How can I get started installing Buddycloud software to a hosted site?

Question

I'm confused about how one hosts a Buddycloud (federated social networking software) channel. I downloaded the source code, but I'm not sure how to install it on my website. Most of the information seems to assume that the host is running their own server, but I have plain ol' paid web hosting. I know that you also need to set up an XMPP server to run Buddycloud, and I'm not sure how to do that on my hosted website—or if it's even possible. If it matters, my site is hosted on a Linux server through IX Web Hosting.

I'd greatly appreciate it if you guys could point me in the right direction.

Answer 1

You normally won't be able to set up an XMPP server on a normal shared host, but you could always call support & ask - they might have something, but chances are they either don't or it'll cost a bit. Some hosts do offer XMPP hosting though, so it can't hurt to ask.

You also might want to look into a virtual private server to run your own, if you're willing to play the sysadmin. Linode maintains a how-to for setting up common XMPP servers on their VPSes, and there's also Amazon EC2, Rackspace Cloud, and Slicehost.

Answer 2

https://buddycloud.org/wiki/Install will help get you started. To be clear you need to install the following components: XMPP server (this handles the federation layer), the buddycloud server (connects to the XMPP server and handles synchronisation with other nodes, permissions of followers) and the web frontend.

Answer 3

You can now use https://hosting.buddycloud.com to host your own Buddycloud site. This will save you the hassle of setting up DNS etc.