NCID 1.5 Released

Network Caller ID (NCID) Release 1.5

Overview

This release adds a new client output module, two new extensions, a new gateway, Relay (RLY) Job Support, code fixes, and improvements to handle "spoofed" caller names or numbers that start with a #.

A new tool was also added that was long overdue. It is called ncid-yearlog and it builds a yearly call log file each month outside of the /var/log directory. Your calls can be automatically archived in yearly call log files.

A new external hangup script is also provided that is long overdue. It hangs up on all calls except those in the whitelist.

The gateways were moved from the server package into a ncid-networks package for the DEB and RPM distributions.

Features and fixes for this NCID release

• NEW FEATURE: RLY Job Support allows clients to query and control a smartphone using a gateway.

NCIDpop (version 0.10.10.0) and NCIDandroid (version 0.1.0.19) are the first two programs to utilize this feature. With NCIDandroid installed on a smartphone, NCIDpop can create a RLY job message for NCIDandroid to have the phone send an SMS text message, query the phone's battery level, and so on.

Review the NCID Messages section on RLY in the NCID-UserManual.

• NEW FEATURE: The whitelist is now used with the external Hangup Extension option. Its use with the Internal Hangup option has not changed. If the Hangup Extension is enabled and the call is in the whitelist, the external hangup script is not called.

• NEW FEATURE: The new hangup-call extension hangs up on all calls except calls listed in the whitelist. If desired, it can play a recording before it hangs up.

• NEW FEATURE: The new hangup-closed-skel extension hangs up on all calls not in the whitelist between specific times of the day. A recording plays before it hangs up. The hangup script is a template that requires modification before use. All hangup script templates have skel as part of the name.

• NEW FEATURE: The new ncid-mysql output module adds the NCID caller information into a MySQL or MariaDB database. The new ncid-mysql-setup command line program sets up the database for ncid-mysql use.

• NEW FEATURE: The new email2ncid gateway sends either the contents of an email body, or only the subject line, to the NCID server as NCID messages. It requires a mail transfer agent (MTA) and procmail. The procmail script file determines when to send an email to email2ncid.

Using the notify option, the email2ncid gateway sends only the subject line of an email to the NCID server. This provides notification of an email from a specific email address or name. The option was developed to provide notification of visitors at a gated community. It is currently in use.

Review email2ncid.1 for the complete requirements.

Review email2ncid setup in the User Manual on setting up the gateway. The new ncid-procmailrc-setup command line program sets up procmail for the email2ncid gateway.

• NEW FEATURE: The new ncid-yearlog tool builds a yearly call file by adding the contents of the /var/log/cidcall.log file on the 1st of each month. It must be added to the user's crontab.

Review the Configure yearly call log section in the User Manual for requirements and ncid-yearlog.1.

• ncidd server: Modified code to handle blacklist and whitelist entries that begin with a #. Entry must be inside quotes, for example: "######1234". It was also modified to handle *s and #s in messages. It has various fixes including one to easily determine when a line arrives from ncid2ncid.

• ncid2ncid gateway: Fixed code so keyword toport is recognized in ncid2ncid.conf. Contains other fixes plus a function to read a line at a time from a socket. The output sent to a server now has the prefix + attached to it.

• ncid client: Fixed code so it removes an entry from the blacklist or whitelist file without crashing. Removed dependency on the tk tile library. Added more debug output. Modified it to select a message as well as call for modification of alias, blacklist, and whitelist files.

• cidcall tool: Added output format 2. It displays the call log with field delimiters for easy parsing by another program. Script cidalias already has format 2 output.

• cidalias, cidcall, cidupdate, ncidutil: Improved tools to handle entries that begin with a #. Entries must be inside quotes, for example: "########10". The cidupdate script was also modified to handle *s and #s in messages in the call log.

Fedora Upgrade Note

When doing an upgrade from NCID 1.2 on Fedora, the client post-script (installed with NCID 1.2) fails. Everything is installed properly but if you have had any clients with output modules running, you may need to restart them after the upgrade.

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