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What you need before installing
Prepare these items before changing the server:
- A supported Linux distribution, sudo or root access, and an SSH session that you can keep open while changing firewall rules.
- A DNS name for XMPP, such as
chat.example.com, pointing to the VPS address. Use the same name in ejabberd’shostssetting and in the certificate. - A decision about whether the server will accept only client connections or also server-to-server federation. The usual TCP ports are 5222 for client-to-server (C2S) and 5269 for server-to-server (S2S), but your actual listeners are authoritative.
- A plan for certificates, backups, upgrades, and who will administer the node.
Update the operating system first. Do not close your working SSH session until you have confirmed that the new firewall rules still permit SSH.
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Choose an installation method
The ejabberd documentation groups self-hosted installations into Linux RUN installers, DEB/RPM packages, operating-system packages, containers, and source builds. Pick one method and keep its paths and service commands consistent; mixing files from different methods makes upgrades and troubleshooting harder.
| Method | Dependency isolation | Typical control and layout | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Official Linux RUN | High: the installer contains a stripped-down Erlang runtime, so Erlang does not need to be installed separately. | Root installs use an /opt/ejabberd-XX.YY/ program directory and place configuration, Mnesia data, and logs under /opt/ejabberd/; a systemd unit is created. |
A single VPS where you want the vendor’s tested runtime and a quick, self-contained deployment. |
| DEB/RPM or distribution package | Managed by the operating system; package dependencies and versions follow the repository. | On Debian, the main file is commonly /etc/ejabberd/ejabberd.yml and logs are under /var/log/ejabberd. Service and file locations can differ on other distributions. |
Hosts managed with normal OS patching, repository policy, and standard package auditing. |
| Container | Isolated in an image, but persistent configuration, Mnesia data, certificates, networking, and upgrades become container-operator responsibilities. | Use the image’s documented entrypoint and mount persistent storage; do not assume host paths from a package installation. | Existing container platforms with monitoring, backup, and secret-management workflows. |
| Source build | Lowest isolation; you own the Erlang/toolchain compatibility and build process. | Layout, service unit, and upgrade procedure are yours to define. | Development, patches, or environments that require a controlled build. |
For a first deployment on one VPS, the RUN installer normally minimizes dependency work. A managed XMPP service is another operational model, but it is not an installation on your VPS and provides less control over local files, networking, and backup timing.
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Install the official Linux RUN package
1. Obtain the correct installer
Download the Linux RUN file matching the VPS architecture from the official ejabberd release channel. Keep the downloaded file in a temporary directory and verify its publisher-provided integrity information when available. The exact filename changes with each release, so use the name you actually downloaded rather than copying an old version into a command.
2. Make it executable and run it as root
Rename the downloaded file to a simple local name if that makes the commands unambiguous, then run:
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sudo ./ejabberd-installer.runA root installation places the executable release in an /opt/ejabberd-XX.YY/ directory, keeps the active configuration, Mnesia database, and logs under /opt/ejabberd/, creates a systemd unit, and starts ejabberd. The bundled runtime is sufficient; installing a separate Erlang package is not required for this installation path.
3. Confirm the service before editing configuration
sudo systemctl status ejabberd --no-pager
sudo ejabberdctl statusThe first command should show an active service and the second should report a started node. If the installer did not place ejabberdctl on the shell path, invoke the script from the installation’s bin directory or use the path printed by the installer.
Install with Debian or Ubuntu packages
Use this path when your VPS is managed as a normal Debian-family host and you want package upgrades and dependency tracking handled by APT. Repository availability and the ejabberd version depend on the distribution release and enabled repositories.
sudo apt update
sudo apt install ejabberd
sudo systemctl status ejabberd --no-pagerDebian’s manual identifies /etc/ejabberd/ejabberd.yml as the principal configuration file and /var/log/ejabberd as the log directory. Confirm the paths on your release with the package contents and systemd unit instead of assuming that a RUN installation’s /opt layout applies. A package may start the service during installation; if it is stopped, use the unit supplied by the package:
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sudo systemctl enable --now ejabberdConfigure the XMPP domain in ejabberd.yml
Open the configuration belonging to the installation method you selected. Do not create a minimal file from memory: start with the shipped example and change only the values you need. YAML is indentation-sensitive, option names are version-specific, and unknown options or invalid values can prevent startup. A rejected reload is atomic, so the currently running configuration remains in effect rather than being partially replaced.
Set the host name clients will use
Set hosts to the DNS name that will appear in user JIDs:
hosts:
- 'chat.example.com'Every account registered on this host will have a JID such as [email protected]. If you serve more than one XMPP domain, list each deliberately and ensure that certificates and DNS cover those names. A mismatch between the name entered by a client and the configured host is a common cause of failed registration or login.
Keep listeners aligned with the configuration
The shipped configuration defines the listener modules, bind addresses, access rules, and TLS behavior. Preserve those structures when enabling or disabling services. A typical deployment exposes C2S on TCP 5222 and, only when federation is required, S2S on TCP 5269. Do not open a port merely because it is conventional; inspect the active listen section and expose exactly those listeners.
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After creating the first account (the command is shown below), add its full JID to the administrator ACL using the syntax in your installed example. A common YAML form is:
acl:
admin:
user:
- '[email protected]'
access_rules:
configure:
admin: allowOption names and rule structure can vary between ejabberd releases. If the generated file uses a different administrator rule, follow that file’s model rather than combining snippets from another release. Preserve spaces, indentation, and list markers exactly. Save the file, then reload or restart the service and check its status immediately.
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Install and configure TLS certificates
TLS protects client authentication and, when configured, server-to-server connections. Obtain a certificate whose subject or subject-alternative name matches the XMPP DNS name. Place the certificate and private key where the ejabberd service account can read them, while keeping the private key inaccessible to unrelated users.
Reference the certificate files using the certificate options already present in your ejabberd.yml. Depending on the release and packaging method, the configuration may use a certfiles list or a listener-specific certificate setting. Do not guess an option name: copy the form from the shipped configuration for that release. Ensure the chain file contains the required intermediate certificates and that the private key matches the certificate.
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At startup or reload, ejabberd reads the files, matches private keys, removes duplicate certificates, and rebuilds certificate chains for TLS connections. Consequently, renewing a file on disk does not change existing configuration until you reload or restart:
sudo systemctl reload ejabberd
sudo systemctl status ejabberd --no-pagerIf the unit does not implement reload or the reload is rejected, restart after correcting the configuration:
sudo systemctl restart ejabberdCheck file ownership and permissions first when TLS fails. A certificate that is valid for a different name, an unreadable key, or a missing intermediate certificate will cause client warnings or prevent the listener from starting.
Open only the required network ports
Firewall rules must match the listeners you actually enabled:
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| Port | Purpose | When to allow it |
|---|---|---|
| TCP 5222 | Client-to-server XMPP connections. | Allow for normal desktop and mobile client access. |
| TCP 5269 | Server-to-server XMPP federation. | Allow only if this host must exchange stanzas with other XMPP servers. |
| Erlang distribution and epmd | Internal node control and clustering. | Keep restricted to localhost or explicitly trusted cluster peers; do not expose them to the public internet. |
Use your provider’s firewall and the host firewall together. On a host using UFW, the corresponding rules are typically:
sudo ufw allow 5222/tcp
sudo ufw allow 5269/tcp
sudo ufw status verboseApply the 5269 rule only when S2S is enabled, and use your distribution’s documented firewall syntax if it is not UFW. Never remove SSH access until you have confirmed the new policy from a second session. Administrative HTTP, WebSocket, BOSH, and API listeners may exist in an example configuration; expose them only when enabled and protected by an appropriate access policy.
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Register an account
Use the ejabberdctl script installed with the RUN package, package installation, or container image. Its registration syntax is:
sudo ejabberdctl register admin chat.example.com 'use-a-long-unique-password'The arguments are the local username, the configured XMPP host, and the password. Use a unique password stored in a password manager; do not place a real password in shell history on a shared system. Confirm that registration succeeds before adding the account to the administrator rule.
Apply the ACL change
Add [email protected] to the administrator rule, save the YAML file, and reload or restart ejabberd. Then verify the node again:
sudo ejabberdctl status
sudo systemctl status ejabberd --no-pagerThe account remains a normal XMPP account unless the ACL is both syntactically valid and loaded by the running node. If the reload is rejected, the previous configuration remains active; inspect the diagnostic output before trying another change.
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Verify a working deployment
Check the service and node
- Run
systemctl status ejabberdand confirm that systemd reports the service as active. - Run
ejabberdctl statusand confirm that the Erlang node reports started. - Review the service log for configuration, certificate, or listener errors.
Test real client traffic
- Configure an XMPP client with the full JID
[email protected], its password, and the server name used in the certificate. - Connect using the normal client-to-server port (usually TCP 5222) and require encrypted transport when the client offers that setting.
- Register a second test account and send a message in both directions. This verifies authentication, roster/session handling, and message routing rather than only process startup.
- If federation is enabled, test a conversation with an account on a separate XMPP domain after confirming that TCP 5269 is reachable in both directions.
Check the surrounding services
- Resolve the XMPP name from an external network and confirm it reaches the VPS address.
- Confirm that the certificate hostname exactly matches the name entered by the client.
- Check that the listener is bound to the intended address and port and that firewall counters show the test traffic.
- Confirm that a reverse proxy, cloud firewall, or security group is not blocking the same port upstream.
Troubleshoot failures in the right order
| Symptom | Likely cause | Action |
|---|---|---|
| The service will not start after editing YAML. | Indentation, an unknown option, invalid value, or malformed list. | Run sudo ejabberdctl live for Erlang diagnostics, inspect the systemd log, restore the last known-good file, and reapply one change at a time. The running configuration is not replaced by a rejected reload. |
| Clients cannot resolve the server. | DNS record points elsewhere, has not propagated, or the client is using a different host name. | Resolve the exact XMPP name from outside the VPS and compare it with hosts and the certificate names. |
| Connection is refused on 5222 or 5269. | The listener is disabled, bound to another address, or blocked by a host/provider firewall. | Inspect the listen section, service status, and firewall/security-group rules. Open only the listener that is configured. |
| TLS reports an untrusted or mismatched certificate. | Wrong hostname, missing intermediate chain, unreadable key, or an old certificate still loaded. | Check the certificate and key files, service-account permissions, and chain; then reload or restart so ejabberd rebuilds its TLS certificate data. |
ejabberdctl cannot connect to the node. |
Wrong installation path, stopped service, or a node/environment mismatch. | Use the script shipped with the active installation, check systemctl status ejabberd, and run ejabberdctl live from that installation. |
| Login works locally but not from the internet. | Provider firewall, NAT, DNS, or an incorrect public bind address. | Test from an external network and inspect each firewall layer and listener binding before changing authentication settings. |
Logs and live diagnostics
For a systemd-managed service, begin with:
sudo journalctl -u ejabberd -e
sudo ejabberdctl liveejabberdctl live keeps the Erlang runtime in the foreground so startup and configuration diagnostics are visible. For Debian-style packages, inspect /var/log/ejabberd. For a root RUN installation, inspect the logs under /opt/ejabberd/. Use the path belonging to the installation you selected; an empty directory at the other path does not prove that logging is broken.
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Maintenance, upgrades, and backups
Record which installation method, release, host names, certificate locations, firewall rules, and administrator JIDs you used. Upgrade through the same channel that installed ejabberd: package upgrades for a package install, a newer compatible RUN installer for a RUN install, or the image and persistent-volume procedure for a container. Do not overwrite a working release directory before confirming that you can roll back.
Back up ejabberd.yml, certificate configuration and renewal material, and the Mnesia data directory used by the installation. Protect backups as confidential because they can contain account and server state. Test restoration on a separate instance, and keep a copy of the last known-good configuration before changing listeners, ACLs, or TLS settings.
When another deployment model is better
A VPS is appropriate when you need control over the operating system, data location, network policy, and upgrade schedule and can operate backups and security updates yourself. A container is preferable when your organization already standardizes on image-based deployment and persistent storage. A source build is justified when you must control patches or build tooling. A managed host can reduce system administration, but it changes where data and configuration live and does not provide the same low-level control as an ejabberd process on your VPS.
For most first-time Ubuntu or Debian deployments, the practical sequence is: use the self-contained RUN installer, set one DNS name in hosts, configure a matching readable certificate, expose TCP 5222 (and 5269 only for federation), register an account, add its full JID to the administrator ACL, reload, and prove the setup with two real client accounts.
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