue May 29 09:43:41 2012 -0300
summary: Update recording_elastix script to use 4th argument uniqueid passed via MONITOR_EXEC_ARGS
date: Thu May 24 17:19:05 2012 -0300
summary: Phonebook: Check file existance on image for grid to avoid broken img on record view
date: Thu May 24 16:29:53 2012 -0300
summary: Add boot.js to load javascript dynamically and sequentially, hopefully avoiding cache
date: Thu May 24 13:17:35 2012 -0300
summary: FOP2 Client: strip non numeric from sms number, add plugins array and setlang callback for them
date: Thu May 24 11:08:03 2012 -0300
summary: Update index_only_extensions to included fixes to sms box
date: Thu May 24 10:57:01 2012 -0300
summary: Encode dongle sms to utf8. Add sms_reponse_error in fop2.cfg
date: Wed May 23 12:39:51 2012 -0300
summary: Add google speech input on sms input box
date: Tue May 22 10:30:08 2012 -0300
summary: Client: only send ping after drawing buttons on screen
date: Tue May 22 09:23:25 2012 -0300
summary: Added callback call for towhisper client action
date: Thu May 17 17:57:09 2012 -0300
summary: Add tospy fop2callbacks call, modify dial callback to send to correct server if specified
date: Wed May 16 08:02:30 2012 -0300
summary: Support for Gtalk trunks with format Gtalk/voice.google.com. Debug format fixes
date: Tue May 15 19:45:01 2012 -0300
summary: Be sure to hide menu with no items, fix line on submenu action
date: Tue May 15 19:13:33 2012 -0300
summary: Improve sms api , add post support. sms_api_url, sms_api_user, sms_api_password, sms_api_method
date: Tue May 15 16:21:26 2012 -0300
summary: Add threaded sms web_api sending engine
date: Tue May 15 15:56:51 2012 -0300
summary: Improve input fields style for sms box
date: Mon May 14 09:37:41 2012 -0300
summary: Add fop2callsbacks to queueadd, queuelogout
date: Thu May 10 19:09:04 2012 -0300
summary: statically link libcrypto on centos5, 32 bits. Add commented lines to autoconfig-users for multi server setups
date: Fri May 04 11:39:40 2012 -0300
summary: Add Chan Dongle support for sending sms. dongle_gsm in fop2.cfg
date: Wed May 02 20:02:27 2012 -0300
summary: Add config generators for thirdlane and standalone asterisk
date: Fri Apr 20 19:31:46 2012 -0300
summary: Added commented code to set chan vars on bridged channels userevent setvar
date: Fri Apr 13 15:52:50 2012 -0300
summary: check for element to avoid warnings in debug
date: Fri Apr 13 15:47:22 2012 -0300
summary: Destroy php session on logout
date: Thu Apr 12 19:15:35 2012 -0300
summary: Add recording_cdr.pl script
date: Thu Apr 12 19:07:04 2012 -0300
summary: Refactor autoconfig buttons and improve user device mode generation
date: Wed Apr 11 23:21:47 2012 -0300
summary: Update autoconfig-buttons so it populates originatechannel automatically when user&device mode
date: Tue Apr 03 17:36:38 2012 -0300
summary: Update queuememberstatus only when changed state, reduces quite a bit the load on the js client
date: Tue Apr 03 12:04:13 2012 -0300
summary: Fix crash when sending wide character status in other presence
date: Tue Mar 27 12:16:45 2012 -0300
summary: Update index_only_extensions.html so it does not break the js app
date: Fri Mar 23 09:01:02 2012 -0300
summary: Add display filters to phonebook to add tooltip when mouse over first,last and company fields
is there any update on FOP version 2.27?
The improvements mentioned are very interesting.
I've installed the beta version, but it still has some bugs.
When it is scheduled a stable release?
Thanks
Marco
What bugs? If you report them we can work on fixing them and release it as final.
1. Get away from Flash so it can run on iPads and other non-Flash enabled devices.
2. Drag and drop transfers would be awesome. Let users choose whether this creates a blind or attended transfer in their options area.
3. Have an option to switch from noun-verb operation to verb-noun. At least in the U.S. it seems like most people want to click the action first (i.e. Transfer), then the object (the extension).
Keep up that great work, Nicolás, and thank you.
It already works on IOS devices since version 2.20 (2 years old) using html5 websockets. Flash is used as fallback for minor features (voicemail playback), that it is not possible to do with html5 sound right now as codecs/formats are very limited. However, we are working (sponsored development) on having voicemail streaming using html5 sound if voicemail is stored in mp3/ogg. But that feature (mp3/ogg) won't be included on 2.27 but on the next version.
Version 2.27 beta includes drag&drop transfers, but it is marked as experimental. Look at presence.js to enable it.
I see your point, I will think about it, but not sure if it will be simple to have it just as an option/toggle.
Best regards,
1. The drag-and-drop seems to not work always, even if I'm not been able to reproduce the problem systematically. So I'm sorry but I can not therefore give you additional details.
2. Updating to version 2.27beta did not longer works correctly the click-to-call feature. With version 2.26 I've never had any problems with this. Do may I have to change some parameters?
1) Only bridged calls can be transferred, not held ones.. perhaps that was the issue?
2) what do you mean by click to call? in which part?
1) The drag-and-drop works now. It was just a configuration error.
2) If I select an extension and then I press the "DIAL", my device does not ring. With version 2.26 I've never had this problem: by pressing "DIAL" my phone rang and when I answered the call started.
For more information:
- I use FreePBX 2.9
- Device: SIP/914
- User: 514