How to Install Let’s Chat on Ubuntu Linux
Let’s Chat version 1.5.0 is a free messaging app that lets you run your own private chat server on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS. This open-source tool gives you real-time group rooms and direct messages for small teams without sending your chat data to outside companies.
Running this server software on your computer requires Node.js (a tool that runs server code) and npm (a package manager for installing software tools).
Clone the Let’s Chat repository using Git, then navigate into the directory and run `npm install`. Copy the sample settings file to `settings.yml` and start the server with `npm start`.
Why use Let’s Chat?
You might want a private, self-hosted space for your team to talk and collaborate without relying on big tech services.
What happens when done?
You will have a private messaging server running on your own hardware, accessible via a web browser.
Prerequisites
Prerequisites for an install Let’s Chat Ubuntu setup include having Node.js version 20.x or 22.x, MongoDB, Python 3.x, and Git ready on your system. You must install these required tools before downloading the chat application, otherwise the setup process will fail during the dependency checks.
- Node.js version 20.x or 22.x (LTS) How to install Node.js on Ubuntu Linux
- MongoDB installed How to install MongoDB on Ubuntu Linux
- Python 3.x installed How to install Python on Ubuntu Linux
- Git installed (sudo apt install git) Node.js 0.11+ MongoDB 2.6+ Python 2.7
Download and install Let’s Chat
Download and install Let’s Chat Ubuntu by pulling the source code from GitHub, installing the required packages with npm, and launching the chat server. You run these terminal commands to fetch the project files, set up your project dependencies, and get the chat application running on your local machine.
To install, run these commands:
git clone https://github.com/sdelements/lets-chat.git cd lets-chat npm install
Copy the settings file and start the server:
cp settings.yml.sample settings.yml npm start
You can reach the site at http://localhost:5000. 
General: Setting up Nginx and HTTPS
Setting up Nginx and HTTPS for an install Let's Chat Ubuntu deployment requires installing the Nginx web server, creating a server block configuration file, and using Certbot to secure your connection. This reverse proxy setup lets users access your chat room safely over an encrypted web address.
sudo nano /etc/nginx/conf.d/letschat.conf
Add your server configuration pointing to port 5000. Once configured, use Certbot to enable HTTPS:
sudo apt install certbot python3-certbot-nginx sudo certbot --nginx -d yourdomain.com
Create a Let's Chat systemd file
Creating a systemd service file for an install Let's Chat Ubuntu deployment lets the chat application run automatically in the background as a background service. You set up a dedicated system user and write a service configuration so the chat server starts up again after a system reboot.
sudo useradd -r -s /bin/false letschat sudo chown -R letschat:letschat /path/to/lets-chat
Create the service file:
sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/letschat.service
Add this content:
[Unit] Description=Let's Chat Server After=network.target mongod.service [Service] Type=simple User=letschat WorkingDirectory=/path/to/lets-chat ExecStart=/usr/bin/npm start Restart=always [Install] WantedBy=multi-user.target
Reload and start the service:
sudo systemctl daemon-reload sudo systemctl start letschat sudo systemctl enable letschat
Access Let's Chat portal
Restart Nginx to apply your changes. Visit your domain name in your browser to log in and start chatting.
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About the Author
Richard
Tech Writer, IT Professional
Richard is a writer at Geek Rewind who turns complex IT tasks into clear, step-by-step guides. He draws on years of hands-on experience in system administration and enterprise IT operations, focusing on Windows, Linux and WordPress: the problems people actually run into, and the fixes that work. His server and WordPress guides come from systems he runs himself. Richard builds and maintains the platform behind Geek Rewind, from its Ubuntu servers and Nginx configuration to its custom WordPress plugins. Many new tutorials start with readers' questions, and he's always glad to answer them in the comments.
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