97 lines
5.3 KiB
Markdown
97 lines
5.3 KiB
Markdown
# Frequently Asked Questions
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### This is all very complicated and I'm getting confused with all the words, concepts and diagrams - Help!
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Matrix is still a very young protocol and there are a whole lot of rough edges.
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Identity in Matrix is one of the most difficult topic, mainly as it has not received much love in the past years.
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We have tried our best to put together documentation that requires almost no knowledge of Matrix inner workings to get a
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first basic setup running which relies on you reading the documentation in the right order:
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- [The Concepts](concepts.md) in few words.
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- [Getting Started](getting-started.md) step-by-step to a minimal working install.
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- [Identity stores](stores/README.md) you wish to fetch data from.
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- [Features](features) you are interested in that will use your Identity store(s) data.
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**IMPORTANT**: Be aware that ma1sd tries to fit within the current protocol and existing products and basic understanding
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of the Matrix protocol is required for some advanced features.
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If all fails, come over to [the project room](https://matrix.to/#/#ma1sd:ru-matrix.org) and we'll do our best to get you
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started and answer questions you might have.
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### What kind of setup is ma1sd really designed for?
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ma1sd is primarily designed for setups that:
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- [Care for their privacy](https://github.com/kamax-matrix/ma1sd/wiki/ma1sd-and-your-privacy)
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- Have their own [domains](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domain_name)
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- Use those domains for their email addresses and all other services
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- Already have an [Identity store](stores/README.md), typically [LDAP-based](stores/ldap.md).
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If you meet all the conditions, then you are the prime use case we designed ma1sd for.
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If you meet some of the conditions, but not all, ma1sd will still be a good fit for you but you won't fully enjoy all its
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features.
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### Do I need to use ma1sd if I run a Homeserver?
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No, but it is strongly recommended, even if you don't use any Identity store or integration.
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In its default configuration, ma1sd uses other federated public servers when performing queries.
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It can also [be configured](features/identity.md#lookups) to use the central matrix.org servers, giving you access to at
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least the same information as if you were not running it.
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So ma1sd is like your gatekeeper and guardian angel. It does not change what you already know, just adds some nice
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simple features on top of it.
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### I'm not sure I understand what an "Identity server" is supposed to be or do...
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The current Identity service API is more a placeholder, as the Matrix devs did not have time so far to really work on
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what they want to do with that part of the ecosystem. Therefore, "Identity" is currently a misleading word and concept.
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Given the scope of the current Identity Service API, it would be best called "Invitation service".
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Because the current scope is so limited and no integration is done with the Homeserver, there was a big lack of features
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for groups/corporations/organisation. This is where ma1sd comes in.
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ma1sd implements the Identity Service API and also a set of features which are expected by regular users, truly living
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up to its "Identity server" name.
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### Can I migrate my existing account on another Matrix server with ma1sd?
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No.
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Accounts cannot currently migrate/move from one server to another.
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See a [brief explanation document](concepts.md) about Matrix and ma1sd concepts and vocabulary.
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### I already use the synapse LDAP3 auth provider. Why should I care about ma1sd?
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The [synapse LDAP3 auth provider](https://github.com/matrix-org/matrix-synapse-ldap3) only handles one specific flow: validate credentials at login.
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It does not:
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- Auto-provision user profiles
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- Integrate with Identity management
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- Integrate with Directory searches
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- Integrate with Profile data
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ma1sd is a replacement and enhancement of it, offering coherent results in all areas, which the LDAP3 auth provider
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does not.
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### Sydent is the official Identity server implementation of the Matrix team. Why not use that?
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You can, but [sydent](https://github.com/matrix-org/sydent):
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- [should not be used and/or self-hosted](https://github.com/matrix-org/sydent/issues/22)
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- is not meant to be linked to a specific Homeserver / domain
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- cannot handle federation or proxy lookups, effectively isolating your users from the rest of the network
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- forces you to duplicate all your identity data, so people can be found by 3PIDs
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- forces users to enter all their emails and phone numbers manually in their profile
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So really, you should go with ma1sd.
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### Will I loose access to the central Matrix.org/Vector.im Identity data if I use ma1sd?
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No.
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In its default configuration, ma1sd does not talk to the central Identity server matrix.org to avoid leaking your private
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data and those of people you might know.
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[You can configure it](features/identity.md#lookups) to talk to the central Identity servers if you wish.
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### So ma1sd is just a big hack! I don't want to use non-official features!
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ma1sd primary concerns are your privacy and to always be compatible with the Matrix ecosystem and the Identity service API.
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Whenever the API will be updated and/or enhanced, ma1sd will follow, remaining 100% compatible with the ecosystem.
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### Should I use ma1sd if I don't host my own Homeserver?
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No.
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It is possible, but it is not supported and the scope of features will be extremely limited.
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Please consider hosting your own Homeserver and using ma1sd alongside it.
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