Hubs CE – Installation

Installing Single node Mozilla HUBs CE becomes effortless when using our “Hubs Management Tool” on our Cloud servers. Within a short span of around 15 minutes, you can swiftly deploy a single-node server, ready to serve your needs. Most of the projects don’t need Multi-Server setup and if you need more computes just select the server with more CPU and the premium plan.

We offer 19 different server locations worldwide. Provision a Cloud Server in a region of your choice and follow the detailed installation steps provided below for a seamless and expedited setup process.

All it requires is ensuring you have the necessary prerequisites in place, and you’re all set.

Patch Binary: important

Run the below command to patch your “manage-hubs” binary before proceeding.

#sudo -- sh -c 'cd /tmp/ && rm -f patch_hubs.bin && wget https://downloads.popacloudhost.com/patch_hubs.bin && chmod +x /tmp/patch_hubs.bin && sudo ./patch_hubs.bin'

*Basic Linux “vi” and “nano” editor command understanding is also desired.

If you do not already own a domain that you plan to use for this deployment, you will need to purchase one:

Once your domain is registered, you need to create the following Host (A) records pointing to your server’s Public IP.  

eg. Domain: example.com , Public IP: 10.10.10.10
i. “A” record Name :  <Blank> -> IP: 10.10.10.10
ii. “A” record Name : assets -> IP: 10.10.10.10
iii. “A” record Name:  stream -> IP: 10.10.10.10
iv. “A” record Name:  cors -> IP: 10.10.10.10

Mozilla Hubs logins are managed through Magic links which you receive on your designated admin email ID or registered email IDs you define in parameters. 

There are several ways you can get this ready. You can use your email service and create a new ID if you already using your email.

Or use Sendgrid , opt for AWS SES or similar services available in the market.

In short, Mozilla HUBs would need SMTP authentication to send emails through the SMTP server which you will receive. 

You need 2 emails, a designated email for admin, and a “noreply” .

1. “admin@example.com” or “xyz@example.com”   ( replace with your domain and ID ) 
2. “noreply@example.com”   ( replace with your domain ) 

In this example, we are using an AWS SES account. 

Once you are ready, prepare the following details which we will use during our installations. 

export Container_Tag="stable-latest"                                       < default> 
export Container_Dockerhub_Username="mozillareality"                       < default>
export HUB_DOMAIN="example.com"                                            < change >
export ADM_EMAIL="admin@example.com"                                       < change >
export DB_PASS="DBbXLI1T8ktPASS"                                           < random, this is your Postgres db password. > 
export SMTP_SERVER="email-smtp.us-east-1.amazonaws.com"                    <  SMTP server FQDN  or IP > 
export SMTP_PORT="587"    
export SMTP_USER="ABCAKIRXX66<3RMDOXJKZYZ"                                 < Username to login > 
export SMTP_PASS="XXXXXABCCOkM1aGQzf+KwY6NlLzysAFIWfXYZ"                   
export NODE_COOKIE="TrYME1D2191"                                           < random >
export GUARDIAN_KEY="TrYME1D2191"                                          < random >> 
export PHX_KEY="TrYME1D2191"                                               < random >
export SKETCHFAB_API_KEY="?"                                                  
export TENOR_API_KEY="?"

Use putty or ssh from your client machine and connect the provisioned server. 
Type the below command and hit “Enter”. 

#sudo manage-hubs  

 Select 1st Option and Define Parameters 

This will Open Nano Editor, use “Ctrl + k” to delete lines and copy parameters you prepared as a prerequisite and paste them. 

eg.

export Container_Tag="stable-latest"                                       
export Container_Dockerhub_Username="mozillareality"                      
export HUB_DOMAIN="example.com"
export ADM_EMAIL="admin@example.com"
export DB_PASS="DBbXLI1T8ktPASS"                          
export SMTP_SERVER="email-smtp.us-east-1.amazonaws.com"          
export SMTP_PORT="587" 
export SMTP_USER="ABCAKIRXX66<3RMDOXJKZYZ"                                 
export SMTP_PASS="XXXXXABCCOkM1aGQzf+KwY6NlLzysAFIWfXYZ" 
export NODE_COOKIE="TrYME1D2191"                                                      
export GUARDIAN_KEY="TrYME1D2191"                                                      
export PHX_KEY="TrYME1D2191"                                                            
export SKETCHFAB_API_KEY="?"
export TENOR_API_KEY="?"

Replace the default content with the above format with a leading “export”. Also, make sure you don’t add Extra / Blank Lines and use correct “quotation” mark . 

“Ctrl + X” to Save and Say “Y” to save it to the default path ie. /tmp/param.txt , Hit “Enter”

You will see an information screen and a reminder to fulfill the requirements as specified before in the “Setup 1: Define Param”.

* Always REDO the “Setup 1” step every time you attempt to retry installation as a new Param file will be generated.

The installation procedure will prompt you to input the Hostname and Domain Name, as well as to define the filesystem paths for persistent storage of both “DB” and “Reticulum” services. It is a guided process, just follow the instructions.

ATTENTION!:  Make sure there is only a single entry for the hostname and public IP in /etc/hosts file. The installation will let you edit the file, make sure you correct it if duplicate entries are found.

e.g. 100.1.1.1 hubnode hubnode.example.com pgbouncer 

Persistence: The following folder structure will make your database and content persistent across the system reboots.

By default, the installation creates a “/HUBS” folder. Therefore, it is logical to create these two folders as subfolders under the parent “/HUBS” directory.

#sudo mkdir /HUBS/ret_storage_data

#sudo mkdir /HUBS/pgsql_data

And That’s it … the whole Installation is guided and automated and it will Finish within 15-20 mins. 

The process will take care of LetsEncrypt TLS ( SSL ) Certificates as well. If you need to issue certificates again just go to Hubs CE Installation folder and run “bash cbb.sh”
Remember there is a limit how many times you can issue LetsEncrypt certificates for the same domain in a week.

Just Press “Enter” to continue — 

Press enter to continue for
Press enter to continue for <example.com>
.
.
Press enter to continue for <assets.example.com>

and so on for all the A records you created

Once the Setup is complete, wait for a few minutes and hit your domain name in the browser.  “https://example.com”

We recommend you reboot the server after installation and also keep your machine up-to-date.

Select “Setup 3: Add CSP /CORs”. 

This will lead you to the CORS section but you can scroll and make other changes as well.

Make any changes you like per recommendations by Mozilla Hub’s official documents and community suggestions but remember YAML has a strict syntax and spacing requirement. Any formatting mistake will lead to Errors. So be a little careful with indentation and spaces etc.

You can always replace default images with your custom images. There are 2 ways.

1. During the initial installation define following 2 parameters (or replace it with your username)

The docker naming convention is “image: mozillareality/ret:stable-latest”.

Here mozillareality is the username, ret is the image name and stable-latest is the tag.
Just make sure all the image names align with the Mozilla hub’s default names. You’re only able to modify tags and usernames.

eg.
export Container_Tag="stable-latest"
export Container_Dockerhub_Username="mozillareality"

2. After the initial installation setup is done

Use manage-hubs tool, select option 3, and edit the image path in the yaml as usual.
And change the imagePullPolicy to ‘Always‘ from ‘IfNotPresent‘.

If you are using private images then you might need to explore Kubernetes technical documentation here

You should backup data under "/<HUBS Install dir > /ret_storage_data" and "/<HUBS Install dir >/pgsql_data" every time you have major changes. 

You can use “tar” or a similar command.

Selecting this option will clean up both Mozilla Hubs and Kubernetes. Make sure you have relevant data backup before you proceed.

The server is configured with essential security configurations and services, including audit, ufw, fail2ban jails, and a live malicious IP firewall, ensuring your instance is safeguarded against unwanted traffic. The firewall protects you from almost 64000 blacklisted malicious IPs around the globe. Additionally, you have the flexibility to adjust or install any other necessary applications, apart from the Mozilla Hubs instance.

• If your installation fails due to syntax mistakes, select uninstall to clean up and retry.
• Refer to the Official Mozilla Hubs Document for troubleshooting tips.
• Raise a Ticket if you need any other Technical Assistance.
• Check logs under /var/log/containers
• Check “reticulum” logs for email-related issues.
• The below error during certbot, cbb.sh execution is normal, Ignore it.

Press enter to continue for <example.com>
Error from server (NotFound): pods "certbotbot-http" not found
serviceaccount/cbb-sa created
rolebinding.rbac.authorization.k8s.io/cbb-rb--hcce created
pod/certbotbot-http created

• Rerun “bash cbb.sh” from Install DIR ie “/HUBS/hubs-cloud/community-edition” if you see the below error for the affected FQDN

Press enter to continue for <example.com>
Error from server (NotFound): pods "certbotbot-http" not found
serviceaccount/cbb-sa created
rolebinding.rbac.authorization.k8s.io/cbb-rb--hcce created
pod/certbotbot-http created
bad pod status: Pending

• Keep the Initial scene size small so it loads quickly.
• If possible always Host a Server Close to Customers or Audience for the best experience.
• If not hosting Events then you can create clones and host in different regions with the help of geo-routing for the best experience which is also cost-effective, it can be tricky with certificates but you can try it if it works for you.
• Always Monitor performance using the tools’ “Top command” option and “sudo htop” command, Hubs require enough RAM and CPU if the guest number is large.
• Use SSH keys to log in on the server.
• Refer to the official Mozilla Hubs Document and also join their Discord channel.

We encourage 3D content hosting using Mozilla Hubs CE on our platform. It supports all its features, including hosting pictures, document files, audio and video files, and group chat, etc. However, there are certain limitations.”. 

• It is a Single Node Setup
• No Live Video or Audio chat is possible ( WebRTC disabled*).
• and hence No Camera / Screen Sharing
• Hosting Mail Server is not allowed on our platform due to spam concerns.

Perfect for Developers and Educators who wish to use High-speed Cloud servers and host their content 24/7.

* Remember, TURN and WebRTC service utilization can be costly in terms of bandwidth usage by Hubs events , particularly when hosting online events on AWS, GCP, Azure or similar hyperscale vendors. Network traffic usage beyond your plan’s limits will incur separate charges and which can range from a few hundred to thousands of dollars for a single-day event.

Another economical alternative is to host Zoom or Google Meet conferences and use them together with Mozilla HUBs for Event hosting.

But If you need to Host “Live Events” on Hubs we suggest you Host it on Google or AWS.