We now have the server up and running. But how do users connect to the server? Or for that matter, where are the users? Well, let me introduce you to some instant messaging clients.
Installing the client in both Linux and Windows is a walk in the park. Remember that, like the server, Spark is also a Java application. But you don't have to worry about installing Java for Spark, because versions for all platforms of the client include the JRE.
On your chosen Linux distribution, download the Spark tarball and extract its contents under a standard location, such as /opt.
$ cd /tmp
$ tar zxvf spark_2_5_8.tar.gz
$ mv Spark/ /opt/
Now simply navigate to the newly-extracted directory and run the client by issuing the following commands:
$ cd /opt/Spark/
$ ./Spark
Look ma, no installation!
Let's move on to Windows now. Download the Spark installer for Windows and double-click on it to launch the installer. Like any other Windows application, you need to select...