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diff --git a/README.rst b/README.rst index 1530e5caac..0459d54634 100644 --- a/README.rst +++ b/README.rst @@ -4,13 +4,13 @@ Introduction Matrix is an ambitious new ecosystem for open federated Instant Messaging and VoIP. The basics you need to know to get up and running are: - - Chatrooms are distributed and do not exist on any single server. Rooms - can be found using aliases like ``#matrix:matrix.org`` or - ``#test:localhost:8008`` or they can be ephemeral. - - - Matrix user IDs look like ``@matthew:matrix.org`` (although in the future - you will normally refer to yourself and others using a 3PID: email - address, phone number, etc rather than manipulating Matrix user IDs) +- Chatrooms are distributed and do not exist on any single server. Rooms + can be found using aliases like ``#matrix:matrix.org`` or + ``#test:localhost:8008`` or they can be ephemeral. + +- Matrix user IDs look like ``@matthew:matrix.org`` (although in the future + you will normally refer to yourself and others using a 3PID: email + address, phone number, etc rather than manipulating Matrix user IDs) The overall architecture is:: @@ -20,70 +20,74 @@ The overall architecture is:: WARNING ======= -**Synapse is currently in a state of rapid development, and not all features are yet functional. -Critically, some security features are still in development, which means Synapse can *not* -be considered secure or reliable at this point.** For instance: +**Synapse is currently in a state of rapid development, and not all features +are yet functional. Critically, some security features are still in +development, which means Synapse can *not* be considered secure or reliable at +this point.** For instance: - **SSL Certificates used by server-server federation are not yet validated.** - **Room permissions are not yet enforced on traffic received via federation.** -- **Homeservers do not yet cryptographically sign their events to avoid tampering** +- **Homeservers do not yet cryptographically sign their events to avoid + tampering** - Default configuration provides open signup to the service from the internet -Despite this, we believe Synapse is more than useful as a way for experimenting and -exploring Synapse, and the missing features will land shortly. **Until then, please do *NOT* -use Synapse for any remotely important or secure communication.** +Despite this, we believe Synapse is more than useful as a way for experimenting +and exploring Synapse, and the missing features will land shortly. **Until +then, please do *NOT* use Synapse for any remotely important or secure +communication.** Quick Start =========== System requirements: - - POSIX-compliant system (tested on Linux & OSX) - - Python 2.7 +- POSIX-compliant system (tested on Linux & OSX) +- Python 2.7 To get up and running: - - - To simply play with an **existing** homeserver you can - just go straight to http://matrix.org/alpha. - - - To run your own **private** homeserver on localhost:8008, generate a basic - config file: ``./synctl start`` will give you instructions on how to do this. - Once you've done so, running ``./synctl start`` again will start your private - home sserver. You will find a webclient running at http://localhost:8008. - Please use a recent Chrome or Firefox for now (or Safari if you don't need - VoIP support). - - - To run a **public** homeserver and let it exchange messages with other homeservers - and participate in the global Matrix federation, you must expose port 8448 to the - internet and edit homeserver.yaml to specify server_name (the public DNS entry for - this server) and then run ``synctl start``. If you changed the server_name, you may - need to move the old database (homeserver.db) out of the way first. Then come join - ``#matrix:matrix.org`` and say hi! :) + +- To simply play with an **existing** homeserver you can + just go straight to http://matrix.org/alpha. + +- To run your own **private** homeserver on localhost:8008, generate a basic + config file: ``./synctl start`` will give you instructions on how to do this. + Once you've done so, running ``./synctl start`` again will start your private + home sserver. You will find a webclient running at http://localhost:8008. + Please use a recent Chrome or Firefox for now (or Safari if you don't need + VoIP support). + +- To run a **public** homeserver and let it exchange messages with other + homeservers and participate in the global Matrix federation, you must expose + port 8448 to the internet and edit homeserver.yaml to specify server_name + (the public DNS entry for this server) and then run ``synctl start``. If you + changed the server_name, you may need to move the old database + (homeserver.db) out of the way first. Then come join ``#matrix:matrix.org`` + and say hi! :) For more detailed setup instructions, please see further down this document. - + About Matrix ============ Matrix specifies a set of pragmatic RESTful HTTP JSON APIs as an open standard, which handle: - - Creating and managing fully distributed chat rooms with no - single points of control or failure - - Eventually-consistent cryptographically secure[1] synchronisation of room - state across a global open network of federated servers and services - - Sending and receiving extensible messages in a room with (optional) - end-to-end encryption[2] - - Inviting, joining, leaving, kicking, banning room members - - Managing user accounts (registration, login, logout) - - Using 3rd Party IDs (3PIDs) such as email addresses, phone numbers, - Facebook accounts to authenticate, identify and discover users on Matrix. - - Placing 1:1 VoIP and Video calls +- Creating and managing fully distributed chat rooms with no + single points of control or failure +- Eventually-consistent cryptographically secure[1] synchronisation of room + state across a global open network of federated servers and services +- Sending and receiving extensible messages in a room with (optional) + end-to-end encryption[2] +- Inviting, joining, leaving, kicking, banning room members +- Managing user accounts (registration, login, logout) +- Using 3rd Party IDs (3PIDs) such as email addresses, phone numbers, + Facebook accounts to authenticate, identify and discover users on Matrix. +- Placing 1:1 VoIP and Video calls These APIs are intended to be implemented on a wide range of servers, services -and clients, letting developers build messaging and VoIP functionality on top of -the entirely open Matrix ecosystem rather than using closed or proprietary +and clients, letting developers build messaging and VoIP functionality on top +of the entirely open Matrix ecosystem rather than using closed or proprietary solutions. The hope is for Matrix to act as the building blocks for a new generation of fully open and interoperable messaging and VoIP apps for the internet. @@ -98,17 +102,17 @@ In Matrix, every user runs one or more Matrix clients, which connect through to a Matrix homeserver which stores all their personal chat history and user account information - much as a mail client connects through to an IMAP/SMTP server. Just like email, you can either run your own Matrix homeserver and -control and own your own communications and history or use one hosted by someone -else (e.g. matrix.org) - there is no single point of control or mandatory -service provider in Matrix, unlike WhatsApp, Facebook, Hangouts, etc. +control and own your own communications and history or use one hosted by +someone else (e.g. matrix.org) - there is no single point of control or +mandatory service provider in Matrix, unlike WhatsApp, Facebook, Hangouts, etc. Synapse ships with two basic demo Matrix clients: webclient (a basic group chat web client demo implemented in AngularJS) and cmdclient (a basic Python command line utility which lets you easily see what the JSON APIs are up to). We'd like to invite you to take a look at the Matrix spec, try to run a -homeserver, and join the existing Matrix chatrooms already out there, experiment -with the APIs and the demo clients, and let us know your thoughts at +homeserver, and join the existing Matrix chatrooms already out there, +experiment with the APIs and the demo clients, and let us know your thoughts at https://github.com/matrix-org/synapse/issues or at matrix@matrix.org. Thanks for trying Matrix! @@ -121,14 +125,14 @@ Thanks for trying Matrix! Homeserver Installation ======================= -First, the dependencies need to be installed. Start by installing +First, the dependencies need to be installed. Start by installing 'python2.7-dev' and the various tools of the compiler toolchain. - Installing prerequisites on Ubuntu:: +Installing prerequisites on Ubuntu:: $ sudo apt-get install build-essential python2.7-dev libffi-dev - Installing prerequisites on Mac OS X:: +Installing prerequisites on Mac OS X:: $ xcode-select --install @@ -136,24 +140,24 @@ The homeserver has a number of external dependencies, that are easiest to install by making setup.py do so, in --user mode:: $ python setup.py develop --user - + You'll need a version of setuptools new enough to know about git, so you -may need to also run: +may need to also run:: $ sudo apt-get install python-pip $ sudo pip install --upgrade setuptools - + If you don't have access to github, then you may need to install ``syutil`` -manually by checking it out and running ``python setup.py develop --user`` on it -too. - +manually by checking it out and running ``python setup.py develop --user`` on +it too. + If you get errors about ``sodium.h`` being missing, you may also need to manually install a newer PyNaCl via pip as setuptools installs an old one. Or you can check PyNaCl out of git directly (https://github.com/pyca/pynacl) and -installing it. Installing PyNaCl using pip may also work (remember to remove any -other versions installed by setuputils in, for example, ~/.local/lib). +installing it. Installing PyNaCl using pip may also work (remember to remove +any other versions installed by setuputils in, for example, ~/.local/lib). -On OSX, if you encounter ``clang: error: unknown argument: '-mno-fused-madd'`` +On OSX, if you encounter ``clang: error: unknown argument: '-mno-fused-madd'`` you will need to ``export CFLAGS=-Qunused-arguments``. This will run a process of downloading and installing into your @@ -177,7 +181,7 @@ Upgrading an existing homeserver Before upgrading an existing homeserver to a new version, please refer to UPGRADE.rst for any additional instructions. - + Setting up Federation ===================== @@ -187,14 +191,14 @@ be publicly visible on the internet, and they will need to know its host name. You have two choices here, which will influence the form of your Matrix user IDs: - 1) Use the machine's own hostname as available on public DNS in the form of its - A or AAAA records. This is easier to set up initially, perhaps for testing, - but lacks the flexibility of SRV. +1) Use the machine's own hostname as available on public DNS in the form of + its A or AAAA records. This is easier to set up initially, perhaps for + testing, but lacks the flexibility of SRV. - 2) Set up a SRV record for your domain name. This requires you create a SRV - record in DNS, but gives the flexibility to run the server on your own - choice of TCP port, on a machine that might not be the same name as the - domain name. +2) Set up a SRV record for your domain name. This requires you create a SRV + record in DNS, but gives the flexibility to run the server on your own + choice of TCP port, on a machine that might not be the same name as the + domain name. For the first form, simply pass the required hostname (of the machine) as the --host parameter:: @@ -204,10 +208,10 @@ For the first form, simply pass the required hostname (of the machine) as the --config-path homeserver.config \ --generate-config $ python synapse/app/homeserver.py --config-path homeserver.config - -Alternatively, you can run synapse via synctl - running ``synctl start`` to -generate a homeserver.yaml config file, where you can then edit server-name to -specify machine.my.domain.name, and then set the actual server running again + +Alternatively, you can run synapse via synctl - running ``synctl start`` to +generate a homeserver.yaml config file, where you can then edit server-name to +specify machine.my.domain.name, and then set the actual server running again with synctl start. For the second form, first create your SRV record and publish it in DNS. This @@ -269,8 +273,8 @@ account. Your name will take the form of:: Specify your desired localpart in the topmost box of the "Register for an account" form, and click the "Register" button. Hostnames can contain ports if -required due to lack of SRV records (e.g. @matthew:localhost:8080 on an internal -synapse sandbox running on localhost) +required due to lack of SRV records (e.g. @matthew:localhost:8080 on an +internal synapse sandbox running on localhost) Logging In To An Existing Account @@ -285,9 +289,9 @@ Identity Servers The job of authenticating 3PIDs and tracking which 3PIDs are associated with a given Matrix user is very security-sensitive, as there is obvious risk of spam -if it is too easy to sign up for Matrix accounts or harvest 3PID data. Meanwhile -the job of publishing the end-to-end encryption public keys for Matrix users is -also very security-sensitive for similar reasons. +if it is too easy to sign up for Matrix accounts or harvest 3PID data. +Meanwhile the job of publishing the end-to-end encryption public keys for +Matrix users is also very security-sensitive for similar reasons. Therefore the role of managing trusted identity in the Matrix ecosystem is farmed out to a cluster of known trusted ecosystem partners, who run 'Matrix @@ -296,7 +300,7 @@ track 3PID logins and publish end-user public keys. It's currently early days for identity servers as Matrix is not yet using 3PIDs as the primary means of identity and E2E encryption is not complete. As such, -we are running a single identity server (http://matrix.org:8090) at the current +we are running a single identity server (http://matrix.org:8090) at the current time. |