Install Matrix Synapse Home Server on Debian Linux

#Matrix #Synapse #Element #SecureCommunication

Full steps can be found at https://i12bretro.github.io/tutorials/0640.html

What is Matrix?

Matrix is an open source project that publishes the Matrix open standard for secure, decentralised, real-time communication, and its Apache licensed reference implementations. -https://matrix.org

What is Synapse?

Synapse is a Matrix "homeserver" implementation developed by the matrix.org core team, written in Python 3/Twisted. -https://github.com/matrix-org/synapse/

Installing Synapse

1. Log into the Linux device
2. Run the following commands in terminal

# update software repositories
sudo apt update
# install available software updates
sudo apt upgrade
# install prerequisites
sudo apt install lsb‐release wget openssl apt‐transport‐https ‐y
# add matrix gpg key
sudo wget ‐O /usr/share/keyrings/matrix‐org‐archive‐keyring.gpg https://packages.matrix.org/debian/matrix‐org‐archive‐keyring.gpg
# add matrix apt repository
echo "deb [signed‐by=/usr/share/keyrings/matrix‐org‐archive‐keyring.gpg] https://packages.matrix.org/debian/ $(lsb_release ‐cs) main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/matrix‐org.list
# update software repositories
sudo apt update
# install synapse
sudo apt install matrix‐synapse‐py3 ‐y
# when prompted, enter localhost as the name of the matrix server
# choose whether to share statistics with matrix
# install postgresql
sudo apt install libpq5 postgresql ‐y
# enable the postgresql service and start it
sudo systemctl enable postgresql ‐‐now
# connect to postgresql
sudo ‐u postgres psql postgres
# create synapse database user
create user matrix_synapse_rw with password 'm@trix!';
# create matrix_synapse database
create database matrix_synapse with encoding='UTF8' lc_collate='C' lc_ctype='C' template='template0' owner='matrix_synapse_rw';
# close postgresql connection
exit
# edit the homeserver.yaml file
sudo nano /etc/matrix‐synapse/homeserver.yaml

3. Press CTRL+W and search for name: sqlite3
4. Comment out the sqlite database parameters by adding a # to the beginning of each of the lines
5. Paste the following psycopg2 (Postgres) database connection and update it as needed:

database:
name: psycopg2
txn_limit: 10000
args:
 user: matrix_synapse_rw
 password: m@trix!
 database: matrix_synapse
 host: localhost
 port: 5432
 cp_min: 5
 cp_max: 10

6. Press CTRL+W and search for name: bind_addresses: [
7. Edit the bind addresses value to add either the host servers IP address or set the value to '0.0.0.0' to listen on all interfaces
8. Add the following line at the bottom of the file

suppress_key_server_warning: true

9. Press CTRL+O, Enter, CTRL+X to write the changes
10. Continue with the following commands

# generate a randoml string
RANDOMSTRING=$(openssl rand ‐base64 30)
# write the random string as registration_shared_secret
echo "registration_shared_secret: $RANDOMSTRING" | sudo tee ‐a /etc/matrix‐synapse/homeserver.yaml > /dev/null
# restart the synapse service
sudo systemctl restart matrix‐synapse
# create a new synapse user
register_new_matrix_user ‐c /etc/matrix‐synapse/homeserver.yaml http://localhost:8008

11. Enter a username, enter and confirm the password and choose if the user is an admin
12. At this point the Matrix Synapse server is running, but only over http
13. Open a web browser and navigate to the http://DNSorIP:8008
14. A message stating It works! Synapse is running should be displayed

Testing with Element Desktop Application (Optional)

1. To test the Synapse server with a matrix client, continue with the following commands

# add the element.io gpg key
sudo wget ‐O /usr/share/keyrings/element‐io‐archive‐keyring.gpg https://packages.element.io/debian/element‐io‐archive‐keyring.gpg
# add the element.io apt repository
echo "deb [signed‐by=/usr/share/keyrings/element‐io‐archive‐keyring.gpg] https://packages.element.io/debian/ default main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/element‐io.list
# update software repositories
sudo apt update
# install element desktop
sudo apt install element‐desktop ‐y

2. Launch the Element application
3. Click Sign In
4. Click the Edit link next to matrix.org
5. Select Other homeserver > type http://DNSorIP:8008 > Click Continue
6. Login using the Synapse username and password created earlier

....Full steps can be found on GitHub [link at the top]

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