How to set up Matrix Chat

Your own encrypted, federated chat server. This guide covers how to access it, log in for the first time, configure the basics, and where its data lives so you can back it up.

1. What is Matrix Chat?

Run your own private chat server with Matrix Synapse and the Element web client. End-to-end encrypted, federated, and Signal-compatible via bridges. A self-hosted alternative to Signal, WhatsApp, and Slack.

2. Before you start

First run generates homeserver.yaml config. Register admin user after startup via docker exec.

3. How to access it

Once it's enabled, Matrix Chat runs on your SparkBox at:

http://<your-NAS-IP>:8448

Create an admin via SparkBox Settings first, then sign in on Element.

4. First login

Matrix Synapse doesn't show a setup UI — you create admin users from the command line. SSH into your box and run `sudo docker exec -it sb-synapse register_new_matrix_user -c /data/homeserver.yaml http://localhost:8008` — it'll prompt for a username and password and ask 'Make admin? yes'. Then sign in on Element with that username.

If it instead asks for a password you didn't set, check Settings → Passwords in your SparkBox dashboard — every auto-generated credential is listed there.

5. Settings you can change

You can set these when you enable the module, or later from Apps → Matrix Chat in the dashboard:

• Matrix Server Name — The server name (domain) for your Matrix homeserver

6. Where your data lives

Matrix Chat's config and persistent data are stored on the SparkBox host under:

/opt/sparkbox/modules/matrix/config/

Backups via the SparkBox dashboard's Backup tile include this directory by default, so a single restore brings Matrix Chat back to its current state on a fresh install.

Next steps