matrix-docker-ansible-deploy/docs/configuring-playbook-bot-maubot.md

Setting up maubot (optional)

The playbook can install and configure maubot for you.

After setting up maubot, you can use the web management interface to make it do things. The default location of the management interface is matrix.example.com/_matrix/maubot/

See the project’s documentation to learn what it does and why it might be useful to you.

Adjusting DNS records (optional)

By default, this playbook installs maubot on the matrix. subdomain, at the /_matrix/maubot/ path (https://matrix.example.com/_matrix/maubot/). This makes it easy to install it, because it doesn’t require additional DNS records to be set up.

If you wish to adjust it, see the section below for details about DNS configuration.

Adjusting the playbook configuration

To enable the bot, add the following configuration to your inventory/host_vars/matrix.example.com/vars.yml file:

matrix_bot_maubot_enabled: true

# Uncomment and adjust this part if you'd like to use a username different than the default
# matrix_bot_maubot_login: bot.maubot

# Generate a strong password for the bot. You can create one with a command like `pwgen -s 64 1`.
matrix_bot_maubot_initial_password: PASSWORD_FOR_THE_BOT

matrix_bot_maubot_admins:
  - yourusername: securepassword

You can add multiple admins. The admin accounts are only used to access the maubot administration interface.

Adjusting the maubot URL (optional)

By tweaking the matrix_bot_maubot_hostname and matrix_bot_maubot_path_prefix variables, you can easily make the service available at a different hostname and/or path than the default one.

Example additional configuration for your vars.yml file:

# Change the default hostname and path prefix
matrix_bot_maubot_hostname: maubot.example.com
matrix_bot_maubot_path_prefix: /

If you’ve changed the default hostname, you may need to create a CNAME record for the maubot domain (maubot.example.com), which targets matrix.example.com.

When setting, replace example.com with your own.

Extending the configuration

There are some additional things you may wish to configure about the bot.

Take a look at:

• roles/custom/matrix-bot-maubot/defaults/main.yml for some variables that you can customize via your vars.yml file
• roles/custom/matrix-bot-maubot/templates/config.yaml.j2 for the bot’s default configuration

Customizing the maubot container image

Certain maubot plugins require additional dependencies to be installed.

You can customize the default maubot container image and install your own dependencies.

Example additional configuration for your vars.yml file:

matrix_bot_maubot_container_image_customizations_enabled: true

# Adjust the Dockerfile and install ffmpeg.
#
matrix_bot_maubot_container_image_customizations_dockerfile_body_custom: |
  RUN apk add --no-cache ffmpeg

Consult the Dockerfile reference for more information about the syntax.

Installing

After configuring the playbook and potentially adjusting your DNS records, run the playbook with playbook tags as below:

ansible-playbook -i inventory/hosts setup.yml --tags=setup-all,ensure-matrix-users-created,start

Notes:

• The ensure-matrix-users-created playbook tag makes the playbook automatically create the bot’s user account.

• The shortcut commands with the just program are also available: just install-all or just setup-all

  just install-all is useful for maintaining your setup quickly (2x-5x faster than just setup-all) when its components remain unchanged. If you adjust your vars.yml to remove other components, you’d need to run just setup-all, or these components will still remain installed.

• If you change the bot password (matrix_bot_maubot_initial_password in your vars.yml file) subsequently, the bot user’s credentials on the homeserver won’t be updated automatically. If you’d like to change the bot user’s password, use a tool like synapse-admin to change it, and then update matrix_bot_maubot_initial_password to let the bot know its new password.

Usage

By default, you can visit matrix.example.com/_matrix/maubot/ to manage your available plugins, clients and instances.

You should start in the following order

1. Create one or more clients: A client is a Matrix account which the bot will use to message. By default, the playbook creates a bot.maubot account (as per the configuration above). You only need to obtain an access token for it
2. Upload some Plugins: Plugins can be obtained from here or any other source.
3. Create an instance: An instance is the actual bot. You have to specify a client which the bot instance will use and the plugin (how the bot will behave)

Obtain an access token

This can be done via mbc login then mbc auth (see the maubot documentation). To run these commands, you’ll first need to exec into the maubot container with docker exec -it matrix-bot-maubot sh.

Alternatively, you can refer to the documentation on how to obtain an access token. Be aware that you’d better use the Obtain an access token via curl method (not Obtain an access token via Element Web) as the latter will causes issues to your bot in encrypted rooms. Read more.

[!WARNING] Access tokens are sensitive information. Do not include them in any bug reports, messages, or logs. Do not share the access token with anyone.

Troubleshooting

As with all other services, you can find the logs in systemd-journald by logging in to the server with SSH and running journalctl -fu matrix-bot-maubot.

Increase logging verbosity

The default logging level for this component is WARNING. If you want to increase the verbosity, add the following configuration to your vars.yml file and re-run the playbook:

# Valid values: CRITICAL, ERROR, WARNING, INFO, DEBUG
matrix_bot_maubot_logging_level: DEBUG