I host my own Jabber/XMPP server at the address eviljab.me. Server is open to everyone - anybody can freely register an account and use it for messaging. And it’s federated - you can send and receive messages to/from any person from/to any Jabber/XMPP server.

But what is Jabber/XMPP?⌗

Jabber/XMPP is the open, federated (as like e-mail) instant messaging protocol, based on XML language. It is an open standard, accepted by Internet Engineering Task Force. Its first implementations came out in 1999, and first open service is jabber.org. Thanks to its extensibility, you can communicate with your friends that don’t use Jabber/XMPP, by using transports. And thanks to its federability, you can also host your own instance of Jabber/XMPP server. Jabber/XMPP was once used widely by Internet giants, like Facebook (for Messenger before moving to their own proprietary REST API protocol), WhatsApp and Google (for Google Talk, later replaced by Hangouts and Google Chat, and like Facebook’s Messenger, they also use their own proprietary protocol).

For more information, read on Wikipedia (English).

Jeśli jesteś polskojęzycznym użytkownikiem, tutaj znajdziesz wartościowy materiał na temat Jabbera/XMPP.

How to register?⌗

To register a Jabber/XMPP account, you will need to install any available Jabber/XMPP client. Personally, I recommend two clients - Psi+ or Gajim. But if you are using a smartphone at most of your time, you should use Conversations - if you enjoy using this application, consider buying it from Google Play store, or if you are short on money, download it from F-Droid.

A short instruction to register account is based on Psi+ case, however, the whole process is very similiar on all clients:

Registering a Jabber/XMPP account using Psi+⌗

  1. When you have started Psi+, go to General (or Psi+ logo button) -> Account setup.
    Step 1. Selecting Account setup
  2. When in the Account setup window, click Add button.
    Step 2. Clicking Add button
  3. Choose the name for the Psi+ profile (it IS NOT the name of your account on Jabber/XMPP server!). For the sake of tutorial, I’ve just typed name of the server. Check the Register new account checkbox, and click Add button.
    Step 3. Creating a new profile and registering new account
  4. In the textbox in Server section type eviljab.me. Then click the Next button.
    Step 4. Registering an account on Jabber/XMPP server
  5. Type the username and password for your account (REMINDER: You must memorize them, or store in secure password vault like KeePass, because there is no automated account recovery!), and click the Next button.
    Step 5. Typing username and password for Jabber/XMPP account
  6. If succeeded, there will appear an information about successful account registering. The XMPP address is your JID, you will probably give this to your friends and pals to communicate with you through Jabber/XMPP. Click OK button.
    Step 6. Successful registration of Jabber/XMPP account
  7. In the next window, it is recommended to check Automatically connect on startup and Automatically connect after sleep checkboxes, to connect automatically after starting the client or waking your PC from hibernation/sleep. After this, click Save button.
    Step 7. Small adjustments to Psi+ profile
  8. Click on the status button, then click Online.
    Step 8. Connecting with the new Jabber/XMPP account
  9. You are ready to use Jabber/XMPP! :)

Which transports I can use on eviljab.me server?⌗

There are plenty of transports on eviljab.me server to communicate with people outside Jabber/XMPP, there’s a list:

  • Facebook Messenger
  • Gadu-Gadu
  • ICQ
  • IRC
  • Mattermost
  • Novell GroupWare
  • Skype
  • Telegram
  • XMPP (for Jabber/XMPP servers with disabled federation)

Is eviljab.me encrypted server?⌗

Yes! It uses standard SSL encryption, and optionally you can use yourself with proper plugin, the OMEMO encryption to talk with people with even more security and privacy.

OMEMO is integrated by default with Conversations Android client, and plugins for Psi/Psi+, Gajim, Pidgin are available.

Is there a support for group chats?⌗

Yes, it’s native Jabber/XMPP functionality called MUC (Multi-User Chat). Every client supports it. Address for MUC server is conference.eviljab.me.

How about file transfer?⌗

eviljab.me supports file transfer through HTTP thanks to XEP-0363: HTTP File Upload. So you don’t have to use external services to send images or small text files.

Somebody is using your server for bad things! (a.k.a. Abuse)⌗

If somebody is using eviljab.me server to send banned content or messages (e.g. child porn, scam, harassment, trolling, selling illegal drugs/weapons/software/whatever) - please report me with JID and message of abusive user. When it is sure that this person used eviljab.me to perform illegal tasks, it will be banned from using the server, and if its activity really violated the Polish law (because the server is hosted in Poland), it would be reported to Polish police.