🐳 Matrix (An open network for secure, decentralized communication) server setup using Ansible and Docker
Go to file
Suguru Hirahara 194a3ca461
Add "Quick start" guide (#3801)
* Add docs/quick-start.md

Signed-off-by: Suguru Hirahara <acioustick@noreply.codeberg.org>

* Add description about keeping the playbook and services up-to-date

Also: move descriptions about difference between the playbook tags (setup-all and install-all) and about the just "recipe" from installing.md to maintenance-upgrading-services.md

Signed-off-by: Suguru Hirahara <acioustick@noreply.codeberg.org>

* Replace <your-username> with YOUR_USERNAME_HERE

This is a common expression and should avoid misunderstanding that `<` and `>` would need to be included

Signed-off-by: Suguru Hirahara <acioustick@noreply.codeberg.org>

* Replace <your-password> with YOUR_PASSWORD_HERE

Signed-off-by: Suguru Hirahara <acioustick@noreply.codeberg.org>

* Change the link to 'Quick start' on the breadcrumbs from README.md to quick-start.md

Signed-off-by: Suguru Hirahara <acioustick@noreply.codeberg.org>

* Add a link to quick-start.md on the "Getting started" section

Since I am not quite sure whether the link to prerequisites.md should be replaced in favor of this link, this commit leaves it as it is for now.

Signed-off-by: Suguru Hirahara <acioustick@noreply.codeberg.org>

* Add a link to quick-start.md on docs/README.md

Since I am not quite sure whether the link to prerequisites.md should be replaced in favor of this link, this commit leaves it as it is for now.

Signed-off-by: Suguru Hirahara <acioustick@noreply.codeberg.org>

* Add note about using "example.com" as an example domain

Signed-off-by: Suguru Hirahara <acioustick@noreply.codeberg.org>

* Remove backticks from command examples to register a user

Signed-off-by: Suguru Hirahara <acioustick@noreply.codeberg.org>

* Apply suggestions from code review

Co-authored-by: Slavi Pantaleev <slavi@devture.com>

* Improve notes for instruction to create a user account

Signed-off-by: Suguru Hirahara <acioustick@noreply.codeberg.org>

* Add details about delegation to installing.md and quick-start.md

Some information is omitted on quick-start.md in favor of installing.md to keep the quick start guide simple.

Signed-off-by: Suguru Hirahara <acioustick@noreply.codeberg.org>

* Update docs/quick-start.md: add the breadcrumb header

Signed-off-by: Suguru Hirahara <acioustick@noreply.codeberg.org>

* Edit docs/quick-start.md: run the setup command with install-all by default

Refer docs/maintenance-upgrading-services.md

Signed-off-by: Suguru Hirahara <acioustick@noreply.codeberg.org>

* Revert "Update docs/quick-start.md: add the breadcrumb header"

This reverts commit 9a6e1cf14c.

As the quick start guide is standalone.

* Update docs/quick-start.md: add headers inside the install section

These headers should make it perfectly clear that there are two steps to be done to install with the playbook

Signed-off-by: Suguru Hirahara <acioustick@noreply.codeberg.org>

* Update quick-start.md

* Update docs/registering-users.md: notes for manual user registeration

Copy the same notes from quick-start.md

Signed-off-by: Suguru Hirahara <acioustick@noreply.codeberg.org>

* Reword some things in quick start

* Add alternative to `just roles`

* Update docs/configuring-dns.md: sync with docs/quick-start.md

Signed-off-by: Suguru Hirahara <acioustick@noreply.codeberg.org>

* Update docs/quick-start.md: add a link to docs/registering-users.md for an instruction to add user accounts

Signed-off-by: Suguru Hirahara <acioustick@noreply.codeberg.org>

* Update docs/registering-users.md and docs/updating-users-passwords.md: remove "your" from username and password placeholders

These documentations, unlike docs/installing.md and docs/quick-start.md, describe how to handle users (registering them or changing their passwords), some of whom are yours, while others are not.

Signed-off-by: Suguru Hirahara <acioustick@noreply.codeberg.org>

* Update docs/installing.md: add "your" to make it clear that it is "your" account that is going to be created

Signed-off-by: Suguru Hirahara <acioustick@noreply.codeberg.org>

* Update docs/installing.md and docs/quick-start.md: mention "make roles"

This commit adds mentions to "make roles" and a note about the preference of ansible-playbook commands over the just "recipes".

quick-start.md intends to be referred by those who have never used the playbook to set up a server, so it is safer to regard that it is not clear to them what exactly the just "recipes" are made of, ie. it takes some time and experience until someone understands simplicity of them. For beginners, I believe that we should prefer the basics over simplicity, from the educational point of view.

If someone feels tired of using the same command repetitively, then the person will have been already well accustomed to the way how the playbook works and how the server is supposed to be maintained, and the person is "qualified" to use the just "recipes", and should be able to use them with confidence, distinguishing the playbook tags from the "recipes", for example, from "just install-all" and "ansible-playbook -i inventory/hosts setup.yml --tags=install-all". Such level of familiarity and experience should not be expected on the quick start guide.

Signed-off-by: Suguru Hirahara <acioustick@noreply.codeberg.org>

* Update instructions to update Ansible roles

Also: move the detailed explanation about "just roles" from installing.md to maintenance-upgrading-services.md

TBD: create a dedicated documentation for the "just" program and the concept of its "recipe" (shortcut of commands)

Signed-off-by: Suguru Hirahara <acioustick@noreply.codeberg.org>

* Add a note about cases to create multiple accounts/users

Since one of the quick start guide's goals is to set up an own user account, this commit adds the note about creating multiple accounts/users to installing.md and registering-users.md only. It should be fine as registering-users.md is linked from quick-start.md

Also:
- On installing.md and quick-start.md, change instruction from what encourages to select "admin=yes" or "admin=no" to what encourages to use "admin=yes", since your user account will be the sole user on the server, as long as you set up the server by following the documentation
- Remove the link to registering-users.md from quick-start.md as the documentation is already linked above, under the header of the section
- Sync docs/installing.md with other documentation

Signed-off-by: Suguru Hirahara <acioustick@noreply.codeberg.org>

* Remove a line about setting "admin=yes" to reduce the amount of information

Because quick-start.md is getting longer with much information, it removes the note in favor of the linked registering-users.md documentation. The note is available on installing.md as well, and details about adding user accounts for other people can (and should) be checked on those documentations.

Also, this commit edits lines above these notes to make it clear that your user account will be an administrator of the server.

With this commit, the amount of the information about adding user accounts will be: registering-users.md > installing.md > quick-start.md

Signed-off-by: Suguru Hirahara <acioustick@noreply.codeberg.org>

* Fix a broken anchor link on docs/installing.md

Signed-off-by: Suguru Hirahara <acioustick@noreply.codeberg.org>

* Replace repetitive information about upgrading with an anchor link to docs/maintenance-upgrading-services.md

Because details to update/upgrade the Matrix services is not necessary for quick start and the amount of information should be reduced from the viewpoint of maintainability, this commit removes details to update/upgrade from quick-start.md

Signed-off-by: Suguru Hirahara <acioustick@noreply.codeberg.org>

* Update docs/quick-start.md: add a note about keeping it tidy and simple

Signed-off-by: Suguru Hirahara <acioustick@noreply.codeberg.org>

* Update docs/maintenance-checking-services.md and docs/quick-start.md: add instruction to use federation tester against the base domain

Per Slavi's suggestion.

Signed-off-by: Suguru Hirahara <acioustick@noreply.codeberg.org>

* Update docs/installing.md and docs/quick-start.md: replace commands to finalize the installation

Per Slavi's suggestion.

Signed-off-by: Suguru Hirahara <acioustick@noreply.codeberg.org>

* Clarify install-matrix-static-files to avoid confusion with install-all; Minor consistency improvements

---------

Signed-off-by: Suguru Hirahara <acioustick@noreply.codeberg.org>
Co-authored-by: Suguru Hirahara <acioustick@noreply.codeberg.org>
Co-authored-by: Slavi Pantaleev <slavi@devture.com>
2024-11-23 09:59:29 +02:00
.config Disable var-naming[no-role-prefix] ansible-lint rule 2023-07-12 08:18:50 +03:00
.github Add .github/workflows/close-stale-issues.yml: close stale issues automatically 2024-11-22 13:57:29 +09:00
bin Add support for bridging to Facebook Messenger and Instagram via mautrix-meta 2024-02-19 10:25:00 +02:00
collections fix: all praise the allmighty yamllinter 2022-02-05 21:32:54 +01:00
docs Add "Quick start" guide (#3801) 2024-11-23 09:59:29 +02:00
examples Edit the note about "matrix_homeserver_implementation" variable 2024-11-08 23:59:14 +09:00
group_vars Fix variable name typos (matrix_playbook_reverse_proxy_traefik_middleware_compession_* -> matrix_playbook_reverse_proxy_traefik_middleware_compression_*) 2024-11-21 12:23:01 +02:00
roles/custom Fix variable name typos (matrix_playbook_reverse_proxy_traefik_middleware_compession_* -> matrix_playbook_reverse_proxy_traefik_middleware_compression_*) 2024-11-21 12:23:01 +02:00
.editorconfig Add justfile to .editorconfig 2023-03-28 10:55:43 +03:00
.envrc Added a nix flake 2023-04-16 19:04:35 +00:00
.gitattributes add .gitattributes with checking out with lf line endings 2023-10-23 19:09:30 +03:00
.gitignore chore: fix nix flake (#3259) 2024-04-09 10:22:45 +03:00
.yamllint remove old workers.yml (already saved into main.yml) 2022-11-04 19:02:24 +02:00
ansible.cfg Use the yaml callback plugin when running ansible-playbook 2021-02-18 15:57:05 +01:00
CHANGELOG.md Fix variable name typos (matrix_playbook_reverse_proxy_traefik_middleware_compession_* -> matrix_playbook_reverse_proxy_traefik_middleware_compression_*) 2024-11-21 12:23:01 +02:00
flake.lock chore: fix nix flake (#3259) 2024-04-09 10:22:45 +03:00
flake.nix chore: fix nix flake (#3259) 2024-04-09 10:22:45 +03:00
jitsi_jvb.yml Ensure docker is installed on additional JVBs (fixes #2706) 2023-06-17 15:04:35 +03:00
justfile Update agru url in justfile 2024-08-11 22:38:44 +03:00
LICENSE Add LICENSE file 2018-08-17 09:01:06 +03:00
Makefile Try to fix ansible-lint Github action 2022-11-20 19:13:00 +02:00
README.md Add "Quick start" guide (#3801) 2024-11-23 09:59:29 +02:00
requirements.yml Update dependency traefik to v3.2.1-0 2024-11-21 09:14:31 +00:00
setup.yml Rename variables of Postmoogle to handle it as a bridge (#3698) 2024-10-31 10:33:46 +02:00
YEAR-IN-REVIEW.md Add "Web" to Element and SchildiChat web application (#3755) 2024-11-07 16:31:26 +02:00

Support room on Matrix donate

Matrix (An open network for secure, decentralized communication) server setup using Ansible and Docker

🎯 Purpose

This Ansible playbook is meant to help you run your own Matrix homeserver, along with the various services related to that.

That is, it lets you join the Matrix network using your own @<username>:example.com identifier, all hosted on your own server (see prerequisites).

We run all supported services in Docker containers (see the container images we use), which lets us have a predictable and up-to-date setup, across multiple supported distros (see prerequisites) and architectures (x86/amd64 being recommended).

Installation (upgrades) and some maintenance tasks are automated using Ansible (see our Ansible guide).

☁ Self-hosting or Managed / SaaS

This Ansible playbook tries to make self-hosting and maintaining a Matrix server fairly easy (see Getting started). Still, running any service smoothly requires knowledge, time and effort.

If you like the FOSS spirit of this Ansible playbook, but prefer to put the responsibility on someone else, you can also get a managed Matrix server from etke.cc (both hosting and on-premises) - a service built on top of this Ansible playbook but with additional components and services which all help you run a Matrix server with ease. Be advised that etke.cc operates on a subscription-based approach and there is no "just set up my server once and be done with it" option.

🚀 Getting started

We have detailed documentation in the docs/ directory - see the Table of Contents in the documentation README.

While the list of supported services and documentation is very extensive, you don't need to read through everything. We recommend:

  • Starting with the basics. You can always add/remove or tweak services later on.
  • Following our guided installation, starting with the Prerequisites documentation page

If you have never configured Matrix services, follow the quick start guide to set up minimum core services on your server.

✔ Supported services

Using this playbook, you can get the following list of services configured on your server. Basically, this playbook aims to get you up-and-running with all the necessities around Matrix, without you having to do anything else.

Notes:

  • The list below is exhaustive. It includes optional or even some advanced components that you will most likely not need. Sticking with the defaults (which install a subset of the above components) is the best choice, especially for a new installation. You can always re-run the playbook later to add or remove components.

  • Deprecated or unmaintained services are not listed. You can find documentations for them here.

Homeserver

The homeserver is the backbone of your Matrix system. Choose one from the following list.

Name Default? Description Documentation
Synapse Storing your data and managing your presence in the Matrix network Link
Conduit Storing your data and managing your presence in the Matrix network. Conduit is a lightweight open-source server implementation of the Matrix Specification with a focus on easy setup and low system requirements Link
Dendrite Storing your data and managing your presence in the Matrix network. Dendrite is a second-generation Matrix homeserver written in Go, an alternative to Synapse. Link

Clients

Web clients for Matrix that you can host on your own domains.

Name Default? Description Documentation
Element Web Default Matrix web client, configured to connect to your own Synapse server Link
Hydrogen Lightweight Matrix client with legacy and mobile browser support Link
Cinny Simple, elegant and secure web client Link
SchildiChat Web Based on Element Web, with a more traditional instant messaging experience Link

Server Components

Services that run on the server to make the various parts of your installation work.

Name Default? Description Documentation
PostgreSQL Database for Synapse. Using an external PostgreSQL server is also possible. Link
Coturn STUN/TURN server for WebRTC audio/video calls Link
Traefik Web server, listening on ports 80, 443 and 8448 - standing in front of all the other services. Using your own webserver is possible Link
Let's Encrypt Free SSL certificate, which secures the connection to all components Link
Exim Mail server, through which all Matrix services send outgoing email (can be configured to relay through another SMTP server) Link
ma1sd Matrix Identity Server Link
ddclient Dynamic DNS Link

Authentication

Extend and modify how users are authenticated on your homeserver.

Name Default? Description Documentation
matrix-synapse-rest-auth (advanced) REST authentication password provider module Link
matrix-synapse-shared-secret-auth (advanced) Password provider module Link
matrix-synapse-ldap3 (advanced) LDAP Auth password provider module Link
matrix-ldap-registration-proxy (advanced) A proxy that handles Matrix registration requests and forwards them to LDAP. Link
matrix-registration A simple python application to have a token based Matrix registration Link
Matrix User Verification Service (UVS) Service to verify details of a user based on an Open ID token Link
synapse-simple-antispam (advanced) A spam checker module Link

File Storage

Use alternative file storage to the default media_store folder.

Name Default? Description Documentation
Goofys Amazon S3 (or other S3-compatible object store) storage for Synapse's content repository (media_store) files Link
synapse-s3-storage-provider Amazon S3 (or other S3-compatible object store) storage for Synapse's content repository (media_store) files Link
matrix-media-repo matrix-media-repo is a highly customizable multi-domain media repository for Matrix. Intended for medium to large deployments, this media repo de-duplicates media while being fully compliant with the specification. Link

Bridges

Bridges can be used to connect your Matrix installation with third-party communication networks.

Name Default? Description Documentation
mautrix-discord Bridge to Discord Link
mautrix-slack Bridge to Slack Link
mautrix-telegram Bridge to Telegram Link
mautrix-gmessages Bridge to Google Messages Link
mautrix-whatsapp Bridge to WhatsApp Link
mautrix-wsproxy Bridge to Android SMS or Apple iMessage Link
mautrix-twitter Bridge to Twitter Link
mautrix-googlechat Bridge to Google Chat Link
mautrix-meta Bridge to Messenger and Instagram Link for Messenger / Instagram
mautrix-signal Bridge to Signal Link
beeper-linkedin Bridge to LinkedIn Link
matrix-appservice-irc Bridge to IRC Link
matrix-appservice-kakaotalk Bridge to Kakaotalk Link
matrix-appservice-discord Bridge to Discord Link
matrix-appservice-slack Bridge to Slack Link
matrix-hookshot Bridge for generic webhooks and multiple project management services, such as GitHub, GitLab, Figma, and Jira in particular Link
matrix-sms-bridge Bridge to SMS Link
matrix-wechat Bridge to WeChat Link
Heisenbridge Bouncer-style bridge to IRC Link
go-skype-bridge Bridge to Skype Link
mx-puppet-slack Bridge to Slack Link
mx-puppet-instagram Bridge for Instagram-DMs (Instagram) Link
mx-puppet-twitter Bridge for Twitter-DMs (Twitter) Link
mx-puppet-discord Bridge to Discord Link
mx-puppet-groupme Bridge to GroupMe Link
mx-puppet-steam Bridge to Steam Link
Email2Matrix Bridge for relaying emails to Matrix rooms Link
Postmoogle Email to Matrix bridge Link

Bots

Bots provide various additional functionality to your installation.

Name Default? Description Documentation
baibot A bot that exposes the power of AI / Large Language Models to you Link
matrix-reminder-bot Bot for scheduling one-off & recurring reminders and alarms Link
matrix-registration-bot Bot for invitations by creating and managing registration tokens Link
maubot A plugin-based Matrix bot system Link
Honoroit A helpdesk bot Link
Mjolnir A moderation tool for Matrix Link
Draupnir A moderation tool for Matrix (Fork of Mjolnir) Link (for appservice mode)
Buscarron Web forms (HTTP POST) to Matrix Link

Administration

Services that help you in administrating and monitoring your Matrix installation.

Name Default? Description Documentation
matrix-alertmanager-receiver Prometheus' Alertmanager client Link
Matrix Authentication Service OAuth 2.0 and OpenID Provider server Link
synapse-admin A web UI tool for administrating users and rooms on your Matrix server Link
Metrics and Graphs Consists of the Prometheus time-series database server, the Prometheus node-exporter host metrics exporter, and the Grafana web UI, with prometheus-nginxlog-exporter being available too Link (for prometheus-nginxlog-exporter)
Borg Backups Link
rageshake Bug report server Link
synapse-usage-exporter Export the usage statistics of a Synapse homeserver to be scraped by Prometheus. Link

Misc

Various services that don't fit any other categories.

Name Default? Description Documentation
sliding-sync (Superseded by Simplified Sliding Sync integrated into Synapse > 1.114 and Conduit > 0.6.0) Sliding Sync support for clients which require it (e.g. old Element X versions before Simplified Sliding Sync was developed) Link
synapse_auto_accept_invite A Synapse module to automatically accept invites. Link
synapse_auto_compressor A cli tool that automatically compresses state_groups database table in background. Link
Matrix Corporal (advanced) Reconciliator and gateway for a managed Matrix server Link
Etherpad An open source collaborative text editor Link
Jitsi An open source video-conferencing platform Link
Cactus Comments A federated comment system built on Matrix Link
Pantalaimon An E2EE aware proxy daemon Link
Sygnal Push gateway Link
ntfy Push notifications server Link

🆕 Changes

This playbook evolves over time, sometimes with backward-incompatible changes.

When updating the playbook, refer to the changelog to catch up with what's new.

🆘 Support

You may also be interested in mash-playbook - another Ansible playbook for self-hosting non-Matrix services (see its List of supported services).

mash-playbook also makes use of Traefik as its reverse-proxy, so with minor interoperability adjustments, you can make matrix-docker-ansible-deploy and mash-playbook co-exist and host Matrix and non-Matrix services on the same server.