Setting Up Asterisk and Connecting It with a Go App

Installing Asterisk on Windows, macOS, and Ubuntu/Debian (Before Connecting It with Go)

In the previous post, we understood how:

Asterisk handles voice Go handles logic

Before we connect Asterisk with a Go application, the first step is simple:

• Get Asterisk running on your machine.
• Asterisk runs natively on Linux.
• For macOS and Windows, the easiest and most reliable way is using Docker.

This guide covers all three OS so anyone can follow along.

Ubuntu / Debian: Native Installation (Recommended)

This is the most straightforward setup because Asterisk is designed for Linux.

Install Asterisk:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install asterisk -y

Start Asterisk and enter the console:

sudo systemctl start asterisk
sudo asterisk -rvv

If you see the Asterisk CLI, it’s running successfully.

macOS: Using Docker

Asterisk doesn’t run natively on macOS easily. Docker is the cleanest way.

Step 1: Install Docker Desktop

Download and install Docker Desktop for Mac.

Step 2: Run Asterisk Container

docker run -d \
  --name asterisk \
  -p 5060:5060/udp \
  -p 8088:8088 \
  andrius/asterisk

Check logs:

docker logs -f asterisk

Asterisk is now running inside Docker.

Windows: Using Docker (WSL2)

Similar to macOS, Docker is the best option.

Step 1: Install Docker Desktop with WSL2 enabled

Step 2: Run Asterisk

docker run -d ^
  --name asterisk ^
  -p 5060:5060/udp ^
  -p 8088:8088 ^
  andrius/asterisk

Check logs:

docker logs -f asterisk

Asterisk is now running in a container.

Verify Asterisk Is Running (All OS)

Open your browser and visit:

http://localhost:8088

If reachable, Asterisk’s HTTP server is accessible (we’ll use this for ARI later).

Why This Is Important for Go Integration

No matter which OS you use:

• Asterisk runs on port 5060 (SIP)
• ARI/HTTP runs on port 8088
• Your Go app will connect the same way

Your Go code does not change across operating systems.

What’s Next

Now that Asterisk is running on your system, the next blog will be:

👉 Enable ARI and connect it with a small Go application to start controlling calls.

That’s where the real fun begins.