Jitsi Meet is an open-source video conferencing platform that allows you to host secure, scalable online meetings without relying on third-party services. Designed for self-hosting, it offers complete data control, customization options, and advanced features like APIs for seamless integration. This guide will walk you through deploying Jitsi Meet, setting up a reverse proxy, enabling logging, configuring backups, upgrading, and leveraging its unique features.
Installing Jitsi Meet
π¦ Docker/Docker Compose Setup
Docker Compose is a straightforward way to deploy Jitsi Meet in a self-contained environment. Here's how to get started:
- Create a new directory for the deployment and navigate to it:
mkdir jitsi-meet && cd jitsi-meet
- Create a
docker-compose.yml
file with the following content:
version: '3'
services:
web:
image: jitsi/web
restart: always
ports:
- '80:80'
- '443:443'
volumes:
- ./config/web:/config
- ./web/letsencrypt:/etc/letsencrypt
- ./web/transcripts:/usr/share/jitsi-meet/transcripts
environment:
- ENABLE_HTTP_REDIRECT=1
- VIRTUAL_HOST=your.jitsi-domain.com
- LETSENCRYPT_HOST=your.jitsi-domain.com
- [email protected]
prosody:
image: jitsi/prosody
restart: always
ports:
- '5222:5222'
- '5280:5280'
volumes:
- ./config/prosody:/config
jicofo:
image: jitsi/jicofo
restart: always
volumes:
- ./config/jicofo:/config
jvb:
image: jitsi/jvb
restart: always
ports:
- '10000:10000/udp'
- '4443:4443'
volumes:
- ./config/jvb:/config
- Deploy the stack:
docker-compose up -d
This starts the Jitsi Meet services (web, Prosody, Jicofo, and JVB) in detached mode.
π Manual Installation
For more precise control, you can install Jitsi Meet manually on a Linux server:
- Update the system and install required dependencies:
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
sudo apt install -y gnupg2 curl software-properties-common
- Add the Jitsi Meet repository:
curl https://download.jitsi.org/jitsi-key.gpg.key | sudo gpg --dearmor -o /usr/share/keyrings/jitsi-keyring.gpg
echo "deb [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/jitsi-keyring.gpg] https://download.jitsi.org stable/" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/jitsi.list
- Install Jitsi Meet:
sudo apt update
sudo apt install jitsi-meet -y
- Configure SSL using Let's Encrypt:
sudo /usr/share/jitsi-meet/scripts/install-letsencrypt-cert.sh
Configuring Nginx as a Reverse Proxy
π Nginx Configuration
To serve Jitsi Meet through Nginx, create a server block:
- Install Nginx:
sudo apt install nginx -y
- Create a configuration file for your domain:
sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/jitsi
- Add the following content:
server {
server_name your.jitsi-domain.com;
location / {
proxy_pass http://localhost:8000;
proxy_set_header Host $host;
proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;
}
}
- Enable the configuration and restart Nginx:
sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/jitsi /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/
sudo nginx -t
sudo systemctl restart nginx
π SSL/TLS Setup
Use Let's Encrypt to secure your domain:
- Install Certbot:
sudo apt install certbot python3-certbot-nginx -y
- Obtain and configure an SSL certificate:
sudo certbot --nginx -d your.jitsi-domain.com
- Automate certificate renewal:
sudo crontab -e
Add the following line:
0 0 * * * certbot renew --quiet
Logging and Debugging Jitsi Meet
ποΈ Enabling Debug Logs
Enable debug logging to troubleshoot issues:
- Edit the logging configuration:
sudo nano /etc/jitsi/jicofo/logging.properties
- Set the logging level:
.level=ALL
- Restart the Jitsi Meet service:
sudo systemctl restart jicofo
π Viewing Logs
Access logs to identify issues:
- Docker users can run:
docker logs jitsi-web
- For manual installations:
tail -f /var/log/jitsi/jicofo.log
Backup and Restore
ποΈ File-Based Backups
Back up the Jitsi configuration files:
tar -czvf jitsi-backup.tar.gz /etc/jitsi /var/lib/jitsi
π Database Backups
If using a database, export it:
mysqldump -u root -p jitsi_database > db_backup.sql
Restore it with:
mysql -u root -p jitsi_database < db_backup.sql
π Automated Backup Scripts
Automate backups via cron:
echo "0 2 * * * tar -czvf /backups/jitsi-$(date +\%F).tar.gz /etc/jitsi" | sudo tee -a /var/spool/cron/crontabs/root
Updating and Upgrading Jitsi Meet
β¬οΈ Updating Docker Images
For Docker setups:
docker-compose pull
docker-compose up -d
π οΈ Manual Updates
For manual installations:
sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade jitsi-meet -y
Leveraging Jitsi Meetβs Unique Features
π§ Enabling APIs
Enable Jitsi Meetβs REST API by editing the Prosody configuration:
sudo nano /etc/prosody/conf.d/your.jitsi-domain.cfg.lua
Add or update:
modules_enabled = {
"bosh";
"pubsub";
"muc";
"muc_size";
}
Restart Prosody:
sudo systemctl restart prosody
π Advanced Configurations
Customize the interface by editing /usr/share/jitsi-meet/interface_config.js
:
TOOLBAR_BUTTONS: ['microphone', 'camera', 'desktop', 'chat']
Wrapping Up
Self-hosting Jitsi Meet provides unmatched control, customization, and privacy for video conferencing. By following this guide, youβve installed, configured, and secured Jitsi Meet, while enabling features like APIs and backups. Begin exploring its capabilities to tailor an ideal video conferencing solution for your needs.