whatsxmpp

A WhatsApp Web transport for the Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol (XMPP), otherwise known as Jabber. (alpha!)

This is the spiritual successor of sms-irc, a similar project that works with IRC instead of XMPP.

What is this?

This is a multi-user transport for WhatsApp, using the whatscl library for Common Lisp. By scanning a QR code generated by the bridge with the WhatsApp app on your phone, you can send and receive messages and media with your Jabber ID.

Note: You currently need an XMPP server of your own to try this. Setup instructions assume prosody; the bridge also works on ejabberd, but is not officially supported (though swing by the support MUC and we might be able to provide some pointers, who knows).

What works?

• Sending private messages/DMs both ways
• Support for MUCs
• Magically populating your roster using XEP-0144: Roster Item Exchange
• Downloading/decrypting media from WhatsApp and uploading it to your XEP-0363 server
• Avatars
• Read receipts
• Status text
• Typing notifications / chat state
• XEP-0313: Message Archive Management in MUCs only when enabled in configuration
• Fetching your entire message history from WhatsApp and making it available via MAM only when enabled in configuration
• Users joining and leaving MUCs, and the topic changing (partial, requires XMPP-side rejoin)
• Uploading images to WhatsApp natively

What doesn't yet?

• Uploading non-image media to WhatsApp (currently, it just comes through as a link)
• Probably other stuff

What you'll need

• An XMPP server (we recommend prosody, but it might also work with ejabberd; let us know!)
  • You need to set up a new external component for the bridge (see prosody doc).
  • In addition, you must configure an XEP-0363 (HTTP File Upload) component. (see prosody doc)
• An installation of Docker
  • You can try and run the bridge without Docker. However, we really don't recommend it, especially if you aren't familiar with Common Lisp.
  • Ask in the support MUC (link at the top of this file) if you want to do this.
• SQLite installed (specifically the sqlite3 command**.

Instructions

Step 1: configure your XMPP server

Make sure you've followed the links above to set up XEP-0363 and an external component for the bridge. With prosody, your config might look something like:

IMPORTANT: The bridge MUST be allowed to upload things to the XEP-0363 server. For prosody's mod_http_upload, you should configure the http_upload_access option, as shown below. For ejabberd, you'll need to do something with ACLs that I don't quite understand.

Component "upload.capulet.lit" "http_upload"
        http_upload_file_size_limit = 104857600
        http_upload_access = {"whatsapp.capulet.lit"}

Component "whatsapp.capulet.lit"
        component_secret = "juliet"

WARNING: Unless you want to run a public bridge (not recommended at this time), limit access to the external component to only people on your server. (On prosody, add modules_disabled = { "s2s" } to the component configuration.)

Step 2: set up the database and storage for the bridge

Prepare your docker-compose.yml like this:

  whatsxmpp:
    build: ./whatsxmpp
    depends_on:
      - ejabberd
    links:
      - "ejabberd:ejabberd"
    volumes:
      - ./data/whatsxmpp:/data
    environment:
      - SERVER=ejabberd              # Server-Address (Name,IP,etc)
      - COMPONENT_NAME=wx.eris.cc    
      - SECRET=whatsappsucks
      - UPLOAD_NAME=upload.eris.cc   # Name of the upload-component
      - PORT=5234		     # Port on the Jabber server to connect to
      - MAM=yes			     # Any value will be accepted as true; disable by commenting out
      - HISTORY=yes		     # Any value will be accepted as true; disable by commenting out
      - DATABASE_PATH=/data

On failure while setting up ( e.g. wrong ip, secret, etc. ) you have to delete the created database in your volume. Check the logs for this

Step 3: set up the WhatsApp Web part

You'll interact with the bridge by talking to admin@whatsapp.capulet.lit (well, the last part of that JID will be different depending on your setup). Send this user help to check that the bridge is working (you should get some help text).

To set it up, have your phone at the ready to scan the QR code (Menu -> WhatsApp Web). Then, send register to the admin user, and scan the QR code you're given.

(Did it break at this part and give you a nasty error? Check your XEP-0363 HTTP Upload service is working correctly, and allows the bridge to use it as described above!)

You should then receive a crapton of presence subscription requests and MUC invites for everyone you are remotely related to on WhatsApp, and for all the WhatsApp groups you're in, and the bridge is done!

Tip: If your client supports XEP-0144: Roster Item Exchange (Gajim on desktop is good for this), send getroster to the admin user to pop up a window where you can insert all your WhatsApp contacts in one go!

Support

Come join us in whatsxmpp@conf.theta.eu.org if you have questions or issues using the bridge.

License

MIT