essandess
Level 1 (28 points)
Applications

Q: How To Reset a Broken jabberd/Messages/iChat Service on OS X Server

I've had trouble with my jabberd/Messages/iChat service after recents updates of the OS X Server.app, problems I see several posts on here. After getting some help from Apple Enterprise support and my own experiments, here's a summary of a working solution.

 

I'm still having some difficulty with virtual domain authentication when trying to authenticate from outside the server. Any pointers to a fix for this would be appreciated. But at this point I suspect a jabberd configuration bug in OS X Server.

 

Reset the jabberd service:

 

sudo serveradmin stop jabber

sudo rm /private/var/run/jabberd/*.pid /Library/Preferences/com.apple.messageserver.plist

sudo rm -rf /Library/Server/Messages/*

sudo /Applications/Server.app/Contents/ServerRoot/usr/libexec/copy_message_server_co nfig_files.sh

sudo launchctl load -w /Applications/Server.app/Contents/ServerRoot/System/Library/LaunchDaemons/org.j abber.jabberd.plist

sudo serveradmin start jabber

 

Reset your Messages app, including your keychain entries:

 

rm ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.iChat.*

Keychain Access>Search for and delete all jabber accounts.

 

Finally, it's highly preferable to use the domain name, not the FQDN, in email-name-based services like jabber. These steps allow you to authenticate to the jabber service using names like user@domainname.com, rather than user@host.domainname.com. Unfortunately, as noted above and elsewhere, this only works for clients on the LAN. Intenet clients must authenticate using the FQDN, or get the error:

 

host.domainname.com jabberd/c2s[60453]: Authentication failed, mech: DIGEST-MD5 client IP: ::ffff:36.413.165.258 client port: 49694 username: ?

 

Please post if anyone knows how to fix this problem and authenticate to an OS X Server jabber service from the internet using a virtual domain name.

 

Configuring jabber for virtual hosts:

 

sudo serveradmin stop jabber

sudo serveradmin settings jabber:hostsCommaDelimitedString = "hostname.domainname.com,domainname.com"

sudo serveradmin start jabber

 

These steps should allow you to fix the jabber/Messages/iChat service and create a Messages jabber account like user@domainname.com that successfully authenticates.

Mac mini Server (Mid 2010), OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.2), Lion Server, EyeTV HD, Turbo.264 HD

Posted on Sep 22, 2013 6:03 PM

by essandess,Solvedanswer
essandess essandess
Level 1 (28 points)
Applications
A:

I solved this virtual domain authentication problem. In the directory /Library/Server/Messages/Config/jabberd/ , the files sm.xml, sm_domainname.com.xml, and sm_hostname_domainname.com.xml all contain the entry:

 

 

<local><!--comment-->

<id>hostname.domainname.com</id>

</local>

 

With multiple virtual domains, they all should contain the entry:


 

<local><!--comment-->

<id>domainname.com</id>

<id>hostname.domainname.com</id>

</local>

 

Stopping jabber, correcting these files, and restarting jabber allows internet clients to authenticate to jabber using either the TLD username@domainname.com or the FQDN username@hostname.domainname.com.

 

This is definitely a bug in OS X Server's jabber configuration settings when jabber:hostsCommaDelimitedString is modified; I've filed a bug report with the solution. See https://discussions.apple.com/message/20567203#20567203 for background.

Posted on Nov 26, 2013 8:00 PM

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essandess

Q: How To Reset a Broken jabberd/Messages/iChat Service on OS X Server

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  • Helpful answers

  • by essandess,Solvedanswer

    essandess essandess Nov 26, 2013 8:00 PM in response to essandess
    Level 1 (28 points)
    Applications
    Nov 26, 2013 8:00 PM in response to essandess

    I solved this virtual domain authentication problem. In the directory /Library/Server/Messages/Config/jabberd/ , the files sm.xml, sm_domainname.com.xml, and sm_hostname_domainname.com.xml all contain the entry:

     

     

    <local><!--comment-->

    <id>hostname.domainname.com</id>

    </local>

     

    With multiple virtual domains, they all should contain the entry:


     

    <local><!--comment-->

    <id>domainname.com</id>

    <id>hostname.domainname.com</id>

    </local>

     

    Stopping jabber, correcting these files, and restarting jabber allows internet clients to authenticate to jabber using either the TLD username@domainname.com or the FQDN username@hostname.domainname.com.

     

    This is definitely a bug in OS X Server's jabber configuration settings when jabber:hostsCommaDelimitedString is modified; I've filed a bug report with the solution. See https://discussions.apple.com/message/20567203#20567203 for background.

  • by gpco gsx,

    gpco gsx gpco gsx Dec 2, 2013 6:49 PM in response to essandess
    Level 1 (40 points)
    Dec 2, 2013 6:49 PM in response to essandess

    I followed all of this on Mavericks Server, but it's not working, even on a fresh install.

     

    I have it like this:

     

    alpha.domain.com

    mail.domain.com (alias of alpha)

     

    I can connect OK from lan or web with user@alpha.domain.com, but not with user@mail.domain.com or just the TLD user@domain.com. Even after following all the directions from both posts.

     

    One thing I did see from Mountain Lion is that the string jabber:hosts:_array_index:0 also contains more entries like this:

    jabber:hosts:_array_index:0 = "alpha.domain.com"

    jabber:hosts:_array_index:1 = "mail.domain.com"

     

    But in Mavericks I only have one string:

    jabber:hosts:_array_index:0 = "alpha.domain.com"

     

    and I can't do anything to change or add the other domain.

     

    Maybe this is broken in Mavericks and have to wait to 10.9.1 or try some other workaround or I'm missing something (hopefully!).

     

    Thanks.

  • by gpco gsx,

    gpco gsx gpco gsx Dec 4, 2013 12:56 AM in response to gpco gsx
    Level 1 (40 points)
    Dec 4, 2013 12:56 AM in response to gpco gsx

    OK, after a lot of research, here's the solution to my previous answer:

     

    If you want to have multiple domains working on Mavericks Messages Server, follow every step from essandess and then to add more than just one domain for authentication follow this (using Terminal):

     

    1.- Stop the service with:

         sudo serveradmin stop jabber

     

    2.- Use this command:

         cat - | sudo serveradmin settings

     

    3.- Input the following line(s) and after each one, hit return (in this example I added 1 TLD and 2 FQDN):

         jabber:hosts:_array_index:0 = "domain.com"

         jabber:hosts:_array_index:1 = "hostname1.domain.com"

         jabber:hosts:_array_index:2 = "hostname2.domain.com"

     

    4.- When you're done with your domains, hit Control D to "write" the changes and go back to the prompt

     

    5.- Reboot your server

         sudo reboot

     

    6.- After your server restarts, check your settings and they should be now right and with the multiple domains configured:

         sudo serveradmin settings jabber

         jabber:hostsCommaDelimitedString = "domain.com,hostname1.domain.com,hostname2.domain.com"

         jabber:hosts:_array_index:0 = "domain.com"

         jabber:hosts:_array_index:1 = "hostname1.domain.com"

         jabber:hosts:_array_index:2 = "hostname2.domain.com"

     

    7.- Start Messages Server (doesn't matter if you do it from the GUI or Terminal)

     

    Following this steps, I'm now able to login like this: user@hostname1.domain.com / user@domain.com / user@hostname2.domain.com

     

    This was done using Mavericks 10.9 and Server.app 3.0.1

     

    Thanks for reading!


  • by essandess,

    essandess essandess Dec 5, 2013 6:51 PM in response to gpco gsx
    Level 1 (28 points)
    Applications
    Dec 5, 2013 6:51 PM in response to gpco gsx

    The single serveradmin command

     

    $ sudo serveradmin settings jabber:hostsCommaDelimitedString = "hostname.domainname.com,domainname.com"

     

    should auto-populate jabber:hosts with the correct array information, as well as creating the correct files in the jabberd directory. I'd suggest stopping and starting jabber and issuing this serveradmin setting a few times until the correct jabber:hosts array and jabberd config files are seen.

  • by koksieboy,

    koksieboy koksieboy Dec 28, 2013 11:46 AM in response to essandess
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 28, 2013 11:46 AM in response to essandess

    Hi,

     

    I recently installed OSX 10.9 Server on anew Mac mini and configured users successfully. Howwver, I was unable to log into to Messages from the client on my MacbookPro as it keeps asking for my password repeatedly even though the MEssage service was configured and running in the Server app.

     

    I followed the setps in this thread to reset the Jabber service but now I can't start Jabber service either from Terminal or from the Server.app.

     

    Kindly assist.

     

    Thanks.

  • by Erich Wetzel,

    Erich Wetzel Erich Wetzel Dec 28, 2013 7:26 PM in response to koksieboy
    Level 2 (345 points)
    Servers Enterprise
    Dec 28, 2013 7:26 PM in response to koksieboy

    koksieboy,

     

    The following fixes the constant request for password, but not the server not starting.

     

    I recently had help from Apple on the same problem. There is a current bug in Server.app where if you have changed the FQDN of the server your Jabber server will not get the updates properly. I was told that they know about it and are working on a fix. A very helpful guy at Apple, all credit to Reece, fixed me with the following (his summary of what we did:

     

    First, we stopped and started the Messages server and looked in the system.log to see what the messages service ( jabberd) thought it realm was. Jabberd believed its realm was server2.local and this was not the fqdn of the server.

     

    The Messages Service was stopped before we started editing files.

     

    We used grep –r server2.local /library/Server/Messages/Config to identify files in the Config directory that contained the wrong hostname (server2.local).

     

    We searched searched each file returned by the grep command to locate instances of “server2.local" and replaced this text with the fqdn of your server.

    We made changes to the following files:

    /library/Server/Messages/Config/com.apple.messageserver.plist

    /library/Server/Messages/Config/jabberd/c2s.xml

    /library/Server/Messages/Config/jabberdc2s/xml.bak

    /library/Server/Messages/Config/jabberd/router.xml

    /library/Server/Messages/Config/jabberd/router.xml.bak

     

    We then removed all the /library/Server/Messages/Config/jabberd.previous.11-20-2013.* files.

     

    The Messages service was then started and you were able to configure a client to use the messages service without being repeatedly asked for a password.

     

    You can move the jabberd.previous files we left on the desktop to the trash. They will be recreated with the correct hostname in them as required. I would also suggest that if you find need to repeat this procedure that you make a back up copy of the /library/Server/Messages/Config before you start editing the config files.

  • by koksieboy,

    koksieboy koksieboy Dec 29, 2013 3:09 AM in response to Erich Wetzel
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 29, 2013 3:09 AM in response to Erich Wetzel

    Hi Erich,

     

    Thanks for your kind response. I recently transitioned to Mac platform from Windows and know little Unix cmds, however I found this error in the log:

     

    "hostname.domain.private" servermgrd[1825]: servermgr_jabber[W]: configuration file not found: "/Library/Server/Messages/Config/jabberd/jabberd.cfg"

     

    and also all I could see in Finder is this:

     

    Library/Server/Messages/Data/sqlite

     

    Is there anyway to recreate the configuration file?

     

    Thanks again.

  • by essandess,

    essandess essandess Dec 29, 2013 7:49 AM in response to koksieboy
    Level 1 (28 points)
    Applications
    Dec 29, 2013 7:49 AM in response to koksieboy

    The commands above under "Reset the jabberd service" will perform a full reset and reinstall all the necessary files. Make sure you have good backups before mucking around with system files, although OS X Server makes factory resets of jabber pretty painless and forgiving of errors—you can always start over with the commands above.

  • by essandess,

    essandess essandess Dec 29, 2013 7:51 AM in response to essandess
    Level 1 (28 points)
    Applications
    Dec 29, 2013 7:51 AM in response to essandess

    P.S. This forum inserts extraneous line breaks and spaces. Use common sense when entering these commands and delete any extra spaces—this almost goes without saying for any OS command line entries.

  • by Erich Wetzel,

    Erich Wetzel Erich Wetzel Dec 29, 2013 8:44 AM in response to koksieboy
    Level 2 (345 points)
    Servers Enterprise
    Dec 29, 2013 8:44 AM in response to koksieboy

    koksieboy

     

    I agree with essandess on reset above and care needed when making changes.

     

    essandess and gpco gsx

     

    Thanks for what you put in here, helps me with getting new server set up with an alias FQDN.

  • by koksieboy,

    koksieboy koksieboy Dec 29, 2013 10:58 AM in response to Erich Wetzel
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 29, 2013 10:58 AM in response to Erich Wetzel

    Erich & Essandess,

     

    Followed the instructtions above carefull and everything works now.

     

    Thanks a million!

     

    Happy holidays.

  • by essandess,

    essandess essandess Jan 10, 2014 6:50 PM in response to koksieboy
    Level 1 (28 points)
    Applications
    Jan 10, 2014 6:50 PM in response to koksieboy

    Something changed after the last update and this setup no longer works -- authentication to domain.com yields the failure "SASL callback for non-existing host". This causes the behavior of Messages constantly querying you for your account password. jabber is really fragile on OS X Server!

     

    These steps got my server working again, at least for authentication to user@domain.com. Virtual domains do not appear to work, but as we only use the domain and not host.domain.com, this isn't an issue.

     

    First, I performed a factory reset as described above; however, in hindsight this probably isn't necessary, and it wipes out everyone's buddy lists.

     

    Second:

     

    sudo serveradmin settings jabber:hostsCommaDelimitedString = "domain.com"

     

    Third: ensure that these files only have the <id>domain.com</id>

     

    /Library/Server/Messages/Config/jabberd/sm.xml

    /Library/Server/Messages/Config/jabberd/c2s.xml     # see this thread

    # c2s file looks like ... .chain.pem">domain.com</id>

     

    Finally, there should be no files like:

     

    /Library/Server/Messages/Config/jabberd/sm_domain.com.xml               # or

    /Library/Server/Messages/Config/jabberd/sm_host_domain.com.xml

     

    Messages and other jabber clients should be able to authenticate to user@domain.com.