Setting up Element Call (optional)

The playbook can install and configure Element Call for you.

Element Call is a WebRTC-based video and voice calling platform that integrates with Matrix clients such as Element Web. It provides secure, decentralized communication with support for video calls, audio calls, and screen sharing.

See the project's documentation to learn more.

Decide on a domain and path

By default, Element Call is configured to be served on the Matrix domain (call.DOMAIN, controlled by the matrix_element_call_hostname variable).

This makes it easy to set it up, without having to adjust your DNS records manually.

If you'd like to run Element Call on another hostname or path, use the matrix_element_call_hostname and matrix_element_call_path_prefix variables.

Adjusting DNS records

If you've changed the default hostname, you may need to adjust your DNS records accordingly to point to the correct server.

Ensure that the following DNS names have a public IP/FQDN:

call.DOMAIN
sfu.DOMAIN
sfu-jwt.DOMAIN

Adjusting the playbook configuration

NOTE: Element call is dependent on two other services for it to function as intended. In orter to utilise Element Call you need to also enable the JWT Service and Livekit Server.

Add the following configuration to your inventory/host_vars/matrix.DOMAIN/vars.yml file:

# Enable dependent services
keydb_enabled: true
matrix_element_call_enabled: true
matrix_livekit_server_enabled: true
matrix_jwt_service_enabled: true
# Set a secure key for LiveKit authentication
matrix_livekit_server_dev_key: 'your-secure-livekit-key'

Installing

After potentially adjusting DNS records and configuring the playbook, run the installation command again:

ansible-playbook -i inventory setup.yml

Usage

Once installed, Element Call integrates seamlessly with Matrix clients like Element Web. When the Element Call service is installed, the /.well-known/matrix/client file is also updated. A new org.matrix.msc4143.rtc_foci section is added to point to your JWT service URL (e.g., https://sfu-jwt.DOMAIN).

Additionally, the /.well-known/element/element.json file is created to help Element clients discover the Element Call URL (e.g., https://call.DOMAIN).

Required Firewall and Port Forwarding Rules

To ensure the services function correctly, the following firewall rules and port forwarding settings are required:

LiveKit:

•	Forward UDP ports 50100:50200 to the Docker instance running LiveKit.
•	Forward TCP port 7881 to the Docker instance running LiveKit.

Element Call:

•	Forward TCP port 443 to the server running Traefik (for Element Call).

Ensure these ports are open and forwarded appropriately to allow traffic to flow correctly between the services.

Additional Information

Refer to the Element Call documentation for more details on configuring and using Element Call.

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