This chapter explains what you have to do to obtain, install, configure and start up a Jabber server of your own with the minimum of fuss.

It's certainly possible to learn about the Jabber protocols and technology and develop solutions using someone else's Jabber server, but for real understanding and control, it's definitely worth setting up one of your own. By installing and configuring a Jabber server, you will gain a valuable insight into how the Jabber server, and its components, work together. Understanding how components are controlled and configured allows us to build Jabber solutions in the context of the 'big picture'.

Installation of earlier versions (1.0, 1.2) of the Jabber server were often complex affairs, and while the installation process has become much more straightforward, some people still shrink back from installing and configuring their own. This chapter shows how straightforward it is.

If you already have a server set up, you might want to skip this chapter and go on to Chapter 4 where the configuration and system architecture is explained in more detail.s

Although the Jabber development platform is Linux, the Jabber Server will compile and run on many flavours of Unix, including FreeBSD, Solaris, AIX, and IRIX. Versions of the C compiler and make utility from the GNU project [1] are recommended if you don't already have them installed.

The examples shown in this and other chapters are taken from a Linux platform; consult your local documentation for equivalent commands on your Unix OS.