Know your setup.
Make your first call.

Observed configurations, with dates.

These observations describe one existing household installation. They are not a certification of every computer, firmware version, provider route or future kit.

Emergency-call routing, provider address readback and number porting were not verified in this inspection. Complete the provider’s own checks for your number and location. A registered trunk is a connection milestone, not a finished household setup.

Other computers and phones

The project documents Raspberry Pi options and WP816 provisioning. Its Linux preparation scripts target Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, Arch and the RHEL family, with Asterisk 20+ and systemd requirements. Those documents and adapters are not evidence that we completed a fresh installation on every platform. Other SIP phones and analog adapters may need manual configuration; do not treat a connector or protocol name as a tested combination.

A real release installation, step by step.

On October 23, 2026, the existing household system was upgraded to Doorman 0.18.0. This is a verified release-installation walkthrough on a configured host, rather than a claim of a fresh kit or blank-SD-card rehearsal.

1. Keep a recovery path. The operator retained the previous binaries and existing configuration before replacing the release.
2. Verify the release. The downloaded binary’s checksum was checked against the release manifest.
3. Check the configuration first. The candidate binary’s doorman check passed against the existing configuration before activation.
4. Wait for the phone to be idle. With no active call, the Doorman services were restarted. Asterisk was left running and service units were unchanged.
5. Check the result. The daemon reported 0.18.0, its Asterisk connection was up, configuration checks passed and the provider trunk was registered. The account connection and initial sync also passed for that enrolled installation.

For a local-only setup, a hosted account is optional. The account checks in that installation do not make account enrollment a prerequisite for local calling or call filtering.

Starting from scratch? Follow this order.

Use the project instructions that match your release. Linux preparation, Asterisk configuration and household call checks are separate steps; installing the Doorman binary alone does not create a working phone system.

1. Check the home and computer. Confirm the supported OS/architecture, Asterisk prerequisites, wired Ethernet, storage, power, handset Wi-Fi, timezone and clock synchronization. The future pre-installed kit remains in preparation.
2. Prepare phone service. For outside calls, configure the provider account, a device/sub-account credential, number routing and emergency-service settings. Keep portal credentials separate from the device’s SIP credentials.
3. Install a matching release. Follow the release installer and Linux-host guide, including checksum verification. Do not assume a distribution’s package repository supplies a suitable Asterisk version or required modules.
4. Configure the phone plant. The project separates secrets, handset inventory and household policy. Add the handset, connect Asterisk to Doorman, set your front-desk rules and validate the configuration.
5. Check ordinary calls. Verify handset and provider registration, then test Room2Room, outgoing, known-caller and unfamiliar-caller paths. Check audio both ways, extension selection, downtime rules and the configured no-input behavior.
6. Verify emergency service separately. Follow the provider’s non-emergency test procedure and address readback. Keep another means of reaching help while setup is incomplete.

Keeping your number.

Check portability with the receiving provider before changing service. Supply the account information it requests, resolve any transfer lock or PIN requirements with the providers, and keep the current number active until the transfer is complete. Confirm the impact on any bundled internet or other services before canceling anything.

After transfer, verify incoming and outgoing calls, presented caller ID and the emergency-service address on the new route. We have not verified a complete Doorman-specific number transfer; dates, eligibility and charges come from your providers.

Know who supports each part.

You configure and maintain the DIY computer, local network and phone system using the open-source documentation. The phone provider owns its number, rates, transfer and emergency-service configuration. We have not published final kit support or warranty terms, and these observations do not promise support for an untested device.