Rocket Chat Self Hosted Guide for Secure Team Communications

Rocket Chat is a popular open-source communication platform that allows teams to communicate securely and privately. It's a scalable solution that can be self-hosted on your own servers.

With Rocket Chat, you can create a custom domain for your team's chat platform, giving it a professional look and feel. This is especially useful for businesses and organizations that want to maintain a consistent brand image.

To get started with Rocket Chat self-hosted, you'll need to download the software and set up a server. This can be done on a cloud provider like DigitalOcean or AWS, or on a local server.

Take a look at this: Self Hosted Chat Server

To install Rocket.Chat, you'll need a Docker-ready VPS, a functioning Docker installation, and a non-root user account to SSH into.

First, create an A record for your domain pointing to your server IP. Then, connect to your remote server using an SSH client like Putty or Bitvise. You'll get a warning message if you're connecting for the first time; just answer "yes" and proceed.

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Update and upgrade your server OS, then set the hostname. After that, execute the command to install Rocket.Chat, which will take a few minutes. Once installed, access your Rocket.Chat server by going to https://ipaddress:3000 or https://yourdomain.com:3000.

To secure your Rocket.Chat server, you'll need to install an SSL certificate. To do this, connect to your remote server again and execute the command to install Certbot.

Here's a quick rundown of the steps to create a working directory for your Rocket.Chat instance:

Alternatively, if you're on a Mac or Linux, you can create a new directory using Terminal and run the same curl commands to download the necessary files.

To deploy Rocket.Chat on your own servers, you can use one of the recommended methods: Docker, Podman, or Kubernetes. Refer to the Deployment Guide for details.

You'll need to check the system requirements to deploy a workspace successfully. Make sure your server meets the necessary specs.

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Here are the system requirements you'll need to meet:

Deploying Rocket.Chat can be done in various ways to suit different needs. You can deploy it on your own servers using Docker, Podman, or Kubernetes, or set up an air-gapped workspace for high-security environments.

To deploy Rocket.Chat on your own servers, you'll need to check the system requirements to ensure a successful deployment. The recommended methods include Docker, Podman, or Kubernetes, which can be found in the Deployment Guide.

If you need to run Rocket.Chat on an isolated network, you can set up an air-gapped workspace. This is suitable for high-security or regulated environments where internet access is not allowed.

Rocket.Chat can also be deployed on a cloud-hosted solution without handling infrastructure. This is a premium, dedicated cloud hosting option that adapts to your needs.

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For a more decentralized communication approach, you can deploy a federated workspace. This allows you to securely communicate and share resources across a federated network.

Here are the steps to deploy Rocket.Chat using Docker:

To deploy Rocket.Chat with Docker, you'll need the following:

When it comes to deployment, it's essential to consider the recommended size for your organization. Rocket Chat recommends a size of 1000 users, but be aware that this limit may not be sufficient for larger organizations.

This recommended size is a good starting point for smaller teams or businesses. However, if your organization has more than 1000 users, you'll need to take a closer look and test your deployment strategy.

To add new users, click Add users on the Rocket.Chat home page, then select New user in the upper-right corner, and fill in the details for the new user account.

You can add as many users as your server configuration allows, as there is no user limit in Rocket Chat.

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To view all users, go to the Users page and you should see an entry for each new user you've added.

Here's a brief overview of the user addition process:

Adding New Users is a straightforward process in Rocket.Chat. You can start by clicking Add users on the home page.

To add a new user, select New user from the upper-right corner menu. Fill in the details for the new user account.

Once you've entered all the necessary information, click Save. This will add the new user to your Rocket.Chat server.

You can verify that the new user has been added by checking the Users page.

Creating new channels is a straightforward process in Rocket.Chat.

To start, click Create channel on the Rocket.Chat home page.

This will open a form where you can fill in the details for your new channel. You'll also have the opportunity to select the members you want to include in the channel.

Once you've completed the form, click Create to create the new channel.

The new channel should now be visible in the Channels list on the left.

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You can disable the two-factor authentication requirement for all users in Rocket.Chat, which is useful if your server is not public and only accessible by your Meshnet peers.

To do this, follow these steps:

Two-factor authentication is now disabled for all users, and you won’t be required to confirm your identity via email when you log in to your Rocket.Chat server.

You can access your Rocket.Chat server using an internet browser, which can be a convenient option if installing additional software is not permitted.

This method is especially useful if you need to access your Rocket.Chat server from a device that doesn't allow software installations.

To access your Rocket.Chat server using a browser, follow these steps:

This will allow you to communicate with other members of your Rocket.Chat server from the convenience of your internet browser on any device.

Securing your Rocket.Chat server with HTTPS connections is crucial for keeping your conversations private. Use Traefik, an HTTP reverse proxy and load balancer, to deploy self-hosted applications.

Update your .env file to change your root URL from http to https. This will ensure all connections are encrypted.

Uncomment and set the following variables in your .env file: uncomment the other variables and set them as follows, using your domain name and email address.

Generating an SSL certificate will take some time. Use the https protocol to access your Rocket.Chat server after the certificate is generated.

You don't need to add a :3000 port to the URL when accessing your Rocket.Chat server via HTTPS.

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Troubleshooting is an essential part of self-hosting Rocket Chat. If something isn't working right, be sure to run docker compose logs -f rocketchat to see output from the container.

This command will give you some insight into what might be going wrong. Most likely, you've set up your ROOT_URL incorrectly.

Correct your docker-compose.yml file to fix the issue. Re-run docker compose up -d rocketchat and Docker will recreate the containers using this new configuration while retaining your data.

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Rocket.Chat offers a robust set of features that make it an attractive alternative to other self-hosted solutions.

Rocket.Chat is compared to other self-hosted Slack alternatives, such as Mattermost and Zulip, in terms of functionality and usability.

One key advantage of Rocket.Chat is its ability to scale, making it suitable for large teams and organizations with complex communication needs.

Mattermost, another popular self-hosted alternative, is often compared to Rocket.Chat in terms of its ease of use and integration capabilities.

Rocket.Chat's open-source nature also sets it apart from other solutions, allowing for greater customization and control over the platform.

Rocket.Chat is a self-hosted Slack alternative that offers a range of features to enhance team collaboration.

One notable feature of Rocket.Chat is its open-source nature, allowing users to customize and extend its functionality to suit their specific needs.

In contrast, Slack is a proprietary platform that may limit users' ability to make significant changes to its core functionality.

Rocket.Chat's self-hosted model also provides greater control over data security and compliance, which is particularly important for organizations operating in highly regulated industries.

By hosting Rocket.Chat on their own servers, users can ensure that their data is stored and handled in accordance with their specific security and compliance requirements.

Rocket.Chat and Matrix are two popular platforms for communication, but they have some key differences. Rocket.Chat is a centralized platform that makes it easy to deploy and manage.

Matrix, on the other hand, is a decentralized protocol that allows for cross-server communication and greater data control. This means Matrix gives you more control over your data.

Rocket.Chat focuses on ease of use and robust features, making it a great choice for teams that need a simple and effective communication solution. Matrix, with its emphasis on end-to-end encryption and decentralization, is a better fit for teams that prioritize security above all else.

Setting up Matrix can be more complex than Rocket.Chat, but it's worth it for the added security benefits.

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To host Rocket Chat on your own server, you'll need a domain and a suitable virtual private server (VPS) or cloud infrastructure. For 500 users with 100 concurrent active users, a dual core processor with a 2 GHz speed, 2 GB of RAM, and 40 GB of SSD storage are recommended.

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To give you a better idea, here's a rough breakdown of the deployment costs for Rocket Chat:

For larger companies, the Community version can be used without issues, as demonstrated by companies with 5,000 to 150,000 employees. For such setups, you'll need an Intel Xeon E5-2603 v4 processor (or equivalent) with 1.7 GHz speed and 6 cores, 4 GB of RAM, and 500 GB HDD or more.

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To get started with Rocket.Chat, you'll need a few things. You'll need a Docker-ready VPS, which can be found at a variety of providers.

A functioning Docker installation, along with Docker Compose, is also a must-have. This can be set up by following our Getting Started tutorial.

For a non-root user account, you'll need to create a sudo user, which can be done by accessing your server using SSH.

You'll also need a domain, which will serve as the foundation of your Rocket.Chat instance.

Here's a breakdown of the minimum requirements for a Rocket.Chat instance with 500 users and 100 concurrent active users:

Deployment costs can vary depending on the company's size and needs.

The Community version is free, making it a great option for smaller companies. However, it's surprising to see that a company with 150,000 employees is also using this version.

For companies with around 5,000 employees, the Community version should be sufficient without any issues. You can expect to pay $3/user monthly or $30/user annually for the Pro version.

The Enterprise version offers tiered pricing and volume discounts, but the exact costs aren't specified. This version is likely best suited for larger companies with complex needs.

Here's a quick rundown of the deployment costs:

To give you a better idea of the system requirements, the Community version can run on a relatively basic setup: an Intel Xeon E5-2603 v4 processor, 4 GB of RAM, and a 500 GB HDD or more.

Rocket Chat doesn't have a user limit, it's all about your server configuration.

You can create as many users as your server can handle, which is great news for large teams or communities.

According to the Rocket Chat team, there's no fixed limit on the number of users, so you don't have to worry about hitting a cap.

Once your server is set up, you can start creating users, teams, and channels in the Workspace.

Rocket Chat is a versatile platform that can be installed on various Linux operating systems. You can choose from popular options like Debian, RedHat, and Ubuntu.

Rocket Chat also supports installation on Amazon Docker and cloud AWS. This gives you flexibility in hosting your self-hosted Rocket Chat instance.

For the demonstration, Ubuntu 20.04 on Digitalocean was used. However, you're not limited to Ubuntu, as Rocket Chat supports almost all types of Linux operating systems.

To determine the resources you need for your Rocket Chat system, consider the following: if you're planning to use a single core (2 GHz) and 1 GB RAM, you'll need at least 30 GB SSD.

Here's a summary of the system requirements:

With Rocket.Chat Self Hosted, you can extend its capabilities by developing your own apps that integrate with the platform. This is made possible through the open-source Apps-Engine framework, which expands integration possibilities within the Rocket.Chat ecosystem.

You can use this framework to create custom apps that meet your specific needs, giving you more control over the features and functionality of your Rocket.Chat instance.

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Apps Engine is an open-source framework that allows you to develop your own apps that can be integrated with Rocket.Chat, expanding the integration possibilities within the Rocket.Chat ecosystem.

Developing your own apps using Apps Engine gives you the flexibility to create custom solutions that meet your specific needs.

With Apps Engine, you can integrate your apps seamlessly with Rocket.Chat, enhancing the overall user experience.

Rocket.Chat provides the necessary tools and resources to help you get started with building your own apps using the Apps Engine framework.

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