Matrix/element-call-Github
1
0
Fork 0
mirror of https://github.com/vector-im/element-call.git synced 2026-02-14 04:37:03 +00:00
Code Issues Packages Projects Releases Wiki Activity

Merge pull request #3059 from element-hq/fkwp/doc_update

Browse Source 
Refactor README.md
This commit is contained in:
fkwp
2025-03-10 20:31:09 +01:00
committed by GitHub
parent 30b5bcdfb6 88b862b5fd
commit 2885e7e42e
10 changed files with 286 additions and 117 deletions
Download Patch File Download Diff File Expand all files Collapse all files

1
.gitignore vendored
View File

@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ node_modules
dist
dist-ssr
*.local
*.bkp
.idea/
public/config.json
backend/synapse_tmp/*

238
README.md
View File

@@ -2,122 +2,101 @@
[![Chat](https://img.shields.io/matrix/webrtc:matrix.org)](https://matrix.to/#/#webrtc:matrix.org)
[![Localazy](https://img.shields.io/endpoint?url=https%3A%2F%2Fconnect.localazy.com%2Fstatus%2Felement-call%2Fdata%3Fcontent%3Dall%26title%3Dlocalazy%26logo%3Dtrue)](https://localazy.com/p/element-call)
[![License](https://img.shields.io/github/license/element-hq/element-call)](LICENSE-AGPL-3.0)
Group calls with WebRTC that leverage [Matrix](https://matrix.org) and an
open-source WebRTC toolkit from [LiveKit](https://livekit.io/).
[🎬 Live Demo 🎬](https://call.element.io)
For prior version of the Element Call that relied solely on full-mesh logic,
check [`full-mesh`](https://github.com/element-hq/element-call/tree/full-mesh)
branch.
The world's first 🌐 decentralized and 🤝 federated video conferencing solution
powered by **the Matrix protocol**.
## 📌 Overview
**Element Call** is a native Matrix video conferencing application developed by
[Element](https://element.io/), designed for **secure**, **scalable**,
**privacy-respecting**, and **decentralized** video and voice calls over the
Matrix protocol. Built on **MatrixRTC**
([MSC4143](https://github.com/matrix-org/matrix-spec-proposals/pull/4143)), it
utilizes
**[MSC4195](https://github.com/hughns/matrix-spec-proposals/blob/hughns/matrixrtc-livekit/proposals/4195-matrixrtc-livekit.md)**
with **[LiveKit](https://livekit.io/)** as its backend.
![A demo of Element Call with six people](demo.jpg)
To try it out, visit our hosted version at
[call.element.io](https://call.element.io). You can also find the latest
development version continuously deployed to
You can find the latest development version continuously deployed to
[call.element.dev](https://call.element.dev/).
## Host it yourself
> [!NOTE]
> For prior version of the Element Call that relied solely on full-mesh logic,
> check [`full-mesh`](https://github.com/element-hq/element-call/tree/full-mesh)
> branch.
Until prebuilt tarballs are available, you'll need to build Element Call from
source. First, clone and install the package:
## ✨ Key Features
```sh
git clone https://github.com/element-hq/element-call.git
cd element-call
yarn
yarn build
```
✅ **Decentralized & Federated** – No central authority; works across Matrix
homeservers.
✅ **End-to-End Encrypted** – Secure and private calls.
✅ **Standalone & Widget Mode** – Use as an independent app or embed in Matrix
clients.
✅ **WebRTC-based** – No additional software required.
✅ **Scalable with LiveKit** – Supports large meetings via SFU
([MSC4195: MatrixRTC using LiveKit backend](https://github.com/hughns/matrix-spec-proposals/blob/hughns/matrixrtc-livekit/proposals/4195-matrixrtc-livekit.md)).
✅ **Raise Hand** – Participants can signal when they want to speak, helping to
organize the flow of the meeting.
✅ **Emoji Reactions** – Users can react with emojis 👍️ 🎉 👏 🤘, adding
engagement and interactivity to the conversation.
If all went well, you can now find the build output under `dist` as a series of
static files. These can be hosted using any web server that can be configured
with custom routes (see below).
## 🚀 Deployment Options
You also need to add a configuration file which goes in `public/config.json` -
you can use the sample as a starting point:
Element Call can be packaged in two ways:
```sh
cp config/config.sample.json public/config.json
# edit public/config.json
```
**Full Package** – Supports both **Standalone** and **Widget** mode. Hosted as
a static web page and accessed via a URL when used as a widget.
The sample needs editing to contain the homeserver and LiveKit backend that you
are using.
**Embedded Package** – 🚧 **Coming [Soon](https://github.com/element-hq/element-call/issues/2994):** Designed for **Widget mode** only. Bundled with a
messenger app for seamless integration. This is the recommended method for
embedding Element Call into a messenger app.
Because Element Call uses client-side routing, your server must be able to route
any requests to non-existing paths back to `/index.html`. For example, in Nginx
you can achieve this with the `try_files` directive:
### Standalone mode
```jsonc
server {
...
location / {
...
try_files $uri /$uri /index.html;
}
}
```
![Element Call in Standalone Mode](./docs/element_call_standalone.drawio.png)
Element Call requires a homeserver with registration enabled without any 3pid or
token requirements, if you want it to be used by unregistered users.
Furthermore, it is not recommended to use it with an existing homeserver where
user accounts have joined normal rooms, as it may not be able to handle those
yet and it may behave unreliably.
In Standalone mode Element Call operates as an independent, full-featured video
conferencing web application, allowing users to join or host calls without
requiring a separate Matrix client.
Therefore, to use a self-hosted homeserver, this is recommended to be a new
server where any user account created has not joined any normal rooms anywhere
in the Matrix federated network. The homeserver used can be setup to disable
federation, so as to prevent spam registrations (if you keep registrations open)
and to ensure Element Call continues to work in case any user decides to log in
to their Element Call account using the standard Element app and joins normal
rooms that Element Call cannot handle.
### Widget mode embedded in Messenger Apps
## Configuration
![Element Call in Widget Mode](./docs/element_call_widget.drawio.png)
There are currently two different config files. `.env` holds variables that are
used at build time, while `public/config.json` holds variables that are used at
runtime. Documentation and default values for `public/config.json` can be found
in [ConfigOptions.ts](src/config/ConfigOptions.ts).
Element Call can be embedded as a widget inside apps like
[**Element Web**](https://github.com/element-hq/element-web) or **Element X
([iOS](https://github.com/element-hq/element-x-ios),
[Android](https://github.com/element-hq/element-x-android))**, bringing
**MatrixRTC** capabilities to messenger apps for seamless decentralized video
and voice calls within Matrix rooms.
If you're using [Synapse](https://github.com/element-hq/synapse/), you'll need
to additionally add the following to `homeserver.yaml` or Element Call won't
work:
> [!IMPORTANT]
> Embedded packaging is recommended for Element Call in widget mode!
```yaml
experimental_features:
# MSC3266: Room summary API. Used for knocking over federation
msc3266_enabled: true
# MSC4222 needed for syncv2 state_after. This allow clients to
# correctly track the state of the room.
msc4222_enabled: true
## 🛠️ Self-Hosting
# The maximum allowed duration by which sent events can be delayed, as
# per MSC4140.
max_event_delay_duration: 24h
For operating and deploying Element Call on your own server, refer to the
[**Self-Hosting Guide**](./docs/self-hosting.md).
rc_message:
# This needs to match at least the heart-beat frequency plus a bit of headroom
# Currently the heart-beat is every 5 seconds which translates into a rate of 0.2s
per_second: 0.5
burst_count: 30
```
## 🧭 MatrixRTC Backend Discovery and Selection
MSC3266 allows to request a room summary of rooms you are not joined. The
summary contains the room join rules. We need that to decide if the user gets
prompted with the option to knock ("Request to join call"), a cannot join error or the
join view.
For proper Element Call operation each site deployment needs a MatrixRTC backend
setup as outlined in the [Self-Hosting](#self-hosting). A typical federated site
deployment for three different sites A, B and C is depicted below.
MSC4222 allow clients to opt-in to a change of the sync v2 API that allows them
to correctly track the state of the room. This is required by Element Call to
track room state reliably.
![Element Call federated setup](./docs/Federated_Setup.drawio.png)
Element Call requires a Livekit SFU alongside a [Livekit JWT
service](https://github.com/element-hq/lk-jwt-service) to work. The url to the
Livekit JWT service can either be configured in the config of Element Call
(fallback/legacy configuration) or be configured by your homeserver via the
`.well-known/matrix/client`. This is the recommended method.
### Backend Discovery
The configuration is a list of Foci configs:
MatrixRTC backend (according to
[MSC4143](https://github.com/matrix-org/matrix-spec-proposals/pull/4143))
is announced by the homeserver's `.well-known/matrix/client` file and discovered
via the `org.matrix.msc4143.rtc_foci` key, e.g.:
```json
"org.matrix.msc4143.rtc_foci": [
@@ -125,25 +104,41 @@ The configuration is a list of Foci configs:
"type": "livekit",
"livekit_service_url": "https://someurl.com"
},
{
"type": "livekit",
"livekit_service_url": "https://livekit2.com"
},
{
"type": "another_foci",
"props_for_another_foci": "val"
},
]
```
## Translation
where the format for MatrixRTC using LiveKit backend is defined in
[MSC4195](https://github.com/hughns/matrix-spec-proposals/blob/hughns/matrixrtc-livekit/proposals/4195-matrixrtc-livekit.md).
In the example above Matrix clients do discover a focus of type `livekit` which
points them to a Matrix LiveKit JWT Auth Service via `livekit_service_url`.
### Backend Selection
- Each call participant proposes their discovered MatrixRTC backend from
`org.matrix.msc4143.rtc_foci` in their `org.matrix.msc3401.call.member` state event.
- For **LiveKit** MatrixRTC backend
([MSC4195](https://github.com/hughns/matrix-spec-proposals/blob/hughns/matrixrtc-livekit/proposals/4195-matrixrtc-livekit.md)),
the **first participant who joined the call** defines via the `foci_preferred`
key in their `org.matrix.msc3401.call.member` which actual MatrixRTC backend
will be used for this call.
- During the actual call join flow, the **LiveKit JWT Auth Service** provides
the client with the **LiveKit SFU WebSocket URL** and an **access JWT token**
in order to exchange media via WebRTC.
The example below illustrates how backend selection works across **Matrix
federation**, using the setup from sites A, B, and C. It demonstrates backend
selection for **Matrix rooms 123 and 456**, which include users from different
homeservers.
![Element Call SFU selection over Matrix federation](./docs/SFU_selection.drawio.png)
## 🌍 Translation
If you'd like to help translate Element Call, head over to
[Localazy](https://localazy.com/p/element-call). You're also encouraged to join
the [Element Translators](https://matrix.to/#/#translators:element.io) space to
discuss and coordinate translation efforts.
## Development
## 🛠️ Development
### Frontend
@@ -155,13 +150,15 @@ cd element-call
yarn
```
To use it, create a local config by, e.g., `cp ./config/config.devenv.json ./public/config.json`
and adapt it if necessary. The `config.devenv.json` config should work with the backend
development environment as outlined in the next section out of box.
To use it, create a local config by, e.g.,
`cp ./config/config.devenv.json ./public/config.json` and adapt it if necessary.
The `config.devenv.json` config should work with the backend development
environment as outlined in the next section out of box.
(Be aware, that this `config.devenv.json` is exposing a deprecated fallback
LiveKit config key. If the homeserver advertises SFU backend via
`.well-known/matrix/client` this has precedence.)
> [!NOTE]
> Be aware, that this `config.devenv.json` is exposing a deprecated fallback
> LiveKit config key. If the homeserver advertises SFU backend via
> `.well-known/matrix/client` this has precedence.
You're now ready to launch the development server:
@@ -200,7 +197,8 @@ yarn backend
To add a new translation key you can do these steps:
1. Add the new key entry to the code where the new key is used: `t("some_new_key")`
1. Add the new key entry to the code where the new key is used:
`t("some_new_key")`
1. Run `yarn i18n` to extract the new key and update the translation files. This
will add a skeleton entry to the `locales/en/app.json` file:
@@ -212,30 +210,38 @@ To add a new translation key you can do these steps:
}
```
1. Update the skeleton entry in the `locales/en/app.json` file with
the English translation:
1. Update the skeleton entry in the `locales/en/app.json` file with the English
translation:
```jsonc
```jsonc
{
...
"some_new_key": "Some new key",
...
}
```
```
## Documentation
## 📖 Documentation
Usage and other technical details about the project can be found here:
[**Docs**](./docs/README.md)
## Copyright & License
## 📝 Copyright & License
Copyright 2021-2025 New Vector Ltd
This software is dual-licensed by New Vector Ltd (Element). It can be used either:
This software is dual-licensed by New Vector Ltd (Element). It can be used
either:
(1) for free under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License (as published by the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or (at your option) any later version); OR
(1) for free under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License (as
published by the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
(at your option) any later version); OR
(2) under the terms of a paid-for Element Commercial License agreement between you and Element (the terms of which may vary depending on what you and Element have agreed to).
Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software distributed under the Licenses is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. See the Licenses for the specific language governing permissions and limitations under the Licenses.
(2) under the terms of a paid-for Element Commercial License agreement between
you and Element (the terms of which may vary depending on what you and Element
have agreed to). Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing,
software distributed under the Licenses is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. See the
Licenses for the specific language governing permissions and limitations under
the Licenses.

BIN
docs/Federated_Setup.drawio.png Normal file
View File

Binary file not shown.
Side by Side

After

Width:  |  Height:  |  Size: 86 KiB

BIN
docs/MSC4195_setup.drawio.png Normal file
View File

Binary file not shown.
Side by Side

After

Width:  |  Height:  |  Size: 49 KiB

1
docs/README.md
View File

@@ -5,3 +5,4 @@ This folder contains documentation for Element Call setup and usage.
- [Embedded vs standalone mode](./embedded-standalone.md)
- [Url format and parameters](./url-params.md)
- [Global JS controls](./controls.md)
- [Self-Hosting](./self-hosting.md)

BIN
docs/SFU_selection.drawio.png Normal file
View File

Binary file not shown.
Side by Side

After

Width:  |  Height:  |  Size: 15 KiB

BIN
docs/element_call_standalone.drawio.png Normal file
View File

Binary file not shown.
Side by Side

After

Width:  |  Height:  |  Size: 909 KiB

BIN
docs/element_call_widget.drawio.png Normal file
View File

Binary file not shown.
Side by Side

After

Width:  |  Height:  |  Size: 868 KiB

2
docs/embedded-standalone.md
View File

@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
Element call is developed using the js-sdk with matroska mode. This means the app can run either as a standalone app directly connected to a homeserver providing login interfaces or it can be used as a widget.
As a widget the app only uses the core calling (matrixRTC) parts. The rest (authentication, sending events, getting room state updates about calls) is done by the hosting client.
As a widget the app only uses the core calling (MatrixRTC) parts. The rest (authentication, sending events, getting room state updates about calls) is done by the hosting client.
Element Call and the hosting client are connected via the widget api.
Element call detects that it is run as a widget if a widgetId is defined in the url parameters. If `widgetId` is present element call will try to connect to the client via the widget postMessage api using the parameters provided in [Url Format and parameters

161
docs/self-hosting.md Normal file
View File

@@ -0,0 +1,161 @@
# Self-Hosting Element Call
## Prerequisites
> [!IMPORTANT]
> This section covers the requirements for deploying a **Matrix site**
> compatible with MatrixRTC, the foundation of Element Call. These requirements
> apply to both Standalone as well as Widget mode operation of Element Call.
### A Matrix Homeserver
The following [MSCs](https://github.com/matrix-org/matrix-spec-proposals) are
required for Element Call to work properly:
- **[MSC3266](https://github.com/deepbluev7/matrix-doc/blob/room-summaries/proposals/3266-room-summary.md):
Room Summary API**: In Standalone mode Element Call is able to join rooms
over federation using knocking. In this context MSC3266 is required as it
allows to request a room summary of rooms you are not joined. The summary
contains the room join rules. We need that information to decide if the user
gets prompted with the option to knock ("Request to join call"), a "cannot
join error" or "the join view".
- **[MSC4140](https://github.com/matrix-org/matrix-spec-proposals/blob/toger5/expiring-events-keep-alive/proposals/4140-delayed-events-futures.md)
Delayed Events**: Delayed events are required for proper call participation
signalling. If disabled it is very likely that you end up with stuck calls in
Matrix rooms.
- **[MSC4222](https://github.com/matrix-org/matrix-spec-proposals/blob/erikj/sync_v2_state_after/proposals/4222-sync-v2-state-after.md)
Adding `state_after` to sync v2**: Allow clients to opt-in to a change of the
sync v2 API that allows them to correctly track the state of the room. This is
required by Element Call to track room state reliably.
If you're using [Synapse](https://github.com/element-hq/synapse/) as your homeserver, you'll need
to additionally add the following config items to `homeserver.yaml` to comply with Element Call:
```yaml
experimental_features:
# MSC3266: Room summary API. Used for knocking over federation
msc3266_enabled: true
# MSC4222 needed for syncv2 state_after. This allow clients to
# correctly track the state of the room.
msc4222_enabled: true
# The maximum allowed duration by which sent events can be delayed, as
# per MSC4140.
max_event_delay_duration: 24h
rc_message:
# This needs to match at least the heart-beat frequency plus a bit of headroom
# Currently the heart-beat is every 5 seconds which translates into a rate of 0.2s
per_second: 0.5
burst_count: 30
```
### MatrixRTC Backend
In order to **guarantee smooth operation** of Element Call MatrixRTC backend is
required for each site deployment.
![MSC4195 compatible setup](MSC4195_setup.drawio.png)
As depicted above, Element Call requires a
[Livekit SFU](https://github.com/livekit/livekit) alongside a
[Matrix Livekit JWT auth service](https://github.com/element-hq/lk-jwt-service)
to implement
[MSC4195: MatrixRTC using LiveKit backend](https://github.com/hughns/matrix-spec-proposals/blob/hughns/matrixrtc-livekit/proposals/4195-matrixrtc-livekit.md).
> [!IMPORTANT]
> As defined in
> [MSC4143](https://github.com/matrix-org/matrix-spec-proposals/pull/4143)
> MatrixRTC backend must be announced to the client via your **homeserver's
> `.well-known/matrix/client`**. The configuration is a list of Foci configs:
```json
"org.matrix.msc4143.rtc_foci": [
{
"type": "livekit",
"livekit_service_url": "https://someurl.com"
},
{
"type": "livekit",
"livekit_service_url": "https://livekit2.com"
},
{
"type": "another_foci",
"props_for_another_foci": "val"
},
]
```
## Building Element Call
> [!NOTE]
> This step is only required if you want to deploy Element Call in Standalone
> mode.
Until prebuilt tarballs are available, you'll need to build Element Call from
source. First, clone and install the package:
```sh
git clone https://github.com/element-hq/element-call.git
cd element-call
yarn
yarn build
```
If all went well, you can now find the build output under `dist` as a series of
static files. These can be hosted using any web server that can be configured
with custom routes (see below).
You also need to add a configuration file which goes in `public/config.json` -
you can use the sample as a starting point:
```sh
cp config/config.sample.json public/config.json
# edit public/config.json
```
The sample needs editing to contain the homeserver that you are using.
Because Element Call uses client-side routing, your server must be able to route
any requests to non-existing paths back to `/index.html`. For example, in Nginx
you can achieve this with the `try_files` directive:
```jsonc
server {
...
location / {
...
try_files $uri /$uri /index.html;
}
}
```
## Configuration
There are currently two different config files. `.env` holds variables that are
used at build time, while `public/config.json` holds variables that are used at
runtime. Documentation and default values for `public/config.json` can be found
in [ConfigOptions.ts](src/config/ConfigOptions.ts).
> [!CAUTION]
> Please note configuring MatrixRTC backend via `config.json` of
> Element Call is only available for developing and debug purposes. Relying on
> it might break Element Call going forward!
## A Note on Standalone Mode of Element Call
Element Call in Standalone mode requires a homeserver with registration enabled
without any 3pid or token requirements, if you want it to be used by
unregistered users. Furthermore, it is not recommended to use it with an
existing homeserver where user accounts have joined normal rooms, as it may not
be able to handle those yet and it may behave unreliably.
Therefore, to use a self-hosted homeserver, this is recommended to be a new
server where any user account created has not joined any normal rooms anywhere
in the Matrix federated network. The homeserver used can be setup to disable
federation, so as to prevent spam registrations (if you keep registrations open)
and to ensure Element Call continues to work in case any user decides to log in
to their Element Call account using the standard Element app and joins normal
rooms that Element Call cannot handle.