The Asterisk command line interface (CLI) is reached by using the Linux shell command
asterisk -r

If you want debugging output, add one or many v:s
asterisk -vvvvvr

The Asterisk server has to be running in the background for the CLI to start.

If you want to run a CLI command in a shell script, use the x option

asterisk -rx "logger reload"

For help in the CLI mode, use the help command. To get help on various applications you can use in the extensions.conf config file, use the show applications command.

Batch files with CLI

If you meant "can Asterisk read a series of commands from a file" the
answer is no, but something like the following may do:

cat batch-file\
| awk '{printf "/usr/sbin/asterisk -r -x \"%s\"\n", $0}'\
| sh

The above is very slow, though. A faster option is to use socat and write the commands directly to the Asterisk socket.

  #!/bin/sh
  while read line
  do
     echo -n "$line"
     sleep 0.001
  done \
  | socat STDIN UNIX-CONNECT:/var/run/asterisk/asterisk.ctl

The short sleep is only needed to guarantee that every line is written in a separate write() call. It will not print any output from any command, though, or even report an error. And you'll have to end your "programs" with a "quit" line.

News

originate new Asterisk 1.4: see bug/patch 5847

There are two ways to use this command. A call can be originated between a channel and a specific application, or between a channel and an extension in the dialplan. This is similar to call files or the manager originate action.

originate <channel> application <appname> [appdata]

This will originate a call between the specified channel and the given application. Arguments to the application are optional.

originate <channel> extension [exten@][context]

This will originate a call between the specified channel and the given extension. If no context is specified, the 'default' context will be
used. If no extension is given, the 's' extension will be used.

General commands

!<command>: Executes a given shell command
abort halt: Cancel a running halt
add extension: Add new extension into context
add ignorepat: Add new ignore pattern
add indication: Add the given indication to the country
debug channel: Enable debugging on a channel
dont include: Remove a specified include from context
help: Display help list, or specific help on a command
include context: Include context in other context
load: Load a dynamic module by name
logger reload: Reopen log files. Use after rotating the log files.
no debug channel: Disable debugging on a channel
pri debug span: Enables PRI debugging on a span
pri intense debug span: Enables REALLY INTENSE PRI debugging
pri no debug span: Disables PRI debugging on a span
remove extension: Remove a specified extension

remove ignorepat: Remove ignore pattern from context
remove indication: Remove the given indication from the country
save dialplan: Overwrites your current extensions.conf file with an exported version based on the current state of the dialplan. A backup copy of your old extensions.conf is not saved. The initial values of global variables defined in the [globals] category retain their previous initial values; the current values of global variables are not written into the new extensions.conf. (:exclaim:) Using "save dialplan" will result in losing any comments in your current extensions.conf.
dialplan save (1.4): BROKEN, doesn't parse correctly. Overwrites your current extensions.conf file with an exported version based on the current state of the dialplan. A backup copy of your old extensions.conf is not saved. The initial values of global variables defined in the [globals] category retain their previous initial values; the current values of global variables are not written into the new extensions.conf. (:exclaim:) Using "save dialplan" will result in losing any comments in your current extensions.conf.
set verbose: Set level of verboseness
show agents: Show status of agents
show applications: Shows registered applications
show application: Describe a specific application
show channel: Display information on a specific channel
show channels: Display information on channels
show codecs: Display information on codecs
show conferences: Show status of conferences
show dialplan: Show dialplan
show hints: Show registered hints
show image formats: Displays image formats
show indications: Show a list of all country/indications
show locals: Show status of local channels
show manager command: Show manager commands
show manager connect: Show connected manager users
show parkedcalls: Lists parked calls
show queues: Show status of queues, see details here
show switches: Show alternative switches
show translation: Display translation matrix
soft hangup: Request a hangup on a given channel
show voicemail users: List defined voicemail boxes
show voicemail zones: List zone message formats

Server management

restart gracefully: Restart Asterisk gracefully, i.e. stop receiving new calls and restart at empty call volume
restart now: Restart Asterisk immediately
restart when convenient: Restart Asterisk at empty call volume

Note for Asterisk 1.2: Restart now is like a reload, not a real restart it just run the reload routines (thus open ports are not closed). Often you don't need really need to restart asterisk, instead just need to issue e.g. 'unload chan_sip.so' and 'load chan_sip.so'.

reload: Reload configuration
stop gracefully: Gracefully shut down Asterisk, i.e. stop receiving new calls and shut down at empty call volume
stop now: Shut down Asterisk imediately
stop when convenient: Shut down Asterisk at empty call volume
extensions reload: Reload extensions and only extensions
unload: Unload a dynamic module by name
show modules: List modules and info about them
show uptime: Show uptime information
show version: Display Asterisk version info

AGI commands

show agi: Show AGI commands or specific help
dump agihtml: Dumps a list of agi command in html format

Database handling commands

database del: Removes database key/value
database deltree: Removes database keytree/values
database get: Gets database value
database put: Adds/updates database value
database show: Shows database contents

IAX Channel commands

iax2 debug: Enable IAX debugging
iax2 no debug: Disable IAX debugging
iax2 set jitter: Sets IAX jitter buffer
iax2 show cache: Display IAX cached dialplan
iax2 show channels: Show active IAX channels
iax2 show netstats: Show network and jitter buffer statistics for active IAX calls
iax2 show peers: Show defined IAX peers
iax2 show registry: Show IAX registration status
iax2 show stats: Display IAX statistics
iax2 show users: Show defined IAX users
iax2 trunk debug: Request IAX trunk debug

iax debug: Enable IAX debugging
iax no debug: Disable IAX debugging
iax set jitter: Sets IAX jitter buffer
iax show cache: Display IAX cached dialplan
iax show channels: Show active IAX channels
iax show peers: Show defined IAX peers
iax show registry: Show IAX registration status
iax show stats: Display IAX statistics
iax show users: Show defined IAX users
init keys: Initialize RSA key passcodes
show keys: Displays RSA key information

SIP channel commands

sip debug: Enable SIP debugging
sip no debug: Disable SIP debugging
sip reload: Reload sip.conf (added after 0.7.1 on 2004-01-23)
sip show channels: Show active SIP channels
sip show channel: Show detailed SIP channel info
sip show inuse: List all inuse/limit
sip show peers: Show defined SIP peers (clients that register to your Asterisk server), see details here
sip show registry: Show SIP registration status (when Asterisk registers as a client to a SIP Proxy)
sip show subscriptions: Lists all sip presence (busy lamp indication) subscriptions
sip show users: Show defined SIP users

Zap channel commands

zap destroy channel: Destroy a channel
zap show channels: Show active zapata channels
zap show channel: Show information on a channel

MGCP channel commands

mgcp audit endpoint: Audit specified MGCP endpoint
mgcp debug: Enable MGCP debugging
mgcp no debug: Disable MGCP debugging
mgcp show endpoints: Show defined MGCP endpoints

skinny channel commands

skinny debug: Enable Skinny debugging
skinny no debug: Disable Skinny debugging
skinny show lines: Show defined Skinny lines per device

CAPI channel commands

capi debug: Enable CAPI debugging
capi no debug: Disable CAPI debugging
capi info: Show CAPI info

Sirrix ISDN channel commands

srx reload: Reload channel driver configuration; active calls are not being terminated!
srx show ccmsgs: Disable / enable output of incoming callcontrol messages.
srx show chans: Show info about B-Channels
srx show globals: Show info about global settings
srx show groups: Show info about configured groups
srx show layers: Show info about ISDN stack (Layer 1, 2, 3)
srx show sxpvts: Show private info about active channels
srx show timers: Show info about running timers

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Asterisk CLI