Jitsi is an open-source video conferencing platform that enables secure, high-quality video meetings directly in the browser without requiring client software installation. It supports features like screen sharing, chat, recording, and end-to-end encryption for privacy-focused communication. The Vultr Marketplace provides a pre-configured Jitsi instance, enabling quick deployment and setup on a Vultr server.

This guide explains deploying and using Vultr's Jitsi Marketplace Application. You will deploy an instance, configure DNS and SSL, set up user authentication, manage meetings, and implement best practices for production deployments.

Deploy Vultr's Jitsi Marketplace Application

1. Log in to your Vultr Customer Portal and click the Deploy Server button.

2. Select your preferred server type.

3. Choose a server location close to your users for lower latency.

4. Select a server plan based on expected usage:

   • 2GB RAM, 2 CPU: Small meetings (up to 10 participants)
   • 4GB RAM, 2 CPU: Medium meetings (10-25 participants)
   • 8GB RAM, 4 CPU: Large meetings (25+ participants)

5. Click the Configure button to proceed.

6. Under Marketplace Apps, search for Jitsi and select it as the Marketplace Application.

7. Select the Limited Login option from the Additional Features section to create a limited user with sudo access.

8. Review your configurations and click the Deploy Now button to start deployment.

   Note

   It may take up to 10 minutes for your server to finish installing Jitsi.

9. After the instance shows the status of Running, navigate to the Server Overview page and copy the SSH connection details.

Initial Setup and Configuration

After deployment, configure DNS, verify the installation, and secure your Jitsi instance with SSL/TLS before hosting meetings.

1. Create a DNS A record pointing to your server's IP address, such as jitsi.example.com.

2. Connect to your Vultr server instance over SSH using the connection details from the Server Overview page.

Verify Jitsi Installation

1. Check the Jitsi Videobridge service status.

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   $ sudo systemctl status jitsi-videobridge2
   

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   The service should show as active (running).

2. Check the Prosody XMPP server status.

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   $ sudo systemctl status prosody
   

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3. Check the Jicofo service status.

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   $ sudo systemctl status jicofo
   

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4. Access Jitsi by visiting https://YOUR_SERVER_IP in a web browser.

   You'll see a browser warning because of the self-signed certificate. Bypass it to continue.

Configure Firewall Security

Secure your server by configuring the firewall to allow only necessary traffic.

1. Allow SSH connections.

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   $ sudo ufw allow OpenSSH
   

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2. Allow HTTP and HTTPS traffic for the web interface.

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   $ sudo ufw allow 80/tcp
   $ sudo ufw allow 443/tcp
   

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3. Allow UDP traffic for video/audio media.

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   $ sudo ufw allow 10000/udp
   

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4. Enable the firewall.

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   $ sudo ufw enable
   

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5. Verify firewall status.

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   $ sudo ufw status
   

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Secure Jitsi with SSL/TLS

Use Vultr's configuration script to set up your domain and install a Let's Encrypt certificate.

1. Run the Jitsi configuration script.

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   $ sudo /opt/vultr/configure_jitsi.sh
   

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2. When prompted, enter your configuration:

   Please specify which domain you would like to use: jitsi.example.com
   Would you like to enable password authorization? [y/N] y
   Please enter your email address for Let's Encrypt Registration: admin@example.com

3. The script will output your access credentials:

   JITSI URL: https://jitsi.example.com
   USERNAME: admin
   PASSWORD: [generated password]

   Save these credentials securely.

4. Access Jitsi at https://jitsi.example.com and verify the SSL certificate is valid.

Create and Manage Meetings

Host video conferences using the Jitsi web interface.

Start a Meeting

1. Open your Jitsi domain in a browser.

   https://jitsi.example.com

2. Enter a meeting name in the text field.

3. Click Start meeting to create the room.

4. If password authentication is enabled, sign in with the admin credentials.

5. Share the meeting URL with participants to join.

Meeting Controls

During a meeting, you can:

• Mute/unmute audio and video
• Share screen for presentations
• Open chat for text communication
• Raise hand to get attention
• Record meetings (requires additional configuration)
• Set meeting password for additional security
• Manage participants as a moderator

Manage Users

Control access to your Jitsi server with user management.

Add a User

$ sudo prosodyctl adduser username@jitsi.example.com

Enter a password when prompted.

Delete a User

$ sudo prosodyctl deluser username@jitsi.example.com

Change User Password

$ sudo prosodyctl register admin jitsi.example.com newpassword

Replace admin with the username and newpassword with the new password.

List Users

$ sudo ls -l /var/lib/prosody/*/accounts/*

User account files are stored at paths like /var/lib/prosody/jitsi%2eexample%2ecom/accounts/admin.dat.

Best Practices and Configuration

Implement these recommendations to ensure your Jitsi server runs securely and efficiently.

Security Hardening

1. Enable password authentication to prevent unauthorized meeting creation.

2. Use strong, unique passwords for all user accounts.

3. Keep Jitsi components updated.

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   $ sudo apt update
   $ sudo apt upgrade -y
   

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4. Consider enabling lobby mode for meetings requiring approval to join.

5. Enable end-to-end encryption for sensitive meetings.

Performance Optimization

1. For high-frequency plans, consider Vultr High Frequency servers for lower latency.

2. Monitor server resources during meetings.

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   $ htop
   

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3. Adjust Jitsi Videobridge settings for your server capacity.

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   $ sudo nano /etc/jitsi/videobridge/jvb.conf
   

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4. For large deployments, consider scaling with multiple Jitsi Videobridge instances.

Backup Configuration

1. Back up Jitsi configuration files.

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   $ sudo tar -czf /root/jitsi-backup-$(date +%F).tar.gz /etc/jitsi /etc/prosody
   

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2. Back up user accounts.

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   $ sudo tar -czf /root/prosody-accounts-$(date +%F).tar.gz /var/lib/prosody
   

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Troubleshooting

This section covers common issues and diagnostic commands.

Check Service Status and Logs

1. Verify all Jitsi services are running.

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   $ sudo systemctl status jitsi-videobridge2
   $ sudo systemctl status prosody
   $ sudo systemctl status jicofo
   $ sudo systemctl status nginx
   

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2. View Jitsi Videobridge logs.

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   $ sudo tail -f /var/log/jitsi/jvb.log
   

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3. View Prosody logs.

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   $ sudo journalctl -u prosody -e
   

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Common Issues

Cannot Connect to Meeting

1. Verify all services are running.

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   $ sudo systemctl restart jitsi-videobridge2
   $ sudo systemctl restart prosody
   $ sudo systemctl restart jicofo
   

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2. Check firewall allows required ports.

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   $ sudo ufw status | grep -E "80|443|10000"
   

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3. Verify DNS is properly configured.

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   $ dig jitsi.example.com
   

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Audio/Video Not Working

1. Ensure UDP port 10000 is open.

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   $ sudo ufw status | grep 10000
   

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2. Check Jitsi Videobridge logs for errors.

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   $ sudo tail -50 /var/log/jitsi/jvb.log
   

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3. Verify participants are using supported browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Edge).

SSL Certificate Issues

1. Re-run the configuration script.

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   $ sudo /opt/vultr/configure_jitsi.sh
   

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2. Check Certbot certificate status.

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   $ sudo certbot certificates
   

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High CPU/Memory Usage

1. Reduce maximum participants per meeting.

2. Upgrade to a larger server plan.

3. Consider load balancing with multiple Jitsi Videobridges.

Use Cases

Jitsi excels in various video conferencing scenarios:

• Remote Team Meetings: Host private standups, one-on-ones, and project syncs without third-party services or data leaving your infrastructure.
• Education and Virtual Classrooms: Run interactive classes, lectures, and training sessions with screen sharing, chat, and moderation.
• Webinars and Workshops: Present to larger groups with Q&A, participant controls, and optional recording.
• Privacy-Focused Conferencing: Keep all communication data within your control on a self-hosted, encrypted platform.
• Healthcare Consultations: Conduct HIPAA-aware telemedicine sessions with secure, private video calls.
• Customer Support: Provide face-to-face support sessions with screen sharing for troubleshooting.

Conclusion

In this guide, you deployed Vultr's Jitsi Marketplace Application and configured it for production use. You secured the server with firewall rules and SSL/TLS certificates, enabled user authentication, learned to manage meetings and users, and implemented best practices for security and performance. With Jitsi's open-source video conferencing capabilities and Vultr's infrastructure, you can host secure, private meetings for teams, education, and business communication.