Setting up a matrix server was a god damn nightmare for me. I eventually got it working but I hit pretty much every conceivable obstacle along the way. Getting the config file just right, the networking, the federation, the coturn server, getting end users to understand they need to backup their keys…

I’m sure it’d be easier for a Linux pro but I was in way over my head. Only got it working through stubbornness and help from the community.

If we only taught things that were “useful” then we’d be discarding half the curriculum. Stuff like history, art, and how a fucking analog clock works, is worth teaching, even if it’s not something everyone uses every day.

As far as I know Matrix is the best FOSS alternative to Discord right now. Maybe try using the coturn addon for voice instead of Jitsi. I’ve been able to share audio snippets just fine this way.