Some years ago, I hosted my own matrix server for a few months. I’m an experienced self-hoster, but I remeber that Matrix was paticularly hard to host, requiring weird proxy rules, DNS adjustments, federation never worked reliably and push notifications never worked at all. I ditched the project soon because I also had no real use for it. However, I recently had some ideas where a Matrix server would be useful again. Has anyone attempted to install it recently and can tell me whether the situation has improved? Also, which server do you recommend? There still is synapse but I found it paticularly complicated to host. Dendrite is now archived and the current fork seems to be tuwunel which doesn’t seem to be under very active development.

  • curbstickle@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
    8·
    17 hours ago

    Xmpp supports group chat, 1:1 messaging, you’ve got webtrc support for voice/video, and its extensible.

    Jingle even has screen sharing (and I think a WIP remote control function).

    What is missing from xmpp?

    • underline960@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      10·
      16 hours ago

      Technically, nothing.

      In practice, who do you know that’s using it and doesn’t run Arch, by the way?

      My point isn’t that IRC/XMPP aren’t technically capable.

      It’s that they’re not designed for non-technical users.

      I want corporate social media to die. Mastodon and Piefed are far from killing the beast, but they’ve made the more progress than most projects have seen in a long time.

      I want corporate messaging to die. Matrix is far from killing the beast, but for a little while, at least it was trying.

      • poVoq@slrpnk.netEnglish
        2·
        5 hours ago

        Quicksy and Prav apps allow you to easily signup via SMS verification like WhatApp etc. Super easy and the app works like Whatsapp, completely usable for non technical users (much more so than any Matrix client).

        And Snikket is an super easy all in one solution for running a XMPP based small group server with invite based onboarding. Also completely non-technical user compatible.

      • curbstickle@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
        5·
        16 hours ago

        In practice, who do you know that’s using it and doesn’t run Arch, by the way?

        Well I mostly run Debian, but I do have arch on a machine so maybe I don’t count.

        It’s that they’re not designed for non-technical users.

        Have to agree there, it takes some effort if you’re setting it up for friends and family.

        • hendrik@palaver.p3x.deEnglish
          1·
          10 hours ago

          I think judging something really depends on the requirements. No one said using technology was going to be simple and easy. We should make it as easy as we can do, but no more than that. There’s still a lot of room for improvement. But in the end the commercial services are geared towards convenience. And they’ll always outpace us. We have to set up servers and jump through a few hoops so it’s us in control of the network. There is no other feasible way to do it.

          Though I really wish we had some messenger that makes encryption foolproof. And rock solid, and with a resource footprint of IRC when concerned with text messages, but not limited to that.