FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
--------------------------------
Q: Why the core licensed as GPL?
A: So that commercial most SMS gateway forced tobe at least twice better than the GPL one, playSMS
Q: Why plugins and API licensed as LGPL?
A: So that you can create, modify, merge and/or sell your own playSMS plugins
A. LOGIN
--------
1. How to login for the first time after installation?
Answer:
Please read INSTALL, INSTALLATION on Linux, playSMS Web Interface, step 11
2. What should I do next after I logged in as Administrator?
Answer:
Change your default password, add new normal user, setup main configuration,
create group and add mobile phone number
3. What should I do for the first time as Normal User?
Answer:
Change your default password given by Administrator, create group and add
mobile phone number
B. SEND SMS
-----------
1. Howto send single SMS from web?
Answer:
Use Send SMS link, destination mobile listed on your group
2. Howto send group SMS from web?
Answer:
Use Send broadcast SMS link, destination group defined previously
3. Is there any delivery status reported?
Answer:
Yes! Follow Outgoing SMS link, you will found status for every SMS
Status "Failed" for failed attempt, "Pending" for queued SMS (on server),
"Sent" for SMS sent (sent to gateway) and "Delivered" for SMS delivered to phone
4. Can we delete Outgoing SMS?
Answer:
Yes, but its not really deleted, its just permanently hidden from Outgoing SMS page
5. Can we retrieve deleted Outgoing SMS?
Answer:
No, not at the moment
6. If we delete Outgoing SMS, is it affecting SMS transmission?
Answer:
No
7. How is my sent SMS looks like?
Answer:
If you set the Sender ID in your Personal data, than Sender ID will be added to the end of
your SMS, this is useful when using gateway module with no ability to set sender's number.
Gateway module which can sets sender's number is Kannel using direct SMSC or Clickatell.
Sender's number taken from field mobile in your Personal data
C. RECEIVE SMS
--------------
1. Can I receive SMS?
Answer:
Yes you can, your incoming SMS are stored on Inbox and forwarded to your email
specified on Personal data
2. What should sender do to send me private SMS?
Answer:
Tell them to send SMS to your GSM Modem with format:
PV [your_username] [their message]
eg:
PV devteam your application works!
pv devteam i want to help you developing this application :)
3. Can I forward SMS from my mobile phone to my group?
Answer:
When you create a group from web, you must fill Group Code. Use that Group
Code as parameter to forward SMS to group. Send SMS to your GSM Modem with format:
BC [group code] [your message]
eg:
BC DEV thx for joining our crussade :p
bc DEV dont forget to read function.php
Note: your mobile phone number must be sets on your Personal data written in
international format
4. Can I forward SMS from my mobile phone to group belongs to someone else?
Answer:
No, your SMS will be ignored
5. What happened to the received/incoming SMS without keyword PV ?
Answer:
They will only be shown (logged) on All Incoming SMS menu as an unhandled SMS.
Only admin have access to it.
D. SMS BOARD
------------
1. What is SMS keyword?
Answer:
Administrator can add new SMS keyword other than PV and BC which will be use
to accept and serve incoming SMS. Every keyword has their on webpage and can
be forwarded to their own specified email.
From version 0.4 this term will be replaced by new term, SMS board.
2. If I add SMS keyword named INFO, howto access webpage for that keyword?
Answer:
Webpage for keyword INFO (thus we called SMS Board INFO) would be accessable
trough this url:
http://your_playsms_web_domain/output.php?keyword=INFO
Other parameter you can use:
line : show x line number of rows
bodybgcolor : set body background color
oddbgcolor : set odd row backround color
evenbgcolor : set even row backround color
refresh=yes : check latest incoming sms and refresh webpage output
eg:
http://your_playsms_web_domain/output.php?keyword=INFO&line=15
using refresh link:
<a href="http://your_playsms_web_domain/output.php?keyword=INFO&line=15&refresh=yes">[ Refresh Board ]</a>
3. Can I retrieve incoming SMS for that keyword INFO in XML format?
Answer:
Incoming SMS for that keyword INFO can also be retrieved in RSS 0.91 format trough this url:
http://your_playsms_web_domain/output.php?keyword=INFO&type=xml
Other parameter you can use:
line : show x line number of rows in xml file
refresh=yes : check latest incoming sms and refresh webpage output
4. Howto put that webpage on my main website?
Answer:
Use IFRAME html tag. Customize your IFRAME to match your main website look and feel.
eg:
<IFRAME src="http://your_playsms_web_domain/output.php?keyword=INFO"></IFRAME>
5. Can I use my own form on other website to send SMS from this SMS Gateway?
Answer:
Yes you can, more information how to use this feature can be read in input.php
Note: input.php receive input from given query string. Since input.php is currently
intended for developer only, this FAQ will not discuss any further about it.
Please read input.php
6. Can I retrieve delivery status remotely so I can process it from other website?
Answer:
Yes you can, delivery status retrieved in CSV or XML format, more information how to
use this feature can be read in input.php
E. SMS COMMAND
--------------
1. Can I command server todo something?
Answer:
Yes you can. Use SMS command feature from Administrator menu.
2. Howto setup SMS command?
Answer:
Add new SMS command from Administrator menu, and then put command that will be executed.
playSMS passes variables to the command. Command or shell script must be within directory
$plugin_config['feature']['sms_command']['bin'] (plugin/feature/sms_command/config.php)
Variables:
{SMSDATETIME} replaced by incoming SMS date/time
{SMSSENDER} replaced by sender mobile phone number
{COMMANDKEYWORD} replaced by incoming SMS keyword
{COMMANDPARAM} replaced by incoming SMS parameter
3. Howto use defined SMS command?
Answer:
Send SMS to your GSM Modem (or Nokia handset) with format:
[COMMAND KEYWORD] [COMMAND PARAM]
eg:
reg email devteam@playsms.sf.net
retr pop3 pop3.ngoprek.org devteam mypwd
uptime
4. Howto make information retrieval system?
Answer:
Use SMS command so the gateway get informations from databases, and then setup
a script to use input.php to send informations back to your sender.
Read carefully input.php
Please have a look shell scripts on playSMS package directory web/bin/
5. Can I command server to shutdown/reboot?
Answer:
Not that simple, but yes, you can.
You should understand that those commands is executed as web servers user
F. SMS CUSTOM
-------------
1. What is SMS custom?
Answer:
Use this to process incoming SMS by passing it to other URL.
[sender] --GSM network-- [playSMS] --internet/LAN-- [other host processing SMS]
2. Howto setup SMS custom?
Answer:
Add new SMS custom from menu, and then set custom URL which handling SMS.
playSMS passes variables to custom URL.
Variables:
{SMSDATETIME} replaced by SMS incoming date/time
{SMSSENDER} replaced by sender mobile phones number
{COMMANDKEYWORD} replaced by custom keyword
{COMMANDPARAM} replaced by custom parameter
3. Howto use defined SMS custom?
Answer:
Send SMS to your GSM Modem (or Nokia handset) with format:
[CUSTOM KEYWORD] [CUSTOM PARAM]
eg:
reg email devteam@playsms.sf.net
retr pop3 pop3.ngoprek.org devteam mypwd
pres aminrais
4. Howto make information retrieval system with SMS custom?
Answer:
Use SMS custom so the server located in custom URL get informations from their database,
and using input.php method send informations back to SMS sender.
Read carefully input.php
G. SMS POLL
-----------
1. Howto use SMS poll system?
Answer:
Add new poll or list/edit/delete it. Write down poll keyword and each choice keyword
you defined.
Tell voters to send SMS to playSMS SMS gateway mobile number with format:
[POLL KEYWORD] [CHOICE KEYWORD]
eg:
food chicken
pres 3
2. Howto show results of SMS poll in other website?
Answer:
For example polling with keyword PRES
Webpage for poll named PRES would be accessable trough this url:
http://your_playsms_web_domain/output.php?show=poll&keyword=PRES
Other parameter you can use:
bodybgcolor : set body background color
refresh=yes : check latest incoming sms and refresh webpage output
Use IFRAME html tag.
eg:
<IFRAME src="http://your_playsms_web_domain/output.php?show=poll&keyword=PRES"></IFRAME>
H. SMS QUIZ
-----------
1. What is SMS quiz system?
Answer:
Administrator can add quiz keywords, questions and answers, and define message reply for
participants.
Once a participant send message with quiz keyword and quiz answer keyword,
system will reply with a message to tell participant whether the answer is correct
or incorrect.
2. Howto use SMS quiz system?
Answer:
Add new quiz or list/edit/delete it. Write down quiz keyword, quiz question, quiz answer
and message to participants for correct and incorrect message.
Tell participants to send SMS to playSMS SMS gateway mobile number with format:
[QUIZ KEYWORD] [ANSWER KEYWORD]
eg:
soccer germany
If there is a quiz keyword "soccer" with "germany" as the answer keyword,
the answer is correct.
I. SMS SUBSCRIBE
----------------
1. What is SMS subscribe system?
Answer:
Administrator can adds SMS keyword which people can subscribe to. Once a number
subscribed, administrator can send message to all subscribed number at once.
2. Howto use SMS subscribe system?
Answer:
Add new subscribe or list/edit/delete it. Write down subscribe keyword, subscribe message,
and unsubscribe message.
When a number has subscribed the system will automatically send subscribe message, and
when a number has unsubscribed the system will automatically send unsubscribe message
defined by administrator.
Add message to each subscribe keyword, this message will be sent to all subscribed number.
Tell people to send SMS to playSMS SMS gateway mobile number with format:
[SUBSCRIBE KEYWORD] [INSTRUCTION]
eg:
PLAYSMS REG
PLAYSMS UNREG
theclub REG
theclub off
J. SMS AUTOSEND
---------------
1. What is SMS autosend system?
Answer:
Administrator can adds messages which will automatically sent to defined number at defined
date and time. This feature supports multiple date and time which means that the message
will automatically sent at these date and time you've defined.
2. Howto use SMS subscribe system?
Answer:
Add new autosend message or list/edit/delete it. Write down the message, destination number,
define your date and time with format "YYYY-mm-dd hh:mm:ss".
K. GATEWAY MODULE
-----------------
1. I've heard that from version 0.5 playSMS support any gateway other than gnokii.
Is that true?
Answer:
Yes. From now on you can write gateway module and place it inside directory
on $apps_path[plug]/gateway. Take a look gnokii and template gateway module.
2. So if I dont have GSM modem or nokia 5110, say I have access to SMSC or
Internet SMS Gateway like http://www.clickatell.com can I still use playSMS?
Answer:
Yes. Use gateway module kannel for connecting directly to providers SMSC
or use gateway module clickatell and uplink for connecting to other sms gateway/server
such as Clickatell or another playSMS SMS Gateway
Please see $apps_path[plug]/gateway/clickatell/ and $apps_path[plug]/gateway/uplink/
3. Is kannel (http://kannel.org) supported by playSMS?
Answer:
Yes, starting version 0.6
Please see $apps_path[plug]/gateway/kannel/
4. How can I configure each gateway module?
Answer:
Starting from version 0.8 webbased control panel for gateway modules configurations
is available, you must login as Administrator
5. How can I setup which gateway module active?
Answer:
Login as Adminsitrator and activate any gateway you want by clicking "Activate" menu on each
gateway module configuration
6. Can I build my own gateway module ?
Answer:
Yes, please have a look files in $apps_path[plug]/gateway/template/
you can modify files in it to match your requirements
If you write new gateway module, please send your work so we can have a look and
maybe put it on next releases
L. SMS RATE AND CREDIT
----------------------
1. What is Manage SMS rate menu in Administration drop-down menu ?
Answer:
It is where administrator can set rate by prefix
2. What is term rate means ?
Answer:
Rate is credit value per SMS sent
3. What is term credit means ?
Answer:
Credit is money value equivalent a user have on their balance
4. What if user send SMS to destination that is not configured in Manage SMS rate ?
Answer:
Default SMS rate in Main configuration menu will be used instead
5. How to change credit per user ?
Answer:
Go to Manage user menu in Administration drop-down menu and edit each user
6. What kind of SMS being rated ?
Answer:
Only sent SMS
M. TELL US ABOUT IT
-------------------
1. Should I tell you guys when I install playSMS on my site?
Answer:
Please send email to playSMS mailing list at playsms-devel@yahoogroups.com
2. If I have wishes, what should I do?
Answer:
If its about playSMS, just throw it to the mailing list. If its about your life,
you have to stay on your path, be brave and never give up!
3. If I found bugs and/or security holes, what should I do?
Answer:
Please send it (as clear and as soon as possible) to the mailing list
N. CONTACT
----------
1. Is there any place where I can discuss playSMS?
Answer:
Yes. playSMS mailing list. It is intended for users and developers.
Please join the group by sending empty email to playsms-devel-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
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