Setting Up a Chatroom Server with Ubuntu Server and VirtualBox

This guide will walk you through setting up a chatroom server using Ubuntu Server on VirtualBox, and making it accessible over the internet using ngrok.

Requirements

Server

• Ubuntu Server (recommended) or other Linux distribution
• Python 3.6+
• Internet connection

Client

• Windows: Use the provided executable
• Other platforms: Python 3.6+ with required dependencies

1. Download and Install VirtualBox

Visit the official VirtualBox download page and download the appropriate version for your operating system:

• https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads

Install VirtualBox by following the installation wizard for your operating system.

2. Download Ubuntu Server

Download the latest Ubuntu Server ISO file:

• https://ubuntu.com/download/server

Choose the LTS (Long Term Support) version for better stability.

3. Install Ubuntu Server on VirtualBox

Follow this process to install Ubuntu Server:

1. Open VirtualBox and create a new virtual machine
2. Allocate appropriate resources (minimum 2GB RAM, 20GB disk space)
3. Mount the downloaded Ubuntu Server ISO file
4. Follow the installation wizard
5. Make sure to install OpenSSH server during installation
6. Complete the installation and reboot the VM

For a detailed visual guide, you can follow this tutorial:

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElNalqvVaPw&t=408s

SSH into your server

Once installed, SSH into your server using the following command in your terminal:

ssh username@server_ip_address

Replace username with your Ubuntu username and server_ip_address with the IP address of your virtual machine.

4. Update the System

First, update your system packages:

sudo apt-get update

5. Install Git

Install Git on your Ubuntu Server:

sudo apt-get install -y git

6. Clone the Chatroom Repository

Clone the chatroom application repository:

git clone https://github.com/Banshee099/chatroom.git

7. Navigate to the Project Directory

Change your working directory to the cloned repository:

cd chatroom

8. Make the Server Setup Script Executable

Give execution permission to the server setup script:

sudo chmod +x server_setup.sh

9. Make the Ngrok Script Executable

Give execution permission to the ngrok setup script:

sudo chmod +x ngrok.sh

10. Run the Server Setup Script

Execute the server setup script to install dependencies and configure the chat server:

sudo ./server_setup.sh

This script will set up the Python environment, install dependencies, and create a system service for your chat server.

11. Get Ngrok Authentication Token

1. Visit the ngrok dashboard and sign up or log in:
   • https://dashboard.ngrok.com/get-started/setup/linux
2. Copy your authentication token from the dashboard
3. Configure ngrok with your token:

ngrok config add-authtoken TOKEN

Replace TOKEN with your actual ngrok authentication token.

12. Run the Ngrok Script

Execute the ngrok setup script to create a tunnel to your chat server:

sudo ./ngrok.sh

This script will set up ngrok as a system service to expose your chat server to the internet.

13. Get the Public URL for Your Server

Retrieve the public URL that ngrok has assigned to your server:

curl http://localhost:4040/api/tunnels | grep -o "tcp://[^\"]*"

This will output something like:

tcp://0.tcp.in.ngrok.io:16704

Note: Your port number may be different than 16704.

14. Run the Chat Client

You have two options for running the client:

Option 1: Use the Executable (Windows)

Navigate to the client/dist folder and run client.exe.

Option 2: Run the Python Client Script

Run the client using Python:

python client.py

15. Connect to the Server

Once the client is running, connect to your server using the command:

/connect <username> <Public ngrok URL>

For example:

/connect JohnDoe tcp://0.tcp.in.ngrok.io:16704

Your chat client should now connect to your server, and you can start chatting!

Troubleshooting

• If you can't connect to the server, check that both the chat server and ngrok services are running:

  sudo systemctl status chat.service
  sudo systemctl status ngrok.service

• Make sure your firewall settings allow connections on the required ports.

• If the ngrok URL doesn't work, try restarting the ngrok service:

  sudo systemctl restart ngrok.service

• Check the ngrok logs if you encounter issues:

  sudo journalctl -u ngrok.service

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.