Rocket.Chat

Server is running, ask Mikey to get you registered at the "secret" registration url.

Clients

The Linux and android clients are tested and working out of the box. How nice.

• Desktop apps
• Android
• iPhone

Server maintenance

• To update:

ssh jaws
cd ~/apps/Rocket.Chat.github-source
sudo service rocketchat stop
meteor npm install
sudo service rocketchat start

Server installation

Snap install is a clusterfuck of imperfection... DO NOT SEEK THE TREASURE!

From source

sudo apt-get install -y git build-essential mongodb nodejs graphicsmagick
cd ~/apps
git clone https://github.com/RocketChat/Rocket.Chat.git
cd Rocket.Chat
curl https://install.meteor.com/ | sh
meteor npm install
meteor npm start

Make sure that gets going. Once it does, there are two more optional steps.

Install system mongo

If you want to use a full system mongo installation instead of the dummy one that comes embedded in meteor, you'll need to tell meteor how to find it. It should be configured as a replicaset (even though it's one node):

# install system mongo
# use a startup script like this:
 cd ~/apps/Rocket.Chat.github-source
 MONGO_URL=mongodb://localhost:27017/rocketchat?replicaSet=rs01 MONGO_OPLOG_URL=mongodb://localhost:27017/local?replicaSet=rs01 ROOT_URL=http://localhost:3000/ PORT=3000 meteor npm start

Set up a systemd service

# Uninstall snap if needed
sudo snap remove rocketchat-server

• Create a service file in your config folder, and stow it into /etc/systemd/system. jaws example:

💉 m@jaws  [~] cat config/etc/systemd/system/rocketchat.service 
[Unit]
Description=Jaws rocketchat server
After=network.target
[Service]
WorkingDirectory=/home/m/apps/Rocket.Chat.github-source
Environment=MONGO_URL=mongodb://localhost:27017/rocketchat?replicaSet=rs01
Environment=MONGO_OPLOG_URL=mongodb://localhost:27017/local?replicaSet=rs01
Environment=ROOT_URL=http://localhost:3000/
Environment=PORT=3000
User=m
Type=simple
ExecStart=meteor npm start
[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

• Install it

sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl start rocketchat
# Give it a GOOD 5 MINUTES to start up, sigh... once it does:
sudo systemctl enable rocketchat

Now FINISH UP

• Browse to admin panel at http://yourserver:3000
• Register with rocket.chat (I think you have to to get mobile updates???)
• Set up an admin account
• Update haproxy and certbot to support a subdomain that is publicly available

Configuration

Once you log in as admin, you get a SHITTON of settings to manage. Important ones:

• Admin > Settings > search > site > CHANGE THE SITE from http://localhost to your FQDN!
• I updated my admin layout Content. It includes Home page text, TOS etc.
• Admin > Accounts > Registration > Manually Approve New Users
• Admin > Accounts > Registration > Registration Form > Secret URL (URL will be /register/(secret)/ )
• Admin > Layout > User Interface > Allow Special Characters in Room Names > Toggle ON
• Admin > Search > Default Provider > Global Search ON (to add a toggleable global search option)
• Admin > Video Conference > Jitsu > Enable (NOTE desktop app doesn't find my camera, but chrome does)
• Should I? Admin > Accounts > Registration > Use DNS Domain Check

Enable mobile push

This is not as simple as it should be...

• Admin > Setup Wizard > Cloud Info > Cloud Service Agree Privacy > Toggle ON

YOU MUST restart server for setting to be applied! This apparently sets:

Admin > Settings > Push > Production read-only toggle ON

This is necessary for mobile chat notifications to work!

• Register for cloud services
• When creating an account, I did NOT get email confirmation. I had to use "Forgot password" to reset and get access.
• Click Register Self-managed, and get the token.
• Admin > Connectivity Services > Register > paste the token
• Admin > Connectivity Services > Login to Rocket.Chat Cloud
• Admin > Settings > Push > Send a test push

Holy hell, it worked!

2fa hell

I tried to create a google APP password and use it in RC SMTP settings to allow outbound email (see private for app pw instructions). No luck. If SMTP doesn't work it can really fuck you trying to get any settings changed to fix the problem. Catch-22 loop of hell.

I tried adding some bullshit hack ENV vars to the rocketchat service with no luck:

sudo service rocketchat stop
emacs ~/config/etc/systemd/system/rocketchat.service 
 Environment=SHA_256_HASH_OF_API_USER_PASSWORD=047c5647b586286f839377306252cf99e7f1bbddb93c2f84a6a7377ef2dd6122
 Environment=Accounts_TwoFactorAuthentication_Enforce_Password_Fallback=false
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo service rocketchat start

Didn't seem to do shit.

Try turning settings off via shell?

ssh jaws
mongo
use rocketchat
db.rocketchat_settings.update({"_id":"Accounts_TwoFactorAuthentication_Enabled"},{$set:{"packageValue":false}});
db.rocketchat_settings.update({"_id":"Accounts_TwoFactorAuthentication_Enabled"},{$set:{"value":false}});
db.rocketchat_settings.update({"_id":"Accounts_TwoFactorAuthentication_By_Email_Enabled"},{$set:{"packageValue":false}});
db.rocketchat_settings.update({"_id":"Accounts_TwoFactorAuthentication_By_Email_Enabled"},{$set:{"value":false}});
db.rocketchat_settings.update({"_id":"Accounts_TwoFactorAuthentication_Enforce_Password_Fallback"},{$set:{"packageValue":false}});
db.rocketchat_settings.update({"_id":"Accounts_TwoFactorAuthentication_Enforce_Password_Fallback"},{$set:{"value":false}});