Add support for easily installing the Element Call Stack, without the Element Call frontend

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -1,3 +1,27 @@
+# 2025-04-09
+
+## Element Call frontend installation is now optional
+
+Because all Element clients (Element Web and Element X mobile) now embed and use their own Element Call frontend application (and not the one hosted via the playbook), it makes little sense for the playbook to self-host the Element Call frontend for you. Setting up the frontend requires an additional hostname (DNS setup) and it won't be used by Element clients anyway, so **we now recommend not installing the Element Call frontend**.
+
+💡 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.
+
+The playbook now lets you [Decide between all of Element Call vs just the Element Call stack](./docs/configuring-playbook-element-call.md#decide-between-all-of-element-call-vs-just-the-element-call-stack).
+
+If you've already installed all of Element Call (via `matrix_element_call_enabled: true`), you can switch to "just the Element Call stack" (all supporting services **without the Element Call frontend**) by:
+
+1. Adjusting your `vars.yml` configuration like this:
+
+```diff
+-matrix_element_call_enabled: true
++matrix_element_call_stack_enabled: true
+```
+
+2. [Re-running the playbook](./docs/installing.md) with the `setup-all` Ansible tag (e.g. `just setup-all`)
+
+3. Getting rid of the `call.element.example.com` DNS record
+
+
 # 2025-03-15
 
 ## Element Call support

docs/configuring-playbook-element-call.md

@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ SPDX-License-Identifier: AGPL-3.0-or-later
 
 # Setting up Element Call (optional)
 
-The playbook can install and configure [Element Call](https://github.com/element-hq/element-call) for you.
+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.
 
 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.
 
@@ -18,21 +18,42 @@ See the project's [documentation](https://github.com/element-hq/element-call) to
 - A [Synapse](configuring-playbook-synapse.md) homeserver (see the warning below)
 - [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))
 - 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)
-- A [LiveKit Server](configuring-playbook-livekit-server.md) (automatically installed when Element Call is enabled)
+- A [LiveKit Server](configuring-playbook-livekit-server.md) (automatically installed when the Element Call stack is enabled)
-- The [LiveKit JWT Service](configuring-playbook-livekit-jwt-service.md) (automatically installed when Element Call is enabled)
+- The [LiveKit JWT Service](configuring-playbook-livekit-jwt-service.md) (automatically installed when the Element Call stack is enabled)
 - 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).
 
 > [!WARNING]
 >  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**.
 
+## Decide between all of Element Call vs just the Element Call stack
+
+All clients that can currently use Element Call (Element Web and Element X on mobile) already embed the Element Call frontend within them.
+These **clients will use their own embedded Element Call frontend**, so **self-hosting the Element Call frontend by the playbook is largely unnecessary**.
+
+💡 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.
+
+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**.
+
+| Description / Variable | Element Call frontend | [LiveKit Server](configuring-playbook-livekit-server.md) | [LiveKit JWT Service](configuring-playbook-livekit-jwt-service.md) |
+|------------------------|-----------------------|----------------|---------------------|
+| 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 |
+| Required for Element Call to function | No | Yes | Yes |
+| `matrix_element_call_enabled` | ✅ Installed | ✅ Installed | ✅ Installed |
+| `matrix_element_call_stack_enabled` | ❌ Not Installed, but usually unnecessary | ✅ Installed | ✅ Installed |
+
+
 ## Decide on a domain and path
 
-By default, Element Call is configured to be served on the `call.element.example.com` domain.
+💡 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.
+
+By default, the Element Call frontend is configured to be served on the `call.element.example.com` domain.
 
 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.
 
 ## Adjusting DNS records
 
+💡 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.
+
 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`.
 
 When setting these values, replace `example.com` with your own.
@@ -48,11 +69,18 @@ In addition to the HTTP/HTTPS ports (which you've already exposed as per the [pr
 Add the following configuration to your `inventory/host_vars/matrix.example.com/vars.yml` file:
 
 ```yaml
-matrix_element_call_enabled: true
+# Enable the Element Call supporting services, without enabling the Element Call frontend.
+matrix_element_call_stack_enabled: true
+
+# If you'd like the Element Call frontend installed as well, remove the variable definition above
+# and uncomment the variable below.
+# matrix_element_call_enabled: true
 ```
 
 ### Adjusting the Element Call URL (optional)
 
+💡 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.
+
 By tweaking the `matrix_element_call_hostname` variable, you can easily make the service available at a **different hostname** than the default one.
 
 Example additional configuration for your `vars.yml` file:

group_vars/matrix_servers

@@ -4609,9 +4609,9 @@ matrix_client_element_enable_presence_by_hs_url: |-
 
 matrix_client_element_jitsi_preferred_domain: "{{ matrix_server_fqn_jitsi if jitsi_enabled else '' }}"
 
-matrix_client_element_features_feature_video_rooms: "{{ matrix_element_call_enabled }}"
+matrix_client_element_features_feature_video_rooms: "{{ matrix_element_call_stack_enabled }}"
-matrix_client_element_features_feature_group_calls: "{{ matrix_element_call_enabled }}"
+matrix_client_element_features_feature_group_calls: "{{ matrix_element_call_stack_enabled }}"
-matrix_client_element_features_feature_element_call_video_rooms: "{{ matrix_element_call_enabled }}"
+matrix_client_element_features_feature_element_call_video_rooms: "{{ matrix_element_call_stack_enabled }}"
 matrix_client_element_features_feature_oidc_native_flow: "{{ matrix_authentication_service_enabled }}"
 
 matrix_client_element_element_call_enabled: "{{ matrix_element_call_enabled }}"
@@ -4934,7 +4934,7 @@ matrix_synapse_ext_media_repo_enabled: "{{ matrix_media_repo_enabled }}"
 matrix_synapse_report_stats: "{{ matrix_synapse_usage_exporter_enabled }}"
 matrix_synapse_report_stats_endpoint: "{{ (('http://' + matrix_synapse_usage_exporter_identifier + ':' + matrix_synapse_usage_exporter_container_port | string + '/report-usage-stats/push') if matrix_synapse_usage_exporter_enabled else '') }}"
 
-matrix_synapse_experimental_features_msc3266_enabled: "{{ matrix_element_call_enabled }}"
+matrix_synapse_experimental_features_msc3266_enabled: "{{ matrix_element_call_stack_enabled }}"
 
 matrix_synapse_experimental_features_msc3861_enabled: "{{ matrix_authentication_service_enabled and not matrix_authentication_service_migration_in_progress }}"
 matrix_synapse_experimental_features_msc3861_issuer: "{{ matrix_authentication_service_http_base_container_url if matrix_authentication_service_enabled else '' }}"
@@ -4944,9 +4944,9 @@ matrix_synapse_experimental_features_msc3861_account_management_url: "{{ matrix_
 
 matrix_synapse_experimental_features_msc4108_enabled: "{{ matrix_authentication_service_enabled and not matrix_authentication_service_migration_in_progress }}"
 
-matrix_synapse_experimental_features_msc4140_enabled: "{{ matrix_element_call_enabled }}"
+matrix_synapse_experimental_features_msc4140_enabled: "{{ matrix_element_call_stack_enabled }}"
 
-matrix_synapse_experimental_features_msc4222_enabled: "{{ matrix_element_call_enabled }}"
+matrix_synapse_experimental_features_msc4222_enabled: "{{ matrix_element_call_stack_enabled }}"
 
 # Disable password authentication when delegating authentication to Matrix Authentication Service.
 # Unless this is done, Synapse fails on startup with:
@@ -6140,7 +6140,7 @@ matrix_static_files_file_matrix_client_property_m_tile_server_map_style_url: "{{
 # See: https://github.com/etkecc/synapse-admin/pull/126
 matrix_static_files_file_matrix_client_property_cc_etke_synapse_admin_auto: "{{ matrix_synapse_admin_configuration if matrix_homeserver_implementation == 'synapse' else {} }}"
 
-matrix_static_files_file_matrix_client_property_org_matrix_msc4143_rtc_foci_enabled: "{{ matrix_element_call_enabled }}"
+matrix_static_files_file_matrix_client_property_org_matrix_msc4143_rtc_foci_enabled: "{{ matrix_livekit_jwt_service_enabled }}"
 matrix_static_files_file_matrix_client_property_org_matrix_msc4143_rtc_foci_auto: |-
   {{
     (
@@ -6297,7 +6297,7 @@ matrix_element_call_config_livekit_livekit_service_url: "{{ matrix_livekit_jwt_s
 #                                                                      #
 ########################################################################
 
-livekit_server_enabled: "{{ matrix_element_call_enabled }}"
+livekit_server_enabled: "{{ matrix_element_call_stack_enabled }}"
 
 livekit_server_identifier: matrix-livekit-server
 
@@ -6405,7 +6405,7 @@ livekit_server_systemd_required_services_list_auto: |
 #                                                                      #
 ########################################################################
 
-matrix_livekit_jwt_service_enabled: "{{ matrix_element_call_enabled and livekit_server_enabled }}"
+matrix_livekit_jwt_service_enabled: "{{ matrix_element_call_stack_enabled and livekit_server_enabled }}"
 
 matrix_livekit_jwt_service_scheme: "{{ 'https' if matrix_playbook_ssl_enabled else 'http' }}"
 

roles/custom/matrix-element-call/defaults/main.yml

@@ -11,6 +11,15 @@
 
 matrix_element_call_enabled: false
 
+# Controls whether the Element Call stack (various services around Element Call, without the Element Call frontend itself) are to be installed.
+# This affects enablement of other services around Element Call.
+#
+# By default, we enable the rest of the stack when Element Call itself is enabled,
+# but people may wish to enable the stack by itself and avoid installing the Element Call frontend.
+# This is useful to do, because self-hosting the Element Call frontend is mostly useless, because
+# various clients tend to embed and preferusing their own embedded Element Call frontend, instead of a self-hosted one.
+matrix_element_call_stack_enabled: "{{ matrix_element_call_enabled }}"
+
 # renovate: datasource=docker depName=ghcr.io/element-hq/element-call
 matrix_element_call_version: v0.9.0