synapse/UPGRADE.rst

Upgrading Synapse
=================

Before upgrading check if any special steps are required to upgrade from the
version you currently have installed to the current version of Synapse. The extra
instructions that may be required are listed later in this document.

* If Synapse was installed using `prebuilt packages
  <INSTALL.md#prebuilt-packages>`_, you will need to follow the normal process
  for upgrading those packages.

* If Synapse was installed from source, then:

  1. Activate the virtualenv before upgrading. For example, if Synapse is
     installed in a virtualenv in ``~/synapse/env`` then run:

     .. code:: bash

       source ~/synapse/env/bin/activate

  2. If Synapse was installed using pip then upgrade to the latest version by
     running:

     .. code:: bash

       pip install --upgrade matrix-synapse

     If Synapse was installed using git then upgrade to the latest version by
     running:

     .. code:: bash

       git pull
       pip install --upgrade .

  3. Restart Synapse:

     .. code:: bash

       ./synctl restart

To check whether your update was successful, you can check the running server
version with:

.. code:: bash

    # you may need to replace 'localhost:8008' if synapse is not configured
    # to listen on port 8008.

    curl http://localhost:8008/_synapse/admin/v1/server_version

Rolling back to older versions
------------------------------

Rolling back to previous releases can be difficult, due to database schema
changes between releases. Where we have been able to test the rollback process,
this will be noted below.

In general, you will need to undo any changes made during the upgrade process,
for example:

* pip:

  .. code:: bash

     source env/bin/activate
     # replace `1.3.0` accordingly:
     pip install matrix-synapse==1.3.0

* Debian:

  .. code:: bash

     # replace `1.3.0` and `stretch` accordingly:
     wget https://packages.matrix.org/debian/pool/main/m/matrix-synapse-py3/matrix-synapse-py3_1.3.0+stretch1_amd64.deb
     dpkg -i matrix-synapse-py3_1.3.0+stretch1_amd64.deb

Upgrading to v1.7.0
===================

In an attempt to configure Synapse in a privacy preserving way, the default
behaviours of ``allow_public_rooms_without_auth`` and
``allow_public_rooms_over_federation`` have been inverted. This means that by
default, only authenticated users querying the Client/Server API will be able
to query the room directory, and relatedly that the server will not share
room directory information with other servers over federation.

If your installation does not explicitly set these settings one way or the other
and you want either setting to be ``true`` then it will necessary to update
your homeserver configuration file accordingly.

For more details on the surrounding context see our `explainer
<https://matrix.org/blog/2019/11/09/avoiding-unwelcome-visitors-on-private-matrix-servers>`_.


Upgrading to v1.5.0
===================

This release includes a database migration which may take several minutes to
complete if there are a large number (more than a million or so) of entries in
the ``devices`` table. This is only likely to a be a problem on very large
installations.


Upgrading to v1.4.0
===================

New custom templates
--------------------

If you have configured a custom template directory with the
``email.template_dir`` option, be aware that there are new templates regarding
registration and threepid management (see below) that must be included.

* ``registration.html`` and ``registration.txt``
* ``registration_success.html`` and ``registration_failure.html``
* ``add_threepid.html`` and  ``add_threepid.txt``
* ``add_threepid_failure.html`` and ``add_threepid_success.html``

Synapse will expect these files to exist inside the configured template
directory, and **will fail to start** if they are absent.
To view the default templates, see `synapse/res/templates
<https://github.com/matrix-org/synapse/tree/master/synapse/res/templates>`_.

3pid verification changes
-------------------------

**Note: As of this release, users will be unable to add phone numbers or email
addresses to their accounts, without changes to the Synapse configuration. This
includes adding an email address during registration.**

It is possible for a user to associate an email address or phone number
with their account, for a number of reasons:

* for use when logging in, as an alternative to the user id.
* in the case of email, as an alternative contact to help with account recovery.
* in the case of email, to receive notifications of missed messages.

Before an email address or phone number can be added to a user's account,
or before such an address is used to carry out a password-reset, Synapse must
confirm the operation with the owner of the email address or phone number.
It does this by sending an email or text giving the user a link or token to confirm
receipt. This process is known as '3pid verification'. ('3pid', or 'threepid',
stands for third-party identifier, and we use it to refer to external
identifiers such as email addresses and phone numbers.)

Previous versions of Synapse delegated the task of 3pid verification to an
identity server by default. In most cases this server is ``vector.im`` or
``matrix.org``.

In Synapse 1.4.0, for security and privacy reasons, the homeserver will no
longer delegate this task to an identity server by default. Instead,
the server administrator will need to explicitly decide how they would like the
verification messages to be sent.

In the medium term, the ``vector.im`` and ``matrix.org`` identity servers will
disable support for delegated 3pid verification entirely. However, in order to
ease the transition, they will retain the capability for a limited
period. Delegated email verification will be disabled on Monday 2nd December
2019 (giving roughly 2 months notice). Disabling delegated SMS verification
will follow some time after that once SMS verification support lands in
Synapse.

Once delegated 3pid verification support has been disabled in the ``vector.im`` and
``matrix.org`` identity servers, all Synapse versions that depend on those
instances will be unable to verify email and phone numbers through them. There
are no imminent plans to remove delegated 3pid verification from Sydent
generally. (Sydent is the identity server project that backs the ``vector.im`` and
``matrix.org`` instances).

Email
~~~~~
Following upgrade, to continue verifying email (e.g. as part of the
registration process), admins can either:-

* Configure Synapse to use an email server.
* Run or choose an identity server which allows delegated email verification
  and delegate to it.

Configure SMTP in Synapse
+++++++++++++++++++++++++

To configure an SMTP server for Synapse, modify the configuration section
headed ``email``, and be sure to have at least the ``smtp_host, smtp_port``
and ``notif_from`` fields filled out.

You may also need to set ``smtp_user``, ``smtp_pass``, and
``require_transport_security``.

See the `sample configuration file <docs/sample_config.yaml>`_ for more details
on these settings.

Delegate email to an identity server
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Some admins will wish to continue using email verification as part of the
registration process, but will not immediately have an appropriate SMTP server
at hand.

To this end, we will continue to support email verification delegation via the
``vector.im`` and ``matrix.org`` identity servers for two months. Support for
delegated email verification will be disabled on Monday 2nd December.

The ``account_threepid_delegates`` dictionary defines whether the homeserver
should delegate an external server (typically an `identity server
<https://matrix.org/docs/spec/identity_service/r0.2.1>`_) to handle sending
confirmation messages via email and SMS.

So to delegate email verification, in ``homeserver.yaml``, set
``account_threepid_delegates.email`` to the base URL of an identity server. For
example:

.. code:: yaml

   account_threepid_delegates:
       email: https://example.com     # Delegate email sending to example.com

Note that ``account_threepid_delegates.email`` replaces the deprecated
``email.trust_identity_server_for_password_resets``: if
``email.trust_identity_server_for_password_resets`` is set to ``true``, and
``account_threepid_delegates.email`` is not set, then the first entry in
``trusted_third_party_id_servers`` will be used as the
``account_threepid_delegate`` for email. This is to ensure compatibility with
existing Synapse installs that set up external server handling for these tasks
before v1.4.0. If ``email.trust_identity_server_for_password_resets`` is
``true`` and no trusted identity server domains are configured, Synapse will
report an error and refuse to start.

If ``email.trust_identity_server_for_password_resets`` is ``false`` or absent
and no ``email`` delegate is configured in ``account_threepid_delegates``,
then Synapse will send email verification messages itself, using the configured
SMTP server (see above).
that type.

Phone numbers
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Synapse does not support phone-number verification itself, so the only way to
maintain the ability for users to add phone numbers to their accounts will be
by continuing to delegate phone number verification to the ``matrix.org`` and
``vector.im`` identity servers (or another identity server that supports SMS
sending).

The ``account_threepid_delegates`` dictionary defines whether the homeserver
should delegate an external server (typically an `identity server
<https://matrix.org/docs/spec/identity_service/r0.2.1>`_) to handle sending
confirmation messages via email and SMS.

So to delegate phone number verification, in ``homeserver.yaml``, set
``account_threepid_delegates.msisdn`` to the base URL of an identity
server. For example:

.. code:: yaml

   account_threepid_delegates:
       msisdn: https://example.com     # Delegate sms sending to example.com

The ``matrix.org`` and ``vector.im`` identity servers will continue to support
delegated phone number verification via SMS until such time as it is possible
for admins to configure their servers to perform phone number verification
directly. More details will follow in a future release.

Rolling back to v1.3.1
----------------------

If you encounter problems with v1.4.0, it should be possible to roll back to
v1.3.1, subject to the following:

* The 'room statistics' engine was heavily reworked in this release (see
  `#5971 <https://github.com/matrix-org/synapse/pull/5971>`_), including
  significant changes to the database schema, which are not easily
  reverted. This will cause the room statistics engine to stop updating when
  you downgrade.

  The room statistics are essentially unused in v1.3.1 (in future versions of
  Synapse, they will be used to populate the room directory), so there should
  be no loss of functionality. However, the statistics engine will write errors
  to the logs, which can be avoided by setting the following in
  `homeserver.yaml`:

  .. code:: yaml

    stats:
      enabled: false

  Don't forget to re-enable it when you upgrade again, in preparation for its
  use in the room directory!

Upgrading to v1.2.0
===================

Some counter metrics have been renamed, with the old names deprecated. See
`the metrics documentation <docs/metrics-howto.md#renaming-of-metrics--deprecation-of-old-names-in-12>`_
for details.

Upgrading to v1.1.0
===================

Synapse v1.1.0 removes support for older Python and PostgreSQL versions, as
outlined in `our deprecation notice <https://matrix.org/blog/2019/04/08/synapse-deprecating-postgres-9-4-and-python-2-x>`_.

Minimum Python Version
----------------------

Synapse v1.1.0 has a minimum Python requirement of Python 3.5. Python 3.6 or
Python 3.7 are recommended as they have improved internal string handling,
significantly reducing memory usage.

If you use current versions of the Matrix.org-distributed Debian packages or
Docker images, action is not required.

If you install Synapse in a Python virtual environment, please see "Upgrading to
v0.34.0" for notes on setting up a new virtualenv under Python 3.

Minimum PostgreSQL Version
--------------------------

If using PostgreSQL under Synapse, you will need to use PostgreSQL 9.5 or above.
Please see the
`PostgreSQL documentation <https://www.postgresql.org/docs/11/upgrading.html>`_
for more details on upgrading your database.

Upgrading to v1.0
=================

Validation of TLS certificates
------------------------------

Synapse v1.0 is the first release to enforce
validation of TLS certificates for the federation API. It is therefore
essential that your certificates are correctly configured. See the `FAQ
<docs/MSC1711_certificates_FAQ.md>`_ for more information.

Note, v1.0 installations will also no longer be able to federate with servers
that have not correctly configured their certificates.

In rare cases, it may be desirable to disable certificate checking: for
example, it might be essential to be able to federate with a given legacy
server in a closed federation. This can be done in one of two ways:-

* Configure the global switch ``federation_verify_certificates`` to ``false``.
* Configure a whitelist of server domains to trust via ``federation_certificate_verification_whitelist``.

See the `sample configuration file <docs/sample_config.yaml>`_
for more details on these settings.

Email
-----
When a user requests a password reset, Synapse will send an email to the
user to confirm the request.

Previous versions of Synapse delegated the job of sending this email to an
identity server. If the identity server was somehow malicious or became
compromised, it would be theoretically possible to hijack an account through
this means.

Therefore, by default, Synapse v1.0 will send the confirmation email itself. If
Synapse is not configured with an SMTP server, password reset via email will be
disabled.

To configure an SMTP server for Synapse, modify the configuration section
headed ``email``, and be sure to have at least the ``smtp_host``, ``smtp_port``
and ``notif_from`` fields filled out. You may also need to set ``smtp_user``,
``smtp_pass``, and ``require_transport_security``.

If you are absolutely certain that you wish to continue using an identity
server for password resets, set ``trust_identity_server_for_password_resets`` to ``true``.

See the `sample configuration file <docs/sample_config.yaml>`_
for more details on these settings.

New email templates
---------------
Some new templates have been added to the default template directory for the purpose of the
homeserver sending its own password reset emails. If you have configured a custom
``template_dir`` in your Synapse config, these files will need to be added.

``password_reset.html`` and ``password_reset.txt`` are HTML and plain text templates
respectively that contain the contents of what will be emailed to the user upon attempting to
reset their password via email. ``password_reset_success.html`` and
``password_reset_failure.html`` are HTML files that the content of which (assuming no redirect
URL is set) will be shown to the user after they attempt to click the link in the email sent
to them.

Upgrading to v0.99.0
====================

Please be aware that, before Synapse v1.0 is released around March 2019, you
will need to replace any self-signed certificates with those verified by a
root CA. Information on how to do so can be found at `the ACME docs
<docs/ACME.md>`_.

For more information on configuring TLS certificates see the `FAQ <docs/MSC1711_certificates_FAQ.md>`_.

Upgrading to v0.34.0
====================

1. This release is the first to fully support Python 3. Synapse will now run on
   Python versions 3.5, or 3.6 (as well as 2.7). We recommend switching to
   Python 3, as it has been shown to give performance improvements.

   For users who have installed Synapse into a virtualenv, we recommend doing
   this by creating a new virtualenv. For example::

       virtualenv -p python3 ~/synapse/env3
       source ~/synapse/env3/bin/activate
       pip install matrix-synapse

   You can then start synapse as normal, having activated the new virtualenv::

       cd ~/synapse
       source env3/bin/activate
       synctl start

   Users who have installed from distribution packages should see the relevant
   package documentation. See below for notes on Debian packages.

   * When upgrading to Python 3, you **must** make sure that your log files are
     configured as UTF-8, by adding ``encoding: utf8`` to the
     ``RotatingFileHandler`` configuration (if you have one) in your
     ``<server>.log.config`` file. For example, if your ``log.config`` file
     contains::

       handlers:
         file:
           class: logging.handlers.RotatingFileHandler
           formatter: precise
           filename: homeserver.log
           maxBytes: 104857600
           backupCount: 10
           filters: [context]
         console:
           class: logging.StreamHandler
           formatter: precise
           filters: [context]

     Then you should update this to be::

       handlers:
         file:
           class: logging.handlers.RotatingFileHandler
           formatter: precise
           filename: homeserver.log
           maxBytes: 104857600
           backupCount: 10
           filters: [context]
           encoding: utf8
         console:
           class: logging.StreamHandler
           formatter: precise
           filters: [context]

     There is no need to revert this change if downgrading to Python 2.

   We are also making available Debian packages which will run Synapse on
   Python 3. You can switch to these packages with ``apt-get install
   matrix-synapse-py3``, however, please read `debian/NEWS
   <https://github.com/matrix-org/synapse/blob/release-v0.34.0/debian/NEWS>`_
   before doing so. The existing ``matrix-synapse`` packages will continue to
   use Python 2 for the time being.

2. This release removes the ``riot.im`` from the default list of trusted
   identity servers.

   If ``riot.im`` is in your homeserver's list of
   ``trusted_third_party_id_servers``, you should remove it. It was added in
   case a hypothetical future identity server was put there. If you don't
   remove it, users may be unable to deactivate their accounts.

3. This release no longer installs the (unmaintained) Matrix Console web client
   as part of the default installation. It is possible to re-enable it by
   installing it separately and setting the ``web_client_location`` config
   option, but please consider switching to another client.

Upgrading to v0.33.7
====================

This release removes the example email notification templates from
``res/templates`` (they are now internal to the python package). This should
only affect you if you (a) deploy your Synapse instance from a git checkout or
a github snapshot URL, and (b) have email notifications enabled.

If you have email notifications enabled, you should ensure that
``email.template_dir`` is either configured to point at a directory where you
have installed customised templates, or leave it unset to use the default
templates.

Upgrading to v0.27.3
====================

This release expands the anonymous usage stats sent if the opt-in
``report_stats`` configuration is set to ``true``. We now capture RSS memory
and cpu use at a very coarse level. This requires administrators to install
the optional ``psutil`` python module.

We would appreciate it if you could assist by ensuring this module is available
and ``report_stats`` is enabled. This will let us see if performance changes to
synapse are having an impact to the general community.

Upgrading to v0.15.0
====================

If you want to use the new URL previewing API (/_matrix/media/r0/preview_url)
then you have to explicitly enable it in the config and update your dependencies
dependencies.  See README.rst for details.


Upgrading to v0.11.0
====================

This release includes the option to send anonymous usage stats to matrix.org,
and requires that administrators explictly opt in or out by setting the
``report_stats`` option to either ``true`` or ``false``.

We would really appreciate it if you could help our project out by reporting
anonymized usage statistics from your homeserver. Only very basic aggregate
data (e.g. number of users) will be reported, but it helps us to track the
growth of the Matrix community, and helps us to make Matrix a success, as well
as to convince other networks that they should peer with us.


Upgrading to v0.9.0
===================

Application services have had a breaking API change in this version.

They can no longer register themselves with a home server using the AS HTTP API. This
decision was made because a compromised application service with free reign to register
any regex in effect grants full read/write access to the home server if a regex of ``.*``
is used. An attack where a compromised AS re-registers itself with ``.*`` was deemed too
big of a security risk to ignore, and so the ability to register with the HS remotely has
been removed.

It has been replaced by specifying a list of application service registrations in
``homeserver.yaml``::

  app_service_config_files: ["registration-01.yaml", "registration-02.yaml"]

Where ``registration-01.yaml`` looks like::

  url: <String>  # e.g. "https://my.application.service.com"
  as_token: <String>
  hs_token: <String>
  sender_localpart: <String>  # This is a new field which denotes the user_id localpart when using the AS token
  namespaces:
    users:
      - exclusive: <Boolean>
        regex: <String>  # e.g. "@prefix_.*"
    aliases:
      - exclusive: <Boolean>
        regex: <String>
    rooms:
      - exclusive: <Boolean>
        regex: <String>

Upgrading to v0.8.0
===================

Servers which use captchas will need to add their public key to::

  static/client/register/register_config.js

    window.matrixRegistrationConfig = {
        recaptcha_public_key: "YOUR_PUBLIC_KEY"
    };

This is required in order to support registration fallback (typically used on
mobile devices).


Upgrading to v0.7.0
===================

New dependencies are:

- pydenticon
- simplejson
- syutil
- matrix-angular-sdk

To pull in these dependencies in a virtual env, run::

    python synapse/python_dependencies.py | xargs -n 1 pip install

Upgrading to v0.6.0
===================

To pull in new dependencies, run::

    python setup.py develop --user

This update includes a change to the database schema. To upgrade you first need
to upgrade the database by running::

    python scripts/upgrade_db_to_v0.6.0.py <db> <server_name> <signing_key>

Where `<db>` is the location of the database, `<server_name>` is the
server name as specified in the synapse configuration, and `<signing_key>` is
the location of the signing key as specified in the synapse configuration.

This may take some time to complete. Failures of signatures and content hashes
can safely be ignored.


Upgrading to v0.5.1
===================

Depending on precisely when you installed v0.5.0 you may have ended up with
a stale release of the reference matrix webclient installed as a python module.
To uninstall it and ensure you are depending on the latest module, please run::

    $ pip uninstall syweb

Upgrading to v0.5.0
===================

The webclient has been split out into a seperate repository/pacakage in this
release. Before you restart your homeserver you will need to pull in the
webclient package by running::

  python setup.py develop --user

This release completely changes the database schema and so requires upgrading
it before starting the new version of the homeserver.

The script "database-prepare-for-0.5.0.sh" should be used to upgrade the
database. This will save all user information, such as logins and profiles,
but will otherwise purge the database. This includes messages, which
rooms the home server was a member of and room alias mappings.

If you would like to keep your history, please take a copy of your database
file and ask for help in #matrix:matrix.org. The upgrade process is,
unfortunately, non trivial and requires human intervention to resolve any
resulting conflicts during the upgrade process.

Before running the command the homeserver should be first completely
shutdown. To run it, simply specify the location of the database, e.g.:

  ./scripts/database-prepare-for-0.5.0.sh "homeserver.db"

Once this has successfully completed it will be safe to restart the
homeserver. You may notice that the homeserver takes a few seconds longer to
restart than usual as it reinitializes the database.

On startup of the new version, users can either rejoin remote rooms using room
aliases or by being reinvited. Alternatively, if any other homeserver sends a
message to a room that the homeserver was previously in the local HS will
automatically rejoin the room.

Upgrading to v0.4.0
===================

This release needs an updated syutil version. Run::

    python setup.py develop

You will also need to upgrade your configuration as the signing key format has
changed. Run::

    python -m synapse.app.homeserver --config-path <CONFIG> --generate-config


Upgrading to v0.3.0
===================

This registration API now closely matches the login API. This introduces a bit
more backwards and forwards between the HS and the client, but this improves
the overall flexibility of the API. You can now GET on /register to retrieve a list
of valid registration flows. Upon choosing one, they are submitted in the same
way as login, e.g::

  {
    type: m.login.password,
    user: foo,
    password: bar
  }

The default HS supports 2 flows, with and without Identity Server email
authentication. Enabling captcha on the HS will add in an extra step to all
flows: ``m.login.recaptcha`` which must be completed before you can transition
to the next stage. There is a new login type: ``m.login.email.identity`` which
contains the ``threepidCreds`` key which were previously sent in the original
register request. For more information on this, see the specification.

Web Client
----------

The VoIP specification has changed between v0.2.0 and v0.3.0. Users should
refresh any browser tabs to get the latest web client code. Users on
v0.2.0 of the web client will not be able to call those on v0.3.0 and
vice versa.


Upgrading to v0.2.0
===================

The home server now requires setting up of SSL config before it can run. To
automatically generate default config use::

    $ python synapse/app/homeserver.py \
        --server-name machine.my.domain.name \
        --bind-port 8448 \
        --config-path homeserver.config \
        --generate-config

This config can be edited if desired, for example to specify a different SSL
certificate to use. Once done you can run the home server using::

    $ python synapse/app/homeserver.py --config-path homeserver.config

See the README.rst for more information.

Also note that some config options have been renamed, including:

- "host" to "server-name"
- "database" to "database-path"
- "port" to "bind-port" and "unsecure-port"


Upgrading to v0.0.1
===================

This release completely changes the database schema and so requires upgrading
it before starting the new version of the homeserver.

The script "database-prepare-for-0.0.1.sh" should be used to upgrade the
database. This will save all user information, such as logins and profiles,
but will otherwise purge the database. This includes messages, which
rooms the home server was a member of and room alias mappings.

Before running the command the homeserver should be first completely
shutdown. To run it, simply specify the location of the database, e.g.:

  ./scripts/database-prepare-for-0.0.1.sh "homeserver.db"

Once this has successfully completed it will be safe to restart the
homeserver. You may notice that the homeserver takes a few seconds longer to
restart than usual as it reinitializes the database.

On startup of the new version, users can either rejoin remote rooms using room
aliases or by being reinvited. Alternatively, if any other homeserver sends a
message to a room that the homeserver was previously in the local HS will
automatically rejoin the room.