Unable to connect to GTalk with node.js and node-xmpp

Question

I am trying to connect to GTalk using node.js and node-xmpp. Instead of successfully connecting, node-xmpp returns a XML error response.

Preparation

$node -v
v0.10.24
$npm install node-stringprep
$npm install node-xmpp
$npm list
...
├─┬ node-xmpp@0.12.2
...

gtalk.js

var xmpp = require('node-xmpp');
var sys = require("sys");

var options = {
    jid: "mygoogleid@gmail.com",
    password: "mygooglepassword"
    //,host: "talk.google.com"
    //,port: 5222
};

var jabber = new xmpp.Client(options);

jabber.on('online', function() {
    console.log("Connected");
});

jabber.on('error', function(e) {
    sys.puts(e);
});

Error

$node gtalk.js
<stream:error xmlns:stream="http://etherx.jabber.org/streams"><invalid-xml xmlns="urn:ietf:params:xml:ns:xmpp-streams"/></stream:error>

Possible explanations

1. ID/password is wrong (login at google website does works)
2. node-xmpp needs host/port to connect to GTalk (tried talk.google.com/5222)
3. talk.google.com@5222 is wrong ( Google Doc Open Com says it's correct)
4. GTalk only allows OAuth2 ( Google Doc Open Com says SASL PLAIN is allowed for "legacy" devices)
5. This is the same as StackOverflow#4349577 (does not have same typo)
6. I am using node-xmpp wrong
7. GTalk does not respond as expected
8. node-xmpp is buggy /does not support GTalk

I am pretty sure to have 1-5 ruled out and I would be glad to hear other explanations or evidence for 6-8. Thanks!

Updates

1. XML Stream ("=>" outbound, "<=" inbound)

=> <stream:stream xmlns="jabber:client" xmlns:stream="http://etherx.jabber.org/streams" version="1.0" to="gmail.com">
<= <stream:stream from="gmail.com" id="C2AA8A4648B596A1" version="1.0" xmlns:stream="http://etherx.jabber.org/streams" xmlns="jabber:client"><stream:features><starttls xmlns="urn:ietf:params:xml:ns:xmpp-tls"><required/></starttls><mechanisms xmlns="urn:ietf:params:xml:ns:xmpp-sasl"><mechanism>X-OAUTH2</mechanism><mechanism>X-GOOGLE-TOKEN</mechanism></mechanisms></stream:features>
=> <starttls xmlns="urn:ietf:params:xml:ns:xmpp-tls"/>
<= <proceed xmlns="urn:ietf:params:xml:ns:xmpp-tls"/>
=> <stream:stream xmlns="jabber:client" xmlns:stream="http://etherx.jabber.org/streams" version="1.0" to="gmail.com">
<= <stream:stream from="gmail.com" id="3D42C6DC5985A9E6" version="1.0" xmlns:stream="http://etherx.jabber.org/streams" xmlns="jabber:client">
<= <stream:features><mechanisms xmlns="urn:ietf:params:xml:ns:xmpp-sasl"><mechanism>X-OAUTH2</mechanism><mechanism>X-GOOGLE-TOKEN</mechanism><mechanism>PLAIN</mechanism></mechanisms></stream:features>
=> <auth auth:service="oauth2" xmlns="urn:ietf:params:xml:ns:xmpp-sasl" mechanism="X-OAUTH2">AGNvaW2iaXRzeUBnbWFpbC5jb12AdW5kZWZpbmVk</auth>
<= <stream:error><invalid-xml xmlns="urn:ietf:params:xml:ns:xmpp-streams"/></stream:error>

It seems node-xmpp tries to use OAUTH2 although I haven't provided any token whatsoever. It should use PLAIN instead.

2. node-xmpp oauth example doesn't work either

Created OAUTH2 token according to node-xmpp pull request #85

$node node_modules/node_xmpp/examples/echo_bot_oauth.js gmailid@gmail.com oauth2token
No usable SASL mechanism

3. Adding preferred:"PLAIN" fixes connection issue

changing options to

 var options = {
   jid: "mygoogleid@gmail.com",
   password: "mygooglepassword",
   preferred: "PLAIN"
 };

fixes the error and seems to authenticate successfully. This might be evidence for explanation #8 (bug within node-xmpp).

Answer 1

The XML you send is indeed invalid:

<auth auth:service="oauth2"
      xmlns="urn:ietf:params:xml:ns:xmpp-sasl"
      mechanism="X-OAUTH2">
  ...
</auth>

It's using the auth namespace prefix without defining it anywhere.

Google's description of OAuth authorization has an example that includes a namespace declaration (the xmlns:auth attribute):

<auth xmlns="urn:ietf:params:xml:ns:xmpp-sasl"
    mechanism="X-OAUTH2"
    auth:service="oauth2"
    xmlns:auth="http://www.google.com/talk/protocol/auth">
  base64("\0" + user_name + "\0" + oauth_token)
</auth>

So this should probably be reported as a bug to the node-xmpp developers.

Answer 2

This is a bug in node-xmpp introduced in 0.10.9.

• Issue has been filed ( https://github.com/node-xmpp/node-xmpp-client/issues/21 )
• Pull-request has been created ( https://github.com/node-xmpp/node-xmpp-client/pull/22 )
• Pull-request has been merged.