How to automatically Connect and Disconnect an AllStar3 Node to another AllStar Node

Here is a short and easy method on how to connect and disconnect an AllstarLink 3 (ASL 3) node on a schedule.  You need to leverage the ASL3 asterisk CLI tool (asterisk -rx) inside two basic bash scripts. Then, you map those scripts to system execution times using Linux's built-in crontab utility.  

Note:  I know there are more than one way to effect these connections but here I concentrate on the newcomer to Linux and ASL3.

You will create two lightweight bash scripts that sends a command to your local Asterisk instance telling it to connect or disconnect to your target node at specific times.  To instruct  Linux to run the scripts automatically at specific times we will be using the cron tasks scheduler utility.

Let's get started.

Prerequisites: Finding Your Node Numbers

Before starting, write down your two node numbers. You will need them in the steps below:

1. Your Local Node Number: The number assigned to your physical AllStarLink 3 hotspot or server.

2. The Target Node Number: The number of the remote node, reflector, or hub you want to connect to.

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Step 1: Open Your Node Terminal

1. Open your terminal program (like PuTTY on Windows, or Terminal on a Mac).

2. Log into your AllStarLink 3 node using your username and password.

3. You should see a command prompt waiting for your input (usually ending with a $ sign).

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Step 2: Create the Morning Connection Script

We will use a basic text editor inside Linux called nano to create the morning connection command.

1. Type the following command to create a new file named connect.sh and press Enter:

   bash

   sudo nano connect.sh

2. A blank screen will open. Copy the text below, but replace <YOUR_NODE> and <TARGET_NODE> with your actual node numbers. Do not include the < > brackets.

   bash

   #!/bin/bash
   /usr/sbin/asterisk -rx "rpt fun <YOUR_NODE> *3<TARGET_NODE>"

   Example of what it should look like if your node is 1234 and the target is 5678: /usr/sbin/asterisk -rx "rpt fun 1234 *35678"

3. Save and Close the file:

   • Press Ctrl + O on your keyboard (this means "Write Out" / Save).

   • Press Enter to confirm the file name.

   • Press Ctrl + X to exit the text editor and return to the main screen.

4. Give Permission to Run: Linux blocks files from running automatically until you give them permission. Type this command and press Enter:

   bash

   sudo chmod +x connect.sh

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Step 3: Create the Evening Disconnection Script

Now, we will do the exact same thing to create the command that disconnects your node.

1. Type the following command to create a new file named disconnect.sh and press Enter:

   bash

   sudo nano disconnect.sh

2. Copy and paste the text below, making the exact same node number replacements as before:

   bash

   #!/bin/bash
   /usr/sbin/asterisk -rx "rpt fun <YOUR_NODE> *1<TARGET_NODE>"

   (Note: The *3 changed to *1, which tells AllStarLink to disconnect instead of connect).

3. Save and Close the file:

   • Press Ctrl + O

   • Press Enter

   • Press Ctrl + X

4. Give Permission to Run: Type this command and press Enter:

   bash

   chmod +x disconnect.sh

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Step 4: Find Your Secret "Home Path"

Linux needs to know the exact folder path where your scripts live so it can find them later.

1. Type this command and press Enter:

   bash

   pwd

2. It will print out a path on your screen. It will look something like /home/admin or /root.

3. Write this down exactly as it appears. We will use this in the final step.

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Step 5: Schedule the Automation (04:00 to 20:00)

We will now use the Linux calendar tool called crontab to schedule your scripts at 04h00 and 20h00.

1. Type this command to open the scheduler and press Enter:

   bash

   crontab -e

   (If Linux asks you to choose an editor, press 1 and hit Enter to choose nano).

2. Use the arrow keys on your keyboard to scroll all the way down to the very bottom of the file.

3. Paste the following two lines at the bottom. Replace /home/yourusername with the exact path you wrote down in Step 4:

   text

   0 4 * * * /home/yourusername/connect.sh >/dev/null 2>&1
   0 20 * * * /home/yourusername/disconnect.sh >/dev/null 2>&1

   • How it works: The 0 4 means Minute 0 of Hour 4 (04h00). The 0 20 means Minute 0 of Hour 20 (20h00 in 24-hour military time).

4. Save and Close the file:

   • Press Ctrl + O

   • Press Enter

   • Press Ctrl + X

The terminal will say  crontab: installing new crontab. 

Your node will now automatically connect every morning at 04h00 and cleanly disconnect every evening at 20h00! 

Inside crontab -e , you can also use three-letter text abbreviations instead of numbers for the days of the week if it is easier to remember (e.g., SUN, MON, TUE, WED, THU, FRI, SAT).

For example, a weekend-only entry can look like this:  0 4 * * SAT,SUN

Lets add a bit of "meat" to the above method of connecting and disconnecting an ASL3 Node to another AllStar Node.

An automated system to connect and disconnect specific nodes at different times and days

This step-by-step guide will walk you through setting up an automated system to connect and disconnect specific nodes at different times and days using cron and Bash scripts.

Overview of How It Works

Instead of creating separate files for every single node, we use one connection script and one disconnection script.

We pass the specific node ID (like 49355 or 647030) as an "argument" from the scheduler (cron). The script reads that number, plugs it into your connection command, and executes it.

[cron scheduler] ──(sends node ID)──> [connect.sh] ──> Executed for that node only

Step 1: Create the Automation Scripts

We will place these scripts in a folder called scripts inside your user's home directory.

1. Create the Directory

Open your terminal and run:

Bash

mkdir -p ~/scripts

2. Create the Connection Script

Create and open a new file called connect.sh:

Bash

nano ~/scripts/connect.sh

Paste the following code inside it:

Bash

#!/bin/bash

# 1. Check if the user (or cron) forgot to provide a node number
if [ -z "$1" ]; then
    echo "ERROR: No node specified. Usage: $0 <node_id>"
    exit 1
fi

# 2. Assign the argument to a readable variable
NODE_ID=$1

echo "=========================================="
echo "STARTING CONNECTION: Node $NODE_ID"
echo "Timestamp: $(date)"
echo "=========================================="

# 3. YOUR CONNECTION COMMAND GOES HERE
# Replace the line below with your actual command. 
# Use $NODE_ID wherever the node number needs to go.
echo "Connecting to node $NODE_ID now..."

# Example placeholder (Uncomment and modify if using something like OpenVPN):
# openvpn --config "/home/$USER/vpn/${NODE_ID}.ovpn"

3. Create the Disconnection Script

Create and open a new file called disconnect.sh:

Bash

nano ~/scripts/disconnect.sh

Paste the following code inside it:

Bash

#!/bin/bash

# 1. Check if the user (or cron) forgot to provide a node number
if [ -z "$1" ]; then
    echo "ERROR: No node specified. Usage: $0 <node_id>"
    exit 1
fi

# 2. Assign the argument to a readable variable
NODE_ID=$1

echo "=========================================="
echo "STOPPING CONNECTION: Node $NODE_ID"
echo "Timestamp: $(date)"
echo "=========================================="

# 3. YOUR DISCONNECT COMMAND GOES HERE
# Replace the line below with your actual command.
echo "Disconnecting node $NODE_ID now..."

# Example placeholder:
# killall openvpn

4. Make the Scripts Executable

Linux security requires you to explicitly grant permission for scripts to run. Execute this command in your terminal:

Bash

chmod +x ~/scripts/connect.sh ~/scripts/disconnect.sh

Step 2: Test Your Scripts Manually

Before letting the automation take over, test that the scripts successfully receive your node variables. Run these commands in your terminal:

Bash

~/scripts/connect.sh 49355
~/scripts/disconnect.sh 49355

You should see an output in your terminal confirming it attempted to connect to node 49355.

Step 3: Configure the cron Schedule

cron is the built-in Linux background service that runs tasks at specified times.

1. Open the Cron Editor

Run the following command to edit your personal schedule:

Bash

crontab -e

If it asks you to choose an editor, press 1 for nano (the easiest one).

2. Add Your Node Schedules

Scroll to the very bottom of the file and paste the following lines exactly as shown.

Important: We use ~/scripts/... to point to your home directory, and save logs to your home folder (~/cron_node_...log) to prevent any permission issues.

Code snippet

# ===================================================================
# NODE 49355 SCHEDULE (Fridays)
# ===================================================================
# Connect at 5:00 AM on Friday (Day 5)
0 5 * * 5 /bin/bash /home/USER/scripts/connect.sh 49355 >> /home/USER/cron_49355.log 2>&1

# Disconnect at 8:00 PM (20:00) on Friday (Day 5)
0 20 * * 5 /bin/bash /home/USER/scripts/disconnect.sh 49355 >> /home/USER/cron_49355.log 2>&1


# ===================================================================
# NODE 647030 SCHEDULE (Saturdays)
# ===================================================================
# Connect at 6:00 AM on Saturday (Day 6)
0 6 * * 6 /bin/bash /home/USER/scripts/connect.sh 647030 >> /home/USER/cron_647030.log 2>&1

# Disconnect at 7:00 PM (19:00) on Saturday (Day 6)
0 19 * * 6 /bin/bash /home/USER/scripts/disconnect.sh 647030 >> /home/USER/cron_647030.log 2>&1

3. Critical Adjustment: Fix the Username Path

cron requires absolute system paths to be completely reliable.

1. In the text you just pasted, look for /home/USER/.

2. Replace USER with your actual Linux account username. (If your username is johndoe, the path becomes /home/johndoe/scripts/...).

4. Save and Exit

• If using Nano: Press Ctrl + O then Enter to save.

• Press Ctrl + X to exit back to the normal terminal.

You should see a message saying: crontab: installing new crontab.

Step 4: Troubleshooting & Monitoring Logs

Because cron tasks run invisibly in the background, the entries above are designed to output everything they do into dedicated text files so you can check on them.

To see if your scripts are running smoothly or to view errors, read your log files using the cat command:

Bash

cat ~/cron_49355.log
cat ~/cron_647030.log

If you ever want to add a third or fourth node in the future, you do not need to modify your scripts at all. Simply open crontab -e again and add two new lines with the new node number and your preferred times.

Comment:  Zayn ZR3VO from Orania is currently using this automated connect and disconnect method and he indicated that it is working well.

Images:  (Click on images for larger view.)