Knowledge base

This guide details the use and management of channels in kChat.

Preamble

• A kChat channel is a communication space dedicated to a project, theme or team in which members can exchange documents, write live and organize video conferences.
• Private channels (and public channels, as well as guests) are limited in number according to the offer kSuite acquired; read the comparative table on the sales page for more information.

General Canal

Each organization on kChat automatically has a General channel in which all users are automatically invited.

You can use this channel to share information about your entire organization, such as business outings or good motivational news.

You can of course start a new Conversation thread inside the General Canal.

Additional channel

To add a new discussion channel:

1. Click on the button ‍ located in the left sidebar of the kChat Web app (online service) kchat.infomaniak.com).
2. Click Create a new channel:
   

Information on a channel

When you create a new channel, you can choose:

 

A. his name

It will be editable later.

B. its URL

By default it takes the name of the channel but you can edit it using tiny letters, numbers, dots, dashes and underscores - which can then also be modified.

C. PRIVE or PUBLIC status

It will then be editable (read below).

D. its description

The description specifies how this channel should be used. This text appears in the channel list in the "More..." menu and gives users an indication of whether to join the channel or not.

Once the channel is created, you can still set:

E. a header

Differences between PRIVE or PUBLIC channel

PUBLICS channels increase transparency. All users can see and reach a public channel, making sure that everyone involved in a project, theme or team has access to the same information.

PRIVES channels allow you to restrict sensitive content to users of your choice. Only an existing member can invite another user into a private channel. There are also differences in archiving/deletion management (see below).

Convert a public channel to a private channel

To transform a public channel into a private channel:

1. From the kChat Web app (online service) kchat.infomaniak.com), click on the Public channel in the left side menu.
2. Then click on the chevron ‍ on the title of the channel at the top of the discussion.
3. Choose Convert:
   

The history and membership of the members are kept; publicly shared files remain accessible to anyone with the link; the change is permanent and cannot be cancelled.

And the other way around?

The opposite (change a private channel to a public channel) is also possible, but only an administrator user kChat will be able to do so; the message history and members already having access to the channel will be kept; the channel will become accessible to all users of other public channels of the Organization except those external users who will have to be invited manually.

To perform conversion from managing kChat on the Manager:

1. Click here in order to access the management of your product on the Manager Infomaniak (Need help?).
2. Click on the drop-down menu to view private channels.
3. Click on the action menu to the right of the item.
4. Click Convert to public channel:
   

Exit a channel

Apart from the main channel entitled General you can leave a channel at any time:

1. From the kChat Web app (online service) kchat.infomaniak.com), click on the appropriate Public channel in the left side menu.
2. Then click on the chevron ‍ on the title of the channel at the top of the discussion.
3. Click Exit Channel:
   

If you leave a private channel you will no longer find it in the search but only via its URL if you own it or by being invited by a member of the channel.

If you leave a public channel, you leave it immediately but can join it when you wish simply by finding it with its name (2) in the search (1), including if it has been archived:

 

Archive/Remove Channel

Apart from the main channel entitled General you can archive a channel at any time which prevents any new message and will no longer count it in the quota of your available channels. The operation has been feasible since Manager or directly on the kChat interface:

1. From the kChat Web app (online service) kchat.infomaniak.com), click on the channel in the left side menu.
2. Then click on the chevron ‍ on the title of the channel at the top of the discussion.
3. Click Archive channel:
   

If you create a channel and then you archive it you can join it when you want it simply by finding it with its name (2) in the search (1):

You can then unarchive it:

1. From the kChat Web app (online service) kchat.infomaniak.com), click on the channel in the left side menu.
2. Then click on the chevron ‍ on the title of the channel at the top of the discussion.
3. Click Unarchive Channel:
   

or close it to not see it again on your interface:

You can also delete a channel and in this case all associated data will be permanently deleted:

1. Click here in order to access the management of your product on the Manager Infomaniak (Need help?).
2. Click on the action menu to the right of the item.
3. Click Delete:
   
    

Put as a favourite

To put any channel as a favorite:

1. From the kChat Web app (online service) kchat.infomaniak.com), click on the star icon at the top of a channel.
2. A new Favourites menu will appear in the left sidebar with all the items you put as a favourite (valid for your user only):
   

Putting a channel in a deafened state

You can hide the notifications of a channel:

1. From the kChat Web app (online service) kchat.infomaniak.com), click on the action menu to the right of the channel concerned (in the left sidebar).
2. Choose Sourdine:
   
   
   
    

Organize by categories

By clicking on the + button in the left sidebar of kChat, you can add one or more categories allowing you to place elements (channel, contact, etc.) within them. Then slide the desired channel to the created category (valid for your user only):

User-to-user discussion channel

Personal messages are direct conversations between two or more people that take place outside the channels.

Each user of an Organization may freely create personal messages whose content will be visible only to the persons concerned:

Infomaniak is a Swiss company certified ISO 27001 and ISO 9001 that respects the GDPR.

Its main objective is to ensure the security and confidentiality of the data entrusted to it.

Many measures are in place to ensure the protection of your communications with kChat:

• The Manager Infomaniak allows you to check whether users in your Organization have activated two-factor authentication.
• The data on hold and in transit are encrypted, as are the backups automatically performed by Infomaniak.
• The data are hosted in Switzerland in data centres developed and managed exclusively by Infomaniak.

• ... only receive messages from your collaborators or external users that you have approved.
• ... can create private channels to restrict information sensitive to specific people.
• ... permanently control the access rights of users who can access kChat.

This guide explains how to enable or disable dark mode on your operating system (macOS / Windows) since the theme setting "automatic" of Infomaniak tools (animation below) is based on the Dark mode or Light mode setting of the OS:

Managing dark or light mode…

… on macOS

1. Click on System Preferences…
   
2. Click on Appearance and choose the dark mode on the right:
   

… on Windows

1. Open the start menu
2. Click on Settings:
   
3. Click on Personalize then Colors:
   
4. Click on Dark:
   

And on mobile?

The dark theme is enabled on mobile devices for Infomaniak login and account creation pages; it automatically adapts to the mobile system's preferences, thus providing a consistent visual experience between mobile apps and login and account creation pages.

This guide explains how to insert formatted text and images into your messages on kChat.

Formatting Message Text

Here are the symbols to add before and after your text to format it in the desired style:

code line

You can also insert this:

Inserting an Image into the Message

from a URL

Insert the following code into your message replacing the alt text and the image address (URL) with the image link (it must be accessible and visible on the web):

![alt-text](https://www.domain.xyz/xyz/image.png)<br>

Example

Message with image insertion syntax:

 

Preview before sending:

 

Click on the image after sending:



 

from the hard drive or kDrive

Click on the paperclip icon to insert an existing image from your hard drive or kDrive:

 

The image will be inserted into the message which you can then send directly in the conversation without necessarily adding additional text.
 

This guide explains how to invite on kChat a user external to your Organization but who will be recorded Like a user.

Preamble

• Be aware of this other guide in order to give access to one or more kChat channels to an external user who will be able to interact with your team without counting as a kSuite user and without any specific rights in the Organization (of which it will not be a member).
• You can also invite a Task Force in full since kChat.
• Be aware of this other guide if you wish to manage the channels to which the new members will automatically belong.
   

Invite to use kSuite

Prerequisites

• To be an administrator of the Organization on which kSuite is located with full rights granted for kChat.

Once invited, the user will be able to confirm their membership and access kChat with the limited permissions you have granted him:

1. Click here in order to access user management on the Manager Infomaniak (Need help?).
2. Click on User management in the left side menu:
   
3. Click on Users.
4. Click the blue button Add User:
   
5. Enter the requested coordinates.
6. Click on Continue:
   
7. Define the role of the future user as External.
8. Click on Continue:
   
9. Allow access to kSuite (so kChat).
10. Click on Continue:
    
11. Do not integrate the user into a work team:
    
12. Specify a user right to kDrive and kChat.
13. Click on Continue:
    
14. Do not create an email address to the user (remove the contents of the field if necessary).
15. Click on Continue:
    
16. Specify the user's personal email address to invite (it will connect with this email address).
17. Click on Continue:
    
18. Force him to connect with the address mentioned above.
19. Send the invitation:
    
20. The future external user kChat receives an invitation email allowing him to finalize his registration:
    
21. You can also provide it with the invitation link displayed on the page by another means, e.g. SMS, or simply display the link if it has been lost; for this click on Users in the left side menu.
22. Click on the drop-down menu to view users waiting.
23. Click on the action menu ⋮ to the right of the object concerned in the array that appears.
24. Click on Send invitation to choose the method of sending:
    

The invitation is pending until the final registration of the guest user (read below). The kSuite dashboard clearly indicates this status:


 

Accept invitation

In order to access the organisation holding the relevant kSuite, the guest user executes in his browser the link he has obtained:

1. A first screen tells him which organization has invited him, and which email address he will have to use when creating the user account and during future connections:
   
2. The information previously provided is displayed during the user's registration process and it is necessary to complete this information:
   
3. Same for the screen corresponding to the connection information:
   
4. Once the registration is complete, the newly registered user can connect to his/her Manager and access to kChat to which it was invited by the URL kchat.infomaniak.com or the custom URL if Custom Brand has been set.
5. Existing users are automatically notified of the arrival of the new participant and can now chat with him:
   

This guide explains how to start an audio or video conversation between one or more users kChat, with Infomaniak's free ethical videoconferencing solution, kMeet.

Introduction

• The call function in kChat is available on all Web (browser), mobile (iOS/Android) and computer (macOS/Windows) versions.

Start a meeting between kChat users

To be able to discuss within a virtual room with the microphone and webcam of your device, simply press the Call button visible on any kChat conversation, private or public channel, via the application or directly on the browser:

• Call a user directly if you are in a direct discussion with them, or initiate a call to all members of a channel if you start the meeting from the channel.
• Calling a user who is set to "Do Not Disturb" will not trigger a ringtone or call modal for them, but they will see the message in the conversation.
• The microphone is enabled by default when the call is accepted, but not the camera.
• View the users of the meeting (who accepted, declined, or missed it) using the avatars in the kChat message.
• Once the call has started, an emoji appears in your kChat status to indicate that you are busy with the conversation.
• A message sent from the video (kMeet) will also be visible in the kChat conversation (and vice versa).
• Indications regarding the start and end of the meeting automatically appear in the relevant kChat conversation thread.

Specifics for calls in channels

• The call will not ring for the recipients, but they will see a message in kChat as well as a notification.
• A warning message will appear if you want to start a call in a channel with more than 7 users.

Refer to this other guide if you are looking for information about kMeet.

This guide addresses problems that may arise when using Infomaniak applications (such as kChat, kDrive, kAuth, etc.) or tools (such as config.infomaniak.com, on Manager Infomaniak, etc.) with old / not up to date / obsolete hardware (OS, browser, devices, etc.). For example, it will not be possible to comfortably access Infomaniak services with an iPhone 5s or 6 on iOS 12.
 

Technologies employed by Infomaniak

Many Web tools developed by Infomaniak use Angular The need for up-to-date or recent hardware to run applications is not specific to Angular itself but rather a general requirement for the execution of any modern web application. Here are some reasons why up-to-date equipment is often needed:

1. Angular uses advanced features of modern browsers to provide an optimal user experience; older browsers may not support or optimally support these features, which can lead to compatibility and performance issues.
2. Newer browsers are generally optimized to run JavaScript code faster and to manage complex graphical renderings more efficiently; Angular applications can be quite complex and take advantage of these optimizations to provide a better user experience.
3. Older browsers may have known security vulnerabilities that could be exploited by attackers to compromise the security of the web application; more recent versions of browsers tend to address these vulnerabilities and offer a higher level of security.
4. The latest versions of browsers are generally in line with the latest web standards, which means that they are more compatible with new technologies and latest HTML, CSS and JavaScript specifications used by frameworks such as Angular; using an obsolete browser may lead to problems with rendering or missing functionality.
5. Newer browsers support modern APIs that allow developers to access advanced features such as geolocation, camera, push notifications, etc.; Angular applications can integrate these features to offer richer and more interactive user experiences, but these features depend on browser support.

This guide explains how to interact in kChat with a conversational agent or bot powered by artificial intelligence. Familiarize yourself with this other guide about the possibilities offered by AI in kChat.

Introduction

• The bot can help you perform all sorts of calculations, translations, provide information on various topics and answer your questions.
• Familiarize yourself with this other guide regarding the model used and the responsibilities of each party.
• As soon as a new user is added, they receive a welcome message from kChat.bot.

Add the bot to kChat contacts

The bots currently available on kChat are already part of your contacts.

If you do not see them yet, click in the left sidebar of kChat…

1. … on the channel search (the bots also appear as a channel)
2. … or on the + icon next to Direct Messages to search for the bot
   ‍
3. Add the bots indicated as such with the label [bot] or search for the term bot or chat.
   ‍

Do not create a group conversation between the bots and yourself as it will not work. You must create a private discussion channel between each bot individually and yourself.

It is then sufficient to write to it as if you were chatting with an acquaintance:

This guide details the important elements so as not to miss out on the discussions kChat which concern you.

Manage notifications of the desktop app icon

You can e.g. decide to animate the desktop app icon when again message:

1. Open the desktop app kChat (desktop application on macOS / Windows / Linux).
2. Make a left click on the desktop app icon in the notification area of your computer (top right on macOS, bottom right on Windows and a double left click on the Linux taskbar).
3. Click on Preferences...
4. Under Application Options, set the operating system notification preferences:
   

Manage kChat notifications

To manage kChat notifications, and thus be notified e.g. when a new message is sent directly to you or when you follow a specific message, including according to certain keywords:

1. Click here‍ in order to gain access to web app kChat (online service) kchat.infomaniak.com) or open kChat mobile app (app for iOS/ Android smartphone or tablet) or kChat desktop app (desktop application on macOS / Windows / Linux).
2. Click on the icon Parameters ‍ at the top right of the interface.
3. Click on Notifications:
   
4. Define how to be notified (computer/mobile, present/absent, etc.) and in which case (any message or only message with mention, message followed, etc.).
5. Choose to receive regular notifications by e-mail:
   • This e-mail is sent either daily either Once a weekbetween 6 a.m. and 8 a.m. and informs the user of the messages that he would not have read.
   • The user receives one email per product kChat to which he has access.
6. Set a keyword for which to be notified when a new message is published:
   

Be aware of the progress of a discussion

To be notified of a new message in any discussion even if you are not directly involved, you must activate the Follow-up:

• ... or by hovering over the action menu to the right of a user in a discussion:
  
• ... or by clicking on Follow at the top of the discussion:
  

This guide concerns messages that start with / on kChat interpreted as slash commands.

Run a slash command on kChat

To access slash commands on kChat:

1. Click in the composition field within a channel.
2. Enter a / (slash or forward slash) and the attached command.
3. Click to send the command.

If you type only the / sign, a modal appears with the commands that can be executed, such as going offline for example.

Here is a table of the main commands:

Create a custom slash command

Prerequisites

• Not to be an external user (he will not see the menu Integrations).

To create a custom slash command:

1. Click here‍ to access the Web kChat app (online service kchat.infomaniak.com) or open the desktop kChat app (desktop application on macOS / Windows / Linux).
2. Click on the New icon ‍ next to the name of your kChat organization.
3. Click on Integrations:
   
4. Click on Slash command:
   
5. Click the blue button to Add a command:
   
6. Configure the slash command (name, trigger (without the /), expected content type, action to perform*, etc., including whether the command should appear in the help modal mentioned in the chapter above).
   • * This can include calling an external API, running a script, displaying a specific response, etc. For this, you will generally need a script or an external application that will respond to the commands. You can also set additional parameters for the command, such as dropdown options, checkboxes, etc., depending on your needs.
7. Save the command.
8. Make sure to test the command to ensure it works as expected.