01-start · Meet DinoX
Meet Dino X. Welcome to Dino X. You can exchange messages, pictures and files, and make audio or video calls. You need an X M P P account. Its address is also called a JID. Bob at dinox dot im looks like an email address, but here it is a chat address. It does not automatically include an email inbox. Enter your own X M P P address when setting up Dino X. Bob and Anna are examples in this guide.

02-installation · Install the right package
Install the right package. Choose the package for your system. The provided Ubuntu DEB is not intended for Debian 13. Use AppImage or Flatpak there. Both formats also work independently of RPM packaging, for example on Fedora or openSUSE. Flatpak must be installed and needs an additional runtime. An AppImage must be allowed to run as a program. Still check processor architecture and system requirements. On Windows, use the Windows package.

03-password · Understand the two passwords
Understand the two passwords. On first launch, set the password for the data on this computer. Enter it twice and keep it safe. It is not your chat account password. Be careful: three incorrect entries during normal unlocking can trigger the security wipe. Do not keep guessing. Special restore cases are explained in the written chapter.

04-account-choice · Choose or create an account
Choose or create an account. Already have an X M P P address? Choose “Sign in”. If not, choose “Create account” and select a provider. You do not need to follow both routes.

05-provider · Create an account with a provider
Create an account with a provider. The provider operates your account’s server. It manages sign-in, availability and possibly message history. Choose a provider whose terms and service suit you. The list in Dino X is a selection, not a guarantee of free or permanently available registration.

06-advanced-login · Advanced sign-in: server and proxy
Advanced sign-in: server and proxy. For normal sign-in you usually do not need to enter anything here. Dino X finds the server from your X M P P address. A proxy is an additional intermediary for the connection; it is not your X M P P provider.

07-navigation · Find your way around the main window
Find your way around the main window. Open conversations are listed on the left; the selected chat appears on the right. In a narrow window Dino X shows these areas one at a time. Use the back button to return to the list.

08-contacts-add · Add a person and open the chat
Add a person and open the chat. Select the single-person icon at the top, then Add Contact at the bottom. Enter the full address, here anna at dinox dot im. An alias is only your own display name for this contact. If you have several accounts, choose the correct one first. Sharing online status lets the person see your availability. Add saves the contact.

09-directory · Find an address in a server directory
Find an address in a server directory. This is not a worldwide people search. It works only if your server offers a searchable directory and your account is connected. The server controls the available fields and results.

10-presence · What does a contact request mean?
What does a contact request mean?. A contact request asks permission to see your online status. It does not decide message encryption. Check the address and accept according to the access you want to grant. You can separately choose whether the chat uses Omemo, OpenPGP or no end-to-end encryption.

11-encryption · The lock and the three message modes
The lock and the three message modes. The lock shows this chat’s setting. Select it to open the choices. Message encryption is separate from the secure connection to your server. The devices involved must also support the selected method.

12-omemo · OMEMO: inspect devices and verify keys
Omemo: inspect devices and verify keys. A contact may use several devices, each with its own key. Accepted or Trusted means Dino X may use that key. Verified additionally means you deliberately checked its fingerprint. A green symbol alone does not replace that comparison.

13-messages · Work with messages
Work with messages. Actions depend on whether the message is yours, its type and support at the other client. Open actions on the message you want to work with.

14-notifications · Set up notifications and sounds
Set up notifications and sounds. Preferences, General contains notifications and a separate message-sound option. If notifications are globally disabled, enabling the chat bell will not override that. Also check your operating system’s notification permissions and do-not-disturb mode. Completely quitting Dino X stops ongoing alerts. Minimizing to the system tray can instead leave Dino X running.

15-contacts-manage · Organise, mute and remove contacts
Organise, mute and remove contacts. The bell at the top controls alerts for this particular chat. Muting suppresses alerts while messages still arrive. It does not block the contact. To block or remove a contact, open conversation details or the contact menu. These actions have different effects, explained separately in the written guide.

16-groups-search · Find saved groups and server rooms
Find saved groups and server rooms. The group icon opens your saved groups. Search for a name such as Treff in the search field. This first list contains your saved groups, not every group worldwide. If you know the full room address, you can enter it directly. The magnifying glass opens the server’s room directory.

17-groups-search · Find rooms on your account’s server
Find rooms on your account’s server. In Browse Rooms, leave public search switched off first. Dino X queries rooms advertised by your account’s group service. This is a server query, not merely a search on your computer. Hidden and private rooms may be absent. Choose a suitable room and complete joining with your nickname.

18-groups-public · Search public groups across servers
Search public groups across servers. Enable public search and enter at least two characters, such as a topic. Dino X queries the external search.jabber.network service, which receives your search term. It finds public rooms in that service’s index; despite the switch label, it is not a complete list of all X M P P servers.

19-groups · Join or create a group
Join or create a group. A group has its own address, for example treff@gruppen.dinox.im. Ask for the complete room address and any password. The part after @ may differ from your account address. Public rooms and private groups have different access rules.

20-group-manage · Manage and leave groups
Manage and leave groups. Management functions depend on your permissions. Members, moderators and owners have different rights. An invitation does not override the room’s access rules.

21-notifications · Notify only for mentions in a group
Notify only for mentions in a group. In a group, the bell offers all messages, mentions only or no notifications. Mentions only is useful in busy public rooms. Reset to default restores the default behaviour. The selection applies only to the open group, so check its name at the top first.

22-audio-video · Prepare microphone, speakers and camera
Prepare microphone, speakers and camera. Dino X distinguishes call devices from recorded-message devices. A working voice message does not automatically prove the correct call microphone is selected. System Default uses the operating system’s selected device.

23-audio-video · Check devices before a conversation
Check devices before a conversation. Device tests are further down on the same settings page. Check speakers, microphone and camera preview before calling someone. These tests do not call anyone. Check system permissions, the camera cover and the selected devices. Refresh the device list if something is missing.

24-calls · Call someone and answer a call
Call someone and answer a call. For a live conversation, open the contact and select the phone at the top. Choose an audio or video call. The other person must accept. The call window contains microphone, camera, device selection and the red hang-up button. Switching back to the chat is not a reliable way to end a call. The buttons beside the text field instead record messages.

25-voice-message · Record a voice message
Record a voice message. The microphone at the bottom of the chat immediately starts a voice recording. This is a message for later listening, not a call. The recording panel shows time and input level. Send ends and sends the recording; Discard or Escape cancels it. There is no separate pre-send playback step. After five minutes, sending is triggered automatically. Check the recipient before recording.

26-video-message · Record a video message
Record a video message. The video icon beside it immediately starts a video message with picture and sound. Check camera, microphone and camera cover first. Send ends and sends the recording. Cancel discards it. Sending is triggered automatically after two minutes. Recipients can watch later and need not be online while you record. For a video call, use the phone at the top instead.

27-files · Share files, pictures and recordings
Share files, pictures and recordings. Open the right chat first. The paperclip is for attachments; the microphone and camera beside the input record messages. Start calls at the top of the chat instead.

28-playback · Play voice and video messages
Play voice and video messages. Play received audio and video messages from the message itself. If Download is offered first, the file must be transferred to your computer before playback. You can then start or pause it and, where offered, change position or speed. The written chapter explains reloading, downloading again and requesting a new copy.

29-group-calls · Group calls and inviting another person
Group calls and inviting another person. A group call connects several people. Invite Contact in a text group menu initially invites someone to the room; Add Participant in a call window concerns the active call. These actions are different.

30-effects · Use video effects and turn them off
Use video effects and turn them off. Effects change your outgoing camera image. Check the preview and status: Applying is not yet Active. If effects are unavailable in the current environment, the indicator says so.

31-feeds · What is a feed, and which route do I need?
What is a feed, and which route do I need?. A feed is a list of new posts, such as news or software releases. You can read posts, send a post to a chat or publish your own posts. These are separate tasks.

32-feeds-web · Read a web feed and share an article
Read a web feed and share an article. You need the feed URL, not just a website’s home page. An example is https://git.dinox.im/dinoxim/monocles-chat/releases.rss. The content comes from that publisher.

33-feeds-auto · Automatically post new web articles to a chat
Automatically post new web articles to a chat. This automation runs only while Dino X is running and the selected account is connected. It is not a server-hosted bot. Existing articles are skipped when enabling it; new articles are then checked, with up to five queued per check.

34-feeds-read · Subscribe to another person’s XMPP feed
Subscribe to another person’s X M P P feed. Enter the publisher’s X M P P address here. Leave the advanced node setting unchanged for a personal feed. A PubSub service with another node requires the operator’s details.

35-feeds-own · Publish your own posts: who can read them?
Publish your own posts: who can read them?. Your first published post creates a personal feed on the X M P P server if supported. Give readers the selected account’s X M P P address. They need a feed-capable client and access permission.

36-account-settings · Accounts, profile and availability
Accounts, profile and availability. Dino X can manage several X M P P accounts. Contacts, keys and connection rules belong to individual accounts. Check the address before making changes. Use the plus in the account overview to add another account.

37-login-security · Login protection (MITM): understand status and choices
Login protection (MITM): understand status and choices. This additional protection helps prevent a sign-in being relayed over another connection. Technically, this is called channel binding. It protects this account’s sign-in; Omemo and OpenPGP protect your messages.

38-dns-security · DNSSEC, DANE and the server certificate
DNSSEC, DANE and the server certificate. Dino X must find the correct server and check its identity. DNSSEC validates protected information about server addresses. DANE can additionally specify which server certificate is accepted. These settings are per account and do not change message encryption.

39-tor-proxy · Tor, bridges and your own SOCKS5 proxy
Tor, bridges and your own SOCKS5 proxy. Tor routes connections through the Tor network. A SOCKS5 proxy is an intermediary you specify. Neither replaces an X M P P account or message encryption. Integrated Tor is an application-wide setting and can override an account’s own proxy.

40-general · Appearance, language and notifications
Appearance, language and notifications. These settings affect Dino X on this computer. Individual chats can have their own settings. Scroll down on long pages; the tabs at the bottom switch sections.

41-backup · Back up data and move to another computer
Back up data and move to another computer. The backup covers the local Dino X data directory and its accounts. It is not a backup of the entire X M P P server. Keep the file separately from the computer it protects.

42-maintenance · Clean up storage, change the password and reset data
Clean up storage, change the password and reset data. These actions affect the local Dino X data directory. Make a backup before resetting. Selecting an account elsewhere does not restrict these general actions to that account.

43-bots · Botmother, AI assistant and Telegram
Botmother, AI assistant and Telegram. A bot processes messages or performs configured tasks. You do not need these features for normal chatting. Local Botmother requires Dino X to be running; a separately hosted CloudBot is a different service.

44-mqtt · MQTT: read device values and send commands
MQTT: read device values and send commands. MQTT is often used for sensors and home automation. The broker is the intermediary server. A topic is a named message destination, such as home/temperature. You need the operator’s details; an X M P P account alone is not access to an unrelated MQTT broker.

45-shortcuts · Keyboard shortcuts, updates and application information
Keyboard shortcuts, updates and application information. The built-in shortcut overview shows the keys available in your build. About Dino X gives the version number, useful for reporting a problem. An update check reports a new version but does not replace the package manager for every package.

46-troubleshooting · When something does not work
When something does not work. Note the Dino X version, operating system, package and exact steps to the problem. A picture of the affected setting helps; exclude passwords, private keys and tokens. Describe what you expected and what you actually saw.