`matrix_nginx_proxy_data_path` has always served as a base path,
so we're renaming it to reflect that.
Along with this, we're also introducing a new "data path" variable
(`matrix_nginx_proxy_data_path`), which is really a data path this time.
It's used for storing additional, non-configuration, files related to
matrix-nginx-proxy.
If someone decides to not use `/.well-known/matrix/server` and only
relies on SRV records, then they would need to serve tcp/8448 using
a certificate for the base domain (not for the matrix) domain.
Until now, they could do that by giving the certificate to Synapse
and setting it terminate TLS. That makes swapping certificates
more annoying (Synapse requires a restart to re-read certificates),
so it's better if we can support it via matrix-nginx-proxy.
Mounting certificates (or any other file) into the matrix-nginx-proxy container
can be done with `matrix_nginx_proxy_container_additional_volumes`,
introduced in 96afbbb5a.
This makes all containers (except mautrix-telegram and
mautrix-whatsapp), start as a non-root user.
We do this, because we don't trust some of the images.
In any case, we'd rather not trust ALL images and avoid giving
`root` access at all. We can't be sure they would drop privileges
or what they might do before they do it.
Because Postfix doesn't support running as non-root,
it had to be replaced by an Exim mail server.
The matrix-nginx-proxy nginx container image is patched up
(by replacing its main configuration) so that it can work as non-root.
It seems like there's no other good image that we can use and that is up-to-date
(https://hub.docker.com/r/nginxinc/nginx-unprivileged is outdated).
Likewise for riot-web (https://hub.docker.com/r/bubuntux/riot-web/),
we patch it up ourselves when starting (replacing the main nginx
configuration).
Ideally, it would be fixed upstream so we can simplify.
The matrix-nginx-proxy role can now be used independently.
This makes it consistent with all other roles, with
the `matrix-base` role remaining as their only dependency.
Separating matrix-nginx-proxy was relatively straightforward, with
the exception of the Mautrix Telegram reverse-proxying configuration.
Mautrix Telegram, being an extension/bridge, does not feel important enough
to justify its own special handling in matrix-nginx-proxy.
Thus, we've introduced the concept of "additional configuration blocks"
(`matrix_nginx_proxy_proxy_matrix_additional_server_configuration_blocks`),
where any module can register its own custom nginx server blocks.
For such dynamic registration to work, the order of role execution
becomes important. To make it possible for each module participating
in dynamic registration to verify that the order of execution is
correct, we've also introduced a `matrix_nginx_proxy_role_executed`
variable.
It should be noted that this doesn't make the matrix-synapse role
dependent on matrix-nginx-proxy. It's optional runtime detection
and registration, and it only happens in the matrix-synapse role
when `matrix_mautrix_telegram_enabled: true`.
With this change, the following roles are now only dependent
on the minimal `matrix-base` role:
- `matrix-corporal`
- `matrix-coturn`
- `matrix-mailer`
- `matrix-mxisd`
- `matrix-postgres`
- `matrix-riot-web`
- `matrix-synapse`
The `matrix-nginx-proxy` role still does too much and remains
dependent on the others.
Wiring up the various (now-independent) roles happens
via a glue variables file (`group_vars/matrix-servers`).
It's triggered for all hosts in the `matrix-servers` group.
According to Ansible's rules of priority, we have the following
chain of inclusion/overriding now:
- role defaults (mostly empty or good for independent usage)
- playbook glue variables (`group_vars/matrix-servers`)
- inventory host variables (`inventory/host_vars/matrix.<your-domain>`)
All roles default to enabling their main component
(e.g. `matrix_mxisd_enabled: true`, `matrix_riot_web_enabled: true`).
Reasoning: if a role is included in a playbook (especially separately,
in another playbook), it should "work" by default.
Our playbook disables some of those if they are not generally useful
(e.g. `matrix_corporal_enabled: false`).
As suggested in #63 (Github issue), splitting the
playbook's logic into multiple roles will be beneficial for
maintainability.
This patch realizes this split. Still, some components
affect others, so the roles are not really independent of one
another. For example:
- disabling mxisd (`matrix_mxisd_enabled: false`), causes Synapse
and riot-web to reconfigure themselves with other (public)
Identity servers.
- enabling matrix-corporal (`matrix_corporal_enabled: true`) affects
how reverse-proxying (by `matrix-nginx-proxy`) is done, in order to
put matrix-corporal's gateway server in front of Synapse
We may be able to move away from such dependencies in the future,
at the expense of a more complicated manual configuration, but
it's probably not worth sacrificing the convenience we have now.
As part of this work, the way we do "start components" has been
redone now to use a loop, as suggested in #65 (Github issue).
This should make restarting faster and more reliable.
Fixes#18 (Github issue).
It would probably be better if we serve our own page,
as the Matrix one says:
"To use this server you'll need a Matrix client", which
is true, but we install Riot by default and it'd be better if we mention
that instead.
Adds support for managing certificates manually and for
having the playbook generate self-signed certificates for you.
With this, Let's Encrypt usage is no longer required.
Fixes Github issue #50.
This is provoked by Github issue #46.
No client had made use of the well-known mechanism
so far, so the set up performed by this playbook was not tested
and turned out to be a little deficient.
Even though /.well-known/matrix/client is usually requested with a
simple request (no preflight), it's still considered cross-origin
and [CORS](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTTP/CORS)
applies. Thus, the file always needs to be served with the appropriate
`Access-Control-Allow-Origin` header.
Github issue #46 attempts to fix it at the "reverse-proxying" layer,
which may work, but would need to be done for every server.
It's better if it's done "upstream", so that all reverse-proxy
configurations can benefit.
Moving away from using the default bridge network to using our own.
This isolates our services from other Docker containers running
on the default network on the same host.
The benefits are that:
- isolation is a little better - we no longer share a default
bridge network with any other containers that might be running on the host
- there are no longer hard dependencies - we do service discovery
by DNS name, and not via explicit `--link` usage during container start,
so containers can start out of order and fail without bringing down others
with them
(`matrix-nginx-proxy` can continue running, even if one of the other services dies)
In the future, when other services get introduced,
the increased resilience and simplicity will help as well.
When using matrix-nginx-proxy, the file permissions are organized
in a way that matrix-nginx-proxy could read the challenge files
produced by acmetool.
However, when another own/external webserver was used (like nginx
with our generated sample configuration), this could not work.
From on we're proxying the HTTP requests to port :402 in such a case,
which fixes the problem.
Slavi Pantaleev
Dan Arnfield
Hugues De Keyzer
Aaron Raimist
dhose
Hugues Morisset
Slavi Pantaleev