Make sure you set up your domain by following this documentation: Dendrite Domain Name Setup.
Ensure you have docker and docker compose installed on your server.
All commands will be executed in the project root, i.e., the directory where the repository was cloned.

Installation

Clone this repository and enter the directory:

git clone https://gitlab.com/rogs/dendrite-docker-bridges.git
cd dendrite-docker-bridges

Run setup.sh:

./setup.sh

This script will:

Prompt you for your domain (the one you configured in "Before Starting")
Generate a secure database password
Create your private key and config in the ./config/dendrite directory
Display two important pieces of information:
- The "Registration shared secret"
- The Database URI

Important: Make sure to save both the registration shared secret AND the Database URI in a secure location. The Database URI will be needed later when configuring the bridges for WhatsApp, Telegram, and Discord.

Open your configuration file located at ./config/dendrite/dendrite.yaml. You may need sudo to edit this file. Search for registration_shared_secret and paste the registration secret you copied in the previous step. The section should look similar to this:

client_api:
  registration_disabled: true
  registration_requires_token: false
  registration_shared_secret: "YourBigCopiedKey123" # This is your key!
  guests_disabled: false
  enable_registration_captcha: false
  recaptcha_api_js_url: ""

Start Dendrite:

docker compose up -d postgres monolith

Run setup-db.sh:

./setup-db.sh

This script will create three new databases: whatsapp, telegram, and discord. These will be used later for the bridges.

Verify the setup by navigating to http://your-ip-address:8008 in your browser. You should see a screen similar to this:

That's It!

Dendrite is now up and running! You can proceed with setting up the bridges:

Note: When configuring each bridge, you'll need to use the Database URI that was displayed during the setup process. Make sure you have saved it somewhere secure!