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Add support for easily installing the Element Call Stack, without the Element Call frontend
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Slavi Pantaleev
@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ SPDX-License-Identifier: AGPL-3.0-or-later
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# Setting up Element Call (optional)
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The playbook can install and configure [Element Call](https://github.com/element-hq/element-call) for you.
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The playbook can install and configure [Element Call](https://github.com/element-hq/element-call) and its supporting components ([LiveKit Server](configuring-playbook-livekit-server.md) and [LiveKit JWT Service](configuring-playbook-livekit-jwt-service.md)) for you.
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Element Call is a native Matrix video conferencing application developed by [Element](https://element.io), designed for secure, scalable, privacy-respecting, and decentralized video and voice calls over the Matrix protocol. Built on MatrixRTC ([MSC4143](https://github.com/matrix-org/matrix-spec-proposals/pull/4143)), it utilizes [MSC4195](https://github.com/hughns/matrix-spec-proposals/blob/hughns/matrixrtc-livekit/proposals/4195-matrixrtc-livekit.md) with [LiveKit Server](configuring-playbook-livekit-server.md) as its backend.
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@ -18,21 +18,42 @@ See the project's [documentation](https://github.com/element-hq/element-call) to
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- A [Synapse](configuring-playbook-synapse.md) homeserver (see the warning below)
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- [Federation](configuring-playbook-federation.md) being enabled for your Matrix homeserver (federation is enabled by default, unless you've explicitly disabled it), because [LiveKit JWT Service](configuring-playbook-livekit-jwt-service.md) currently [requires it](https://github.com/spantaleev/matrix-docker-ansible-deploy/pull/3562#issuecomment-2725250554) ([relevant source code](https://github.com/element-hq/lk-jwt-service/blob/f5f5374c4bdcc00a4fb13d27c0b28e20e4c62334/main.go#L135-L146))
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- Various experimental features for the Synapse homeserver which Element Call [requires](https://github.com/element-hq/element-call/blob/93ae2aed9841e0b066d515c56bd4c122d2b591b2/docs/self-hosting.md#a-matrix-homeserver) (automatically done when Element Call is enabled)
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- A [LiveKit Server](configuring-playbook-livekit-server.md) (automatically installed when Element Call is enabled)
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- The [LiveKit JWT Service](configuring-playbook-livekit-jwt-service.md) (automatically installed when Element Call is enabled)
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- A [LiveKit Server](configuring-playbook-livekit-server.md) (automatically installed when the Element Call stack is enabled)
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- The [LiveKit JWT Service](configuring-playbook-livekit-jwt-service.md) (automatically installed when the Element Call stack is enabled)
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- A client compatible with Element Call. As of 2025-03-15, that's just [Element Web](configuring-playbook-client-element-web.md) and the Element X mobile clients (iOS and Android).
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> [!WARNING]
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> Because Element Call [requires](https://github.com/element-hq/element-call/blob/93ae2aed9841e0b066d515c56bd4c122d2b591b2/docs/self-hosting.md#a-matrix-homeserver) a few experimental features in the Matrix protocol, it's **very likely that it only works with the Synapse homeserver**.
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## Decide between all of Element Call vs just the Element Call stack
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All clients that can currently use Element Call (Element Web and Element X on mobile) already embed the Element Call frontend within them.
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These **clients will use their own embedded Element Call frontend**, so **self-hosting the Element Call frontend by the playbook is largely unnecessary**.
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💡 A reason you may wish to continue installing the Element Call frontend (despite Matrix clients not making use of it), is if you wish to use it standalone - directly via a browser.
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The playbook makes a distiction between enabling Element Call (`matrix_element_call_enabled`) and enabling the Element Call Stack (`matrix_element_call_stack_enabled`). Because installing the Element Call frontend is now unnecessary, **we recommend only installing the Element Call Stack, without the Element Call frontend**.
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| Description / Variable | Element Call frontend | [LiveKit Server](configuring-playbook-livekit-server.md) | [LiveKit JWT Service](configuring-playbook-livekit-jwt-service.md) |
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|------------------------|-----------------------|----------------|---------------------|
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| Description | Static website that provides the Element Call UI (but often embedded by clients) | Scalable, multi-user conferencing solution based on WebRTC | A helper component that allows Element Call to integrate with LiveKit Server |
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| Required for Element Call to function | No | Yes | Yes |
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| `matrix_element_call_enabled` | ✅ Installed | ✅ Installed | ✅ Installed |
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| `matrix_element_call_stack_enabled` | ❌ Not Installed, but usually unnecessary | ✅ Installed | ✅ Installed |
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## Decide on a domain and path
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By default, Element Call is configured to be served on the `call.element.example.com` domain.
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💡 This section is only relevant if you're installing the Element Call frontend. See [Decide between all of Element Call vs just the Element Call stack](#decide-between-all-of-element-call-vs-just-the-element-call-stack). We recommend **not** installing the frontend.
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By default, the Element Call frontend is configured to be served on the `call.element.example.com` domain.
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If you'd like to run Element Call on another hostname, see the [Adjusting the Element Call URL](#adjusting-the-element-call-url-optional) section below.
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## Adjusting DNS records
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💡 You only need to set up DNS records if you're installing the Element Call frontend. See [Decide between all of Element Call vs just the Element Call stack](#decide-between-all-of-element-call-vs-just-the-element-call-stack). We recommend **not** installing the frontend.
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By default, this playbook installs Element Call on the `call.element.` subdomain (`call.element.example.com`) and requires you to create a `CNAME` record for `call.element`, which targets `matrix.example.com`.
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When setting these values, replace `example.com` with your own.
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@ -48,11 +69,18 @@ In addition to the HTTP/HTTPS ports (which you've already exposed as per the [pr
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Add the following configuration to your `inventory/host_vars/matrix.example.com/vars.yml` file:
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```yaml
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matrix_element_call_enabled: true
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# Enable the Element Call supporting services, without enabling the Element Call frontend.
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matrix_element_call_stack_enabled: true
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# If you'd like the Element Call frontend installed as well, remove the variable definition above
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# and uncomment the variable below.
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# matrix_element_call_enabled: true
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```
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### Adjusting the Element Call URL (optional)
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💡 This section is only relevant if you're installing the Element Call frontend. See [Decide between all of Element Call vs just the Element Call stack](#decide-between-all-of-element-call-vs-just-the-element-call-stack). We recommend **not** installing the frontend.
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By tweaking the `matrix_element_call_hostname` variable, you can easily make the service available at a **different hostname** than the default one.
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Example additional configuration for your `vars.yml` file:
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