This article provides a guide for how to install Jitsi Meet on Ubuntu VPS servers.
What is Jitsi Meet?
Jitsi Meet is a free and open-source video conferencing service offering HD quality video conferencing with up to 100 participants simultaneously, and includes a chat feature.
What is Ubuntu?
Ubuntu is one of the most widely-used Linux distributions and boasts a substantial user base, making it easier for users to locate guides and resolve issues when they arise.
Installing Jitsi Meet
The following distributions are supported out-of-the-box:
- Debian 10 (Buster) or newer
- Ubuntu 20.04 (Focal Fossa) or newer (Ubuntu 18.04 can be used, but Prosody version must be updated to 0.11+ before installation)
Jitsi Meet is an open source video conference software with similar functionality to popular alternatives like Zoom, Skype and Google Hangouts. It supports multiple screen sharing sessions, voice and video calls, text chat and file transfer as well as full encryption of communication channels – making it an excellent solution for businesses or individuals who require secure, high-quality conference call service.
Jitsi is built using WebRTC, making calls travel directly through your server instead of over the public Internet – providing much greater security compared to services that send your data over it. Furthermore, end-to-end encrypted communications make Jitsi an attractive option for anyone wanting to protect their privacy.
Jitsi provides an ideal solution for hosting meetings for both clients and employees, at no cost. You can run multiple sessions simultaneously from both desktop and mobile apps; sharing PowerPoint presentations or Word documents during sessions gives users a more productive experience. What’s more, being 100% open source gives developers freedom to modify and customize the software as necessary.
To install Jitsi on an Ubuntu VPS, first log into the platform dashboard and choose an Ubuntu template. When on the server summary page, click “Deploy Now”, wait a few minutes, and when status changes to “Running”, choose your hostname and TLS certificate before clicking “Deploy Now”.
After selecting the hostname and TLS certificate, you can log in to the client application on either PC or mobile phone and access its client application. From there you can create meetings or join pre-existing ones by typing the URL directly into browser; depending on which browser it may warn that its certificate is self-signed – in such instances either accept it as it stands or create a signed certificate via Let’s Encrypt (See the below for more info on that matter).
Jitsi Servers make it easy and efficient to create Jitsi servers with custom domain names and free Let’s Encrypt SSL certificates, all within minutes! Discover more by exploring this feature in our Customer Portal.
Configuring Jitsi Meet
Jitsi Meet is a free and open source video conferencing software offering premium features such as high-grade audio/video quality and ad-free conference calls, along with top-tier security with support for encrypted connections such as TLS/SSL or Let’s Encrypt certificates. Furthermore, it is accessible across different platforms like desktop computers, mobile phones and web browsers – perfect for team collaboration!
READ ALSO: How to Host a Telegram Bot on Ubuntu VPS
Since Jitsi Meet is a self-hosted application, Jitsi stands out from other video conferencing apps (like Zoom) by not collecting user data or requiring registration; furthermore, its intuitive design makes it simple and requires no software download. SIP and XMPP protocols support make integration with existing communication systems simpler. Furthermore, its open-source nature and ad-free service make Jitsi an attractive option for businesses of any kind.
On Jitsi’s website or mobile apps, creating a meeting is as easy as entering its name and selecting “Create a New Meeting.” Once created, participants or settings may be added or adjusted as you see fit; once finished with your conference recording can be saved to Dropbox; alternatively you can stream meetings live.
Jitsi servers can be set up using either Nginx or Apache as their webserver, with Nginx being preferred because it acts as both an HTTP frontend for Jitsi as well as serving its own content directly. Installing both may work, although installing Nginx first may make more sense to allow Jitsi to operate without needing to use an additional webserver in addition.
Once you’ve configured and installed Jitsi Server, it is important to test it. To do this, visit any web browser on your computer and enter its IP or domain address into a web browser window on another device – then, hopefully all will go well and you should be able to create meetings and join them remotely from one or both of them.
Your server of choice should be located near to users so as to minimize latency, improving conference calls by eliminating jitters or echos for participants. Furthermore, make sure your server is protected with an SSL certificate to increase safety.
Using Jitsi Meet
Jitsi is an open source video conference software with numerous advanced features like screen sharing and group chat that is free and open source, such as integration with Slack or Mattermost chat platforms. Users can easily create meetings without additional software or plugins required; Jitsi even allows live content streaming to social media for wider reach.
Installation is straightforward. First, ensure your server has root access and all the latest system packages installed, then add the Jitsi Meet repository using APT with this command: once added, begin installing dependencies for Jitsi Meet as described above.
Once everything has been installed, launch a web browser and visit your server’s address. When asked to create either a self-signed certificate or install Let’s Encrypt certificates, select Let’s Encrypt certificates as this will prevent browser warnings associated with self-signed certificates.
After a few moments, you should be taken back to the Jitsi main window. From here you can create new meetings by typing their names and pressing ‘Start Meeting”. Additionally, camera and microphone settings can be customized via clicking on the Camera and Microphone Settings icon in the upper-right corner of this window; furthermore you can modify your display name, Gravatar email, language settings as needed.
Your meetings and conferences can also be secured with password protection. Furthermore, you can record meetings by selecting the ‘Recording’ icon and saving them directly to Dropbox or YouTube; and finally you can share links of meetings by selecting the “Copy Link” button.
Within these easy steps, your VPS should have a fully functional Jitsi Meet server installed and ready for use! Use it for business meetings, conference calls, chatting with friends and family or hosting live events or webinars using this software. If you require help getting everything up and running, contact Rad Web Hosting! Our One-Click Jitsi server in our customer portal comes equipped with custom domain hosting as well as Let’s Encrypt SSL certificates so you’ll always stay secure!
READ ALSO: 4 Quick Steps to Install CloudPanel on Debian 11 VPS Server
Troubleshooting
Jitsi Meet is a free and open source video conferencing application designed to enable users to host their own conferences. Its end-to-end encryption ensures any data transmitted between participants remains private. In addition, desktop sharing and chat features found only on proprietary video conference applications are offered here.
If you are having issues using an application, there may be several potential fixes you can try to address. One common problem is when an app won’t load or crashes due to poor internet connections or bugs within it – this issue could also be caused by slow devices or a bug within its code; restarting or clearing cache might help alleviate these symptoms.
Another possible issue may be that your microphone cannot be detected by the app. To remedy this, change your phone settings so it will use its microphone; go into your Settings and then “Apps”, tap on Jitsi Meet by Atlassian Pty Ltd App then change Microphone Permission Setting ON
If your app is crashing, it could be because your operating system hasn’t been updated recently. Regular OS updates will help prevent bugs and other issues with apps crashing, so keeping this step current is imperative to ensuring smooth functioning. You could also try clearing app cache and data as this will ensure the latest information has been received by apps to ensure they run seamlessly.
Once the app has connected to a server and started your session, it should take only a few minutes before inviting other SIP accounts to join your meeting by typing their URL or clicking on the telephone icon to make calls directly.
If you experience any difficulties, first attempt restarting your device or clearing its cache and data. If that does not help, contact your device’s manufacturer for additional support; otherwise upgrade to a different model if the problem continues.
