This guide explains how to download, configure and run Open OSCAR Server on Linux (x86_64).
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Download Open OSCAR Server
Grab the latest Linux release from the releases page and extract the archive. The extracted folder contains the application and a configuration file
settings.env. -
Configure Server Address
Set the default listener in
OSCAR_ADVERTISED_LISTENERS_PLAINinsettings.envto a hostname and port that the AIM clients can connect to. If you are running the AIM client and server on the same machine, you don't need to change the default value.The format is
[NAME]://[HOSTNAME]:[PORT]where:LOCALis the listener name (can be any name you choose, as long as it matches theOSCAR_LISTENERSconfig)127.0.0.1is the hostname clients connect to5190is the port number clients connect to
In order to connect AIM clients on your LAN (including VMs with bridged networking), you can find the appropriate IP address by running
ifconfigfrom the terminal and use that IP instead of127.0.0.1. -
Start the Application
Run the following command to launch Open OSCAR Server:
./open_oscar_server
Open OSCAR Server will run in the terminal, ready to accept AIM client connections.
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Configure AIM Clients
To do a quick sanity check, start an AIM client, sign in to the server, and send yourself an instant message. Configure the AIM client to connect to the host and port from
OSCAR_ADVERTISED_LISTENERS_PLAINinsettings.env. If using the default server setting, set host to127.0.0.1and port5190.See the Client Configuration Guide for more detail on setting up the AIM client.
By default, you can enter any screen name and password at the AIM sign-in screen to auto-create an account.
Account auto-creation is meant to be a convenience feature for local development. In a production deployment, you should set
DISABLE_AUTH=falseinsettings.envto enforce account authentication. User accounts can be created via the Management API. -
Additional Setup
For optional configuration steps that enhance your Open OSCAR Server experience, refer to the Additional Setup Guide.