GNU Phantom.Security

I recently had the opportunity to try out GNU Phantom.Security and was quite impressed with its capabilities. This computer-controlled security system is designed to be completely customizable, with all source code (C++/Bourne script) included so you can modify it to your exact needs.

Phantom.Security was designed and tested on a Linux system, but the C++ portions can be easily ported to other Unix systems, and possibly even DOS/Windows. With this system, you can use intrusion/fire detection equipment such as motion sensors, door magnets, and smoke detectors. But even devices that are normally open or normally closed can work with little or no change to the code.

What's really cool about Phantom.Security is that it comes with Phantom.Controller, which is designed to be used with non-powered security devices like door magnets. There's also Phantom.Controller2 for systems with powered security devices like motion sensors and smoke detectors. With a basic knowledge of circuit design, you can even mix and match devices from these two diagrams.

To compile and install Phantom.Security 1.00, all you need to do is use the configure, make, and make install commands. The default installation directory is /home/Phantom/security, but you can modify this in the top-level Makefile.am if needed. Just keep in mind that both the bindir and datadir should point to the same directory, or Phantom.Security won't function correctly.

I'm happy to report that version 1.0 of GNU Phantom.Security is now out of beta and available for use. I've been running it nonstop on my work machine for months and find it to be very stable. The documentation is also available in HTML and PostScript versions online for easy reference. Overall, I highly recommend Phantom.Security for anyone looking for a customizable security system with full source code access.