Category: Mastodon

  • How To Invite People To Mastodon Server?

    Mastodon, an established decentralized open-source software that integrates the ActivityPub protocol, is unexpectedly seeming quite alluring as a result of the crazy changes taking place at Twitter. Considering you have already learned how to create Mastodon instances, let me walk you through mastodon how to invite people to Mastodon server through mastodon invite

    Mastodon is decentralized, thus unlike Twitter or Facebook, it is not restricted to one server run by a single major corporation. Instead, anyone can build their own Mastodon instance—commonly referred to as a server—complete with its own set of rules.

    How to invite people to Mastodon server? inviting people to the Mastodon server is super easy. Login to your mastodon server account > tap on Preferences > tap on Mastodon Invite people > fill in the max number of users and you are all set!

    This means that you establish the rules for a Mastodon server and ensure that no ads are served here, and no data is being collected. More power to the user! Let’s learn how to invite people to Mastodon server using mastodon invite

    How To Invite People To Mastodon Server?

    Now that you are searching for how to invite people to Mastodon server through mastodon invite, let us guide you with the steps, as follows: 

    Step 1: To invite to mastodon people by mastodon.social invite Open the Mastodon website in the first step.

    Step 2: Access your Mastodon Server profile.

    Step 3: Click Preferences under the compose column on your Home page.

    How To Invite People To Mastodon Server?

    Step 4: Next, select Invite People from the menu on the left side of the screen.

    How To Invite People To Mastodon Server?

    Step 5: After that, enter the Maximum Uses and Expires After.

    How To Invite People To Mastodon Server?

    Step 6: If you want others to follow you when they sign up using this link, tick the option next to mastodon Invites to follow your account.

    How To Invite People To Mastodon Server?

    Step 7: To send the mastodon invite link to your contacts, click Generate Invite Link in the final step and copy it. This will help you to add someone using mastodon invite only.

    How To Invite People To Mastodon Server?

    How To Find Other Users On Mastodon?

    Now that you have learned how to invite people to Mastodon server, let’s start inviting people to join your server by mastodon.social invite link and make it popular! But, do you know how to find other users on Mastodon? If you want more followers on Mastodon, let’s start with finding other users on Mastodon including those who are on Twitter. 

    #1 Your Mastodon profile will be empty when you initially create your account. It’s now time to create a network. The simplest method to do this is to follow members of your community or members of other communities whose posts may be of interest. To do this, press on the search icon at the bottom to access the explore feed for your server. This does not require any mastodon.social invite link.

    #2 If a person has a Mastodon account, you can simply look them up by name in the search area to get a suggested profile. It won’t require any mastodon social invite link.

    #3 You will find stuff that has been thoughtfully divided into five areas on the Explore page. The Posts section mainly functions as an automated feed of popular or important accounts’ toots. If you enjoy a particular toot, would you like to follow its author’s Mastodon activity? Simply tap the Follow button after selecting the profile photo. It makes no difference whether the person is from the same group as you—in my example, @ravenation—or not. Once you follow them, your feed will start to show their posts. This will help you to ease the problem of how to invite someone to mastodon.

    #4 Do you only want to communicate with the people on your server? To see toots just from members of your community, move to the Community carousel at the top of the screen. Naturally, you can do the same things you would be on Twitter or Facebook and leave comments, repost, or forward the toots.

    #5 You’re welcome to browse the hashtag area if that’s how you prefer to follow conversations on social media. A feed of news that might be interesting to you can be found in the News feed.

    #6 The “For You” page, which lists significant accounts both within and outside of the server that is worth following, is the last page. Going through the Current list of the first influential figure you’ve followed is a fast approach to finding cool profiles valued following.

    Wrapping Up

    In this article, we have explored how to invite people to Mastodon server along with how to increase the user numbers on your server. Go through the step-by-step guide and enjoy creating amazing and popular ad-free servers.  Got a question? Let us know in the comment box. Follow TopHillSport for more updates on Mastodon. 

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Q1. How To Join Mastodon?

    Joining Mastodon By visiting “joinMastodon.org: >,” you can create a Mastodon account. to “Get Started,” click. Select a server, and then choose a language and a subject to filter the list by. Post your first message. And you can ask your friend to join mastodon through mastodon send invite.

    Q2. What Is Mastodon Twitter Integration?

    Mastodon and Twitter must be integrated and synced in order for Twitter to be used. You can identify your RSS feed and make an applet on IFTTT so that whenever you post on Mastodon, it also immediately posts to Twitter.

    Q3. Is Mastodon Safe?

    No! It’s risky using Mastodon. Because the toots on Mastodon are not end-to-end encrypted, irrespective of the fact that it’s decentralized, you cannot regard it as secure. When you attempt to send a DM, Mastodon provides the following notice right away: “Posts on Mastodon are not end-to-end encrypted. Avoid communicating any personal information on Mastodon.

    Q4. How Is Mastodon Different From Twitter?

    Mastodon is a healthy community that is decentralized, ad-free, and allows you to set up your own servers; it is not a corporate community. It stops users from spreading hate through provocative and terrible content. Instead of an app, you join this specific server called Instance. Twitter, on the other hand, is a for-profit company with well-established ads whose primary goal is to engage users—even with upsetting content. It operates on a different app and is managed by a centralized authority.

    Q5. Can You Switch Servers In Mastodon?

    Couts, Connor Moderation works a little bit differently on Mastodon. To answer your question, I would reply that yes, that person could go sign up for a different server. But you can also decide to block whole websites.

  • How To Reset Admin Password On Mastodon 2024? Steps To Follow!

    Are you one of those who are using the Mastodon platform and have recently created an account on the app? Well, it is quite popular these days and many people are creating their Mastodon accounts. But what if you forget your password? Well, there is an option to reset admin password on Mastodon. 

    As Elon Musk has taken over the Twitter platform, the popularity of the Mastodon app is increasing. It is becoming immensely popular as a Twitter alternative. This is why many people have created an account on the Mastodon app. However, many already had a Mastodon account and have forgotten their password. Well, if you want to access your old Mastodon account, you can reset admin password on Mastodon.

    If you have forgotten your Mastodon password, there is a way out to reset admin password on Mastodon. Yes, you can just go to the official page to log in to your account > Tap on the forgot your password option > Enter the email address > Reset password. This is how easily any admin can reset his password on the Mastodon app.

    This post will further discuss all the crucial steps that can be followed by anyone or the admin for getting his password back for resetting his password on the Mastodon app. So, without further ado, let us jump straight into the post and find out how to reset admin password on Mastodon.

    How To Reset Admin Password On Mastodon 2024?

    Are you looking for how to reset admin password on Mastodon? Well, you can just go to the log-in page, then tap on forgot your password, then enter your email address, lastly reset password. 

    This is how you can reset your password on the Mastodon app. Let us discuss these steps to reset admin password on Mastodon in more detail ahead.

    Step 1: Open the web browser of your choice and navigate to the Mastodon website to log in to your Mastodon account.

    How To Reset Admin Password On Mastodon

    Step 2: Once you tap on the link that is mentioned above, you will reach the sign-in or the log-in page. Here you will see several options, so you can just tap on the Forgot your password option just below the Log in option.

    How To Reset Admin Password On Mastodon

    Step 3: Once you click on this option, it will open a new window where you need to enter your email address for resetting your password.

    How To Reset Admin Password On Mastodon

    Step 4: You can enter your email address and then tap on the reset password option. You can now reset your Mastodon password with ease as it will send the password to your email address.

    This is it! This is how easily you can reset admin password on Mastodon. You just have to follow these easy steps that have been mentioned above and you can reset the admin password on your Mastodon account.

    Wrapping-Up:

    Here ends the post on how to reset admin password on Mastodon. In this post, we have discussed all the crucial details related to all the steps that you need to follow if you want to reset the admin password on the Mastodon platform. So, you can also follow these steps and get your Mastodon password reset. Don’t forget to share this post with your friends and help them to know how they can reset their admin password on the Mastodon platform.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Q1. Can I Reset My Password On Mastodon?

    A. Yes, you can. It is possible to reset your Mastodon password. You can also reset it if you have access to your email address. 

    Q2. How Do I Reset My Password On Mastodon?

    A. You can easily reset your password on Mastodon. You just need to follow these steps for that. Let us have a look at these steps.
    Open the Mastodon app on your device.
    Tap on the Log in or sign in option.
    Click on the forgot your password option.
    Enter your email address in the required field.
    Tap on the reset password option.
    Check out the email on the email address that you just entered above.
    Reset the password.
    That is it! This is how easily you can follow the steps and reset your password on the Mastodon platform.

    Q3. What To Do If I Forget My Mastodon Password?

    A. If you have forgotten your Mastodon account password, you need not worry about that. You can easily reset your Mastodon password. You can tap on the forgot your password option when you go to the log in page and enter your email address to reset the password. 

  • How To Schedule Post On Mastodon? Do It In 3 Easy Steps!

    Well, Mastodon is the world’s largest federated social media platform. Just like Twitter Mastodon too is a microblogging platform. But if you are new to Mastodon and want to know how you can schedule a post on Mastodon, then we are here for your rescue. Here we will discuss how to schedule post on Mastodon.

    Mastodon unlike Twitter is open source and decentralized across thousands of independently managed servers that are together called Fediverse. Mastodon comes with many features that are quite similar to the ones that you find on Twitter which also includes the option to schedule a post on Mastodon.

    Now, if you want to know how to schedule post on Mastodon, then this post will help you out. Here’s what you need to do. Crete access token > Mastodon scheduler page > schedule Mastodon posts. And that’s it, you have successfully scheduled post on Mastodon.

    However, though this may seem to be easy there are a few other steps that are included. You will find all of the below. So, you just need to scroll down and read about it.

    How To Schedule Post On Mastodon 2024?

    Now, let’s discuss how to schedule post on Mastodon. Well, here are a few steps that we have mentioned that you need to follow. So, let’s not waste any more time and quickly get started.

    Step 1: Create An Access Token

    1. Tap on the preferences cog in the dashboard.
    2. Next tap on the development in the left navigation.
    3. Now, on your application page, you have to tap on the new application button.
    4. Next, on the new application page, you have to add the name of your choice like schedule toots in the application name field.
    5. Now, in the application website field you have to add the web address of the Mastodon server instance where you can sign up, then scroll down to the bottom of the page and then hit the submit button.
    6. You can see the application successfully created. Now, click on the application link.
    7. Lastly in the tour token access field copy the token string. You will need this access token in step 2. Now as the page suggests you need to be very careful with the data so make sure that you don’t share this data with anyone.

    Step 2: Visit The Mastodon Scheduler Page

    Now, visit the Mastodon scheduler webpage. In the app, the login section adds the instance URL along with the access token that you have copied from step 1. Next, you have to click on the sign-in button. You have to do this one more time.

    Step 3: Schedule Mastodon Post

    Now, if you want to schedule the toot you have to add the content of your post in the content field. Then select the data and time that you can send your scheduled toot from the data field so that you can select the date and time. Then click on the toot later button that will help you to schedule your toot. Schedule toots under this your scheduled statuses.

    And that’s it, this is how to schedule post on Mastodon.

    What Is Mastodon?

    How To Schedule Post On Mastodon

    Mastodon is an open-source network that is not controlled by one single person or organization. Instead, you can easily make your own server, and people will be able to join that server, you will not be able to fully control the server and you cannot earn profits from the server. However, you can take donations to run the server. You will also be able to enable the two-factor authentication on Mastodon for privacy.

    Mastodon may look like a Twitter clone but it is different than Twitter, it is a federated network that will operate in a similar way to email. You have to join the instance or server once you join Mastodon that further has a server that you can communicate like Gmail and Yahoo. Mastodon servers can also be run by individuals, organizations, or groups that each have their own set of rules regarding how users will be able to sign in along with their own moderation policies.

    How To Change A Server On Mastodon?

    How To Change A Server On Mastodon?

    Mastodon is a decentralized system that is because of the idea of federation. Anyone will be above to download and install this app and run their own secret as opposed to relying on a single individual or group to run its infrastructure. Now if you want to know how to change the server on Mastodon, here are a few steps that you need to follow.

    1. Register your new server, then go to your account.
    2. Move to another account and type in the old account handle.
    3. Select an account and move to another account.
    4. Type in your new account handle.

    Wrapping Up:

    So, these were a few steps that will help you to know how to schedule post on Mastodon. The steps are a bit lengthy to follow, so make sure that you follow the steps as it is. If you have any questions, you can reach us in the comment section below.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Q. How To Delete A Mastodon Account?

    If you want to know how to delete a Mastodon account then you first need to sign in to Mastodon and see the settings page if you want to remove your account. You will find an URL on the settings page to remove your Mastodon account.

    Q. Is Mastodon Safe?

    Well, the answer is no. Using Mastodon is a bit risky. That’s because the toots on Mastodon are not end-to-end encrypted even though it is decentralized and you cannot consider it as secure. When you try to send a DM then Mastodon will provide you with this notice right away “posts on Mastodon are not end-to-end encrypted. Avoid communicating any personal information on Mastodon”.

    Q. How To Get A Mastodon Blue Check?

    If you want to get a Mastodon blue check then here’s what you need to do:
    Mastodon verification.
    Open Mastodon and then go to your username.
    Tap on the edit info and choose the about option.
    Now, click on add check mark emoji after your username.
    Now, hit the done button and you will get a blue tick on your account.

  • Pleroma Vs Mastodon | Know The Differences

    Hey, users! What’s up? We came to know that you are looking for the features of Pleroma vs Mastodon. So, here we are with your demand. Read the full article to know about Pleroma vs Mastodon. 

    As Elon Musk has taken over the Twitter platform, many Twitter users have said Goodbye to the platform. They are now looking for Twitter alternatives. Well, the best options to choose from are Pleroma and Mastodon. But which is the best one among these two platforms? To know that, you need to find out Pleroma vs Mastodon.

    What is Pleroma vs Mastodon platform? The biggest difference between Pleroma and Mastodon is it is significantly more lightweight than Mastodon. Mastodon is bloated software relying on a stack of dependencies, whereas Pleroma does not call any dependencies. Plus, Mastodon has 500 character limit, while Pleroma can be adjusted to any number (default: 5000).

    This post will further be discussing all the crucial details related to Pleroma vs Mastodon. We will be discussing the differences and similarities between the Pleroma network as well as the Mastodon network. So, without any further delay, let us find out details related to the Pleroma vs Mastodon network.

    Pleroma vs Mastodon: Similarities 

    Are you searching for Pleroma vs Mastodon? Well, here are the similarities that are shared by the Pleroma platform as well as the Mastodon social network.

    Similarity 1: Twitter Alternative

    Both the Pleroma platform and the Mastodon Social network are considered alternatives to the Twitter platform. When one is looking for the best Twitter alternatives, these two names are at the top of the list. You can find a few features on both of these platforms that are pretty similar to the Twitter platform. So, this is the main similarity between the Pleroma vs Mastodon platforms.

    Similarity 2: Decentralised Social Network

    Pleroma and Mastodon are decentralized social media platforms meaning no single server, individual, or organization controls them. Instead, anyone can manage or host their own social network. Imagine it as a collection of connected Whatsapp groups. This means users have to choose what they want to see and what they want to share and what they don’t want to see. 

    Similarity 3: Part of Fediverse

    Both the platforms Pleroma and Mastodon are part of Fediverse. It allows users to access more content and gives them the freedom to join the social media platform of their choice. Users are free to choose the social media network with a single account. This is another similarity between  Pleroma vs Mastodon.

    Similarity 3: Instances

    Another similarity between Pleroma vs Mastodon is Instances. Both platforms have servers that allow users to interact with one another freely. You can create your own instance as well as change it. Instances can easily and cheaply be hosted on a server by anyone, letting you and your friends join the network.

    Similarity 4: Open Source

    Both Pleroma and Mastodon are open-sourced platforms. This means it allows its users to contribute to upgrading, innovating, or modifying the platform. These platforms also give free access to anyone from anywhere to access the platform. 

    This is  Pleroma vs Mastodon similarity. So, let us further discuss  Pleroma vs Mastodon by checking out the difference between these two platforms. 

    Pleroma vs Mastodon: Differences

    As we have discussed the similarities between the Mastodon social network and the Pleroma platform, it is time to find out the difference between these platforms. Pleroma seems to be more focused on making itself ActivityPub-compliant, while Mastodon is more focused on being a better Twitter. Anyway, let us find that out by reading ahead.

    Difference 1: Lightweight Software 

    The big difference between Pleroma vs Mastodon is it is significantly more lightweight than Mastodon. Mastodon is bloated software relying on a stack of dependencies, whereas Pleroma does not call any dependencies. A Pleroma instance runs on a Raspberry Pi (or “a $2.50 Vultr instance”), while Mastodon instances regularly spend $10-30/mon to stay online.

    Difference 2: Character Limit

    Another major difference between Pleroma vs Mastodon is the character limit. Mastodon has 500 character limit, while Pleroma can be adjusted to any number (default: 5000).

    Difference 3: Server Wide Instance Blocking

    Server-wide instance-blocking is another difference between Pleroma vs Mastodon. Mastodon communities generally tend towards fully instance-blocking servers that allow any kind of “racism… sexism… discrimination… nationalism” whereas Pleroma instances tend towards free speech and hands-off moderation. This has resulted in many Mastodon instances blocking all Pleroma instances as a rule and has actually caused a rift between the two communities.

    Difference 4: Advertisements 

    Pleroma has the ability to present advertisements to users to generate revenue for the instances. Assuming that users are ready to accept the advertisements whereas Mastodon is an advertisement-free social media platform.

    Difference 5: Popularity

    Both the Pleroma platform and the Mastodon platform were there for a long time but they got more popular when the Twitter platform was taken over by Elon Musk. People are migrating towards these platforms and they are gaining a lot of popularity because of Musk’s move of taking over the Twitter platform. However, in terms of popularity, Mastodon is far ahead than Pleroma. 

    Difference 6: Server-Wide Announcements

    Another difference between Pleroma vs Mastodon is server-wide announcements. Mastodon does not have server-wide announcements whereas Pleroma comes with server-wide announcements. 

    Difference 7: Instance Promotion 

    In Pleroma vs Mastodon, Pleroma has a feature to promote your post instance-wide.  Such types of features allow the user to have access to more audiences, whereas Mastodon is missing features like this. 

    These are the major differences between  Pleroma and the Mastodon platform. This is all about  Pleroma vs Mastodon.

    Pleroma vs Mastodon: Which Is Better?

    pleroma vs mastodon

    As we have discussed Pleroma vs Mastodon, you must have got the clarity of their similarities and differences. Though both platforms are similar in some ways, they have a lot of differences. You can choose any of these Twitter alternatives based on what you like about these platforms. Choosing between the Pleroma vs Mastodon becomes easier when looking at their differences and similarities. So, you can also choose any of these platforms as per your preference!

    Is Mastodon and Pleroma Safe?

    Well, safety is concerned, it is totally dependent on which instance you choose to join. As an example, users are forbidden from posting illegal content on the platform by rules and regulations. And it also allows users to post content with a warning and this warning is also displayed to the viewer. But the user should always exercise caution while using these platforms. 

    Conclusion:

    Here ends the post on Pleroma vs Mastodon. In this post, we have discussed the similarities and differences between the Pleroma platform and the Mastodon platform. What are your thoughts on these Twitter alternatives? Which one do you consider a better Twitter alternative? Share your views with us in the comments section below. Don’t forget to share this post with your friends and help them in knowing about the differences and similarities between the Pleroma vs Mastodon platforms. Keep following TopHillSport.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Q1. What Is Pleroma Social?

    Ans. Pleroma social is a decentralized social media, that originated as an alternative frontend to GNUsocial in 2017 under the work of a single developer with the goal of updating the federated microblogging service to modern standards. 

    Q2. What Is Misskey vs Mastodon?

    Ans. Both Misskey and Mastodon are decentralized social media, but Misskey Comes With Better UI, Better Admin Features, and Character Limit than Mastodon.

  • How Does Mastodon Make Money?

    Have you recently joined Mastodon, which is hailed as an alternative to Twitter? Are you amazed looking at the decentralized system with various open-sourced servers? Then you must be wondering ‘How does Mastodon make money?’. In this article we have tried to decipher the source of income to determine how does Mastodon make money.

    Mastodon is a recently popular online open-source micro-blogging platform, with a decentralized system. It operates on user-managed servers, which is unique when compared to all the social networking sites. Users have the opportunity to exist in a ‘federation’ with each other. This is called a Fediverse in Mastodon.

     Let us see how does Mastodon make money, by studying its business model.

    1. Sponsors

    2. Patreon Sponsors

    3. Fediverse subscription

    4. Community fees

    5. Storage fee

    6. ElasticSearch fee

    7. Crowdfunding

    8. Advertisements

    Eugene Rochko, the CEO of Mastodon, has stated in an interview with CNN that the app has gained over 230,000 new users since Elon Musk has taken over Twitter. So, how does Mastodon make money if it is a free and open-source platform?

    How Does Mastodon Make Money?

    In the world of social networking, where advertisements and subscription fees seem to be the major income generators, Mastodon seems different in this front. It is an ad-free open-source platform that does not annoy the users to pay a subscription fee to avoid advertisements.

    So, how does Mastodon make money, as there will exist operating expenses and development costs that are essential.

    Method 1: Sponsorship

    How does Mastodon make money? - Sponsors

    Mastodon encourages users to become a sponsor on their website. By becoming a sponsor, users will get to see the company’s logo along with a  go follow link on the Mastodon website. Users can become a sponsor directly through their own platform.  You can help Mastodon make money by visiting the Mastodon website, you will be able to ‘Become a sponsor’, easily by clicking on the button. You will also be able to see the list of sponsors on their official website.

    How does Mastodon make money? - sponsor

    Method 2: Pateron Sponsors

    How does Mastodon make money? - patreon

    Users are encouraged to make contributions through Patreon. Patreon is a paid subscription service which showcases the products made by creators to the patreons. It is a platform that connects creators with their supporters, where they can send rewards and fees to their favorite creators.

    How does Mastodon make money? - use patreon

    Mastodon encourages users to support them through Patreon. Users can help Mastodon make money by clicking on the ‘Go to Patreon’ button found in the Mastodon official website.

    Method 3: Fediverse Subscription

    How does Mastodon make money? - fediverse

    The Mastodon Fediverse is a network of interconnected servers that can communicate with one another, depending on the protocols of the decentralized network. These Mastodon servers can be used for various different services depending on the interest.

    Masto.host is one such fully managed Mastodon hosting server, that helps in running a Mastodon server. Users of such servers are asked to pay a subscription fee to help in owning and running their own Mastodon server.

    Method 4:  Community Fee

    How does Mastodon make money? - Community fee

    Users can create their own community on Mastodon servers, based on their interests. Such servers require users to pay a minimum subscription fee for operation and maintenance expenses. You will be able to operate on high-capacity servers, with good processing threads. You will also be allotted cloud storage space up to 400GB and accommodate as much as 2000 active users, depending on the server you use and the subscription plan you avail.

    Method 5: Cloud Storage

    How does Mastodon make money? - cloud storage

    Mastodon servers offer cloud storage space that can be bought by the users. You can opt to get extra resources and add-on costs for $10/month and have 4 processing threads along with 4GB of database with an additional 40GB Media Storage space. This can help Mastodon make money, for operational costs.

    Method 6: ElasticSearch Fee

    Mastodon supports Elastic search or full-text searches. This is not set by default. Users can enable it on the Mastodon servers and search for posts made by them. They can view posts published by them, their favorite posts, posts in which they were mentioned and all their direct messages.

    Elastic search is a paid-on service available on Mastodon, as it does not allow searching for arbitrary stings in the available database.

    Method 7: Crowdfunding

    Each Mastodon server is owned and operated by a different community. Running the server costs money. Instead of getting external financing, Mastodon generates funds by crowd funding. This enables them to get money from a large number of people via online platforms.

    Method 8: Advertisements

    All online platforms mostly operate with the income generated from advertisements. Mastodon is a decentralized platform that does not encourage advertising. However, independent servers that operate on Mastodon, are allowed to host advertisements. Thus Mastodon makes money with advertisements via their independent servers.

    Wrap Up

    Mastodon as a decentralized system, which is still on its rise to fame, indeed has lots on its plate. Considering the storage space of texts, images and videos of a million users, and still counting, will be expensive. Imagine the internet connectivity fee for transferring countless data, which will rapidly add up. However, as it is a decentralized system, each server will handle its own cost. Usually, the expense incurred to maintain a server is crowd-funded by its users. This proves that Mastodon make money, and as a decentralized system, there is absolutely no way for it to go bankrupt or be banned by the government. This makes Mastodon unique from all the other social networking platforms today.

    Frequently Asked Question

    Q1. What Are Mastodon Server Requirements?

    All mastodon servers are expected to have these requirements.
    1.Domain name
    2.a VPS
    3.An email provider
    4.The object storage provider.

    Q2. Is Mastodon Safe?

    Users should be as cautious as they should be, in Mastodon, as they are in any social networking platform. Even though Mastodon is decentralized, and is not considered to be safe as they are not end-to-end encrypted. Users will be immediately issued a DM from Mastodon stating “Do not share any sensitive information over Mastodon”.

    Q3. Is Mastodon Better Than Twitter?

    Users in Mastodon can post as many as 500 characters which is twice as much as you can post on Twitter. Users can attach links, images, audio and video files to their posts. They can also enjoy additional features like polls and content warning on their post.

  • How To Install Mastodon Using Docker?

    A free, open-source, decentralized social media platform is Mastodon. It was developed as a substitute for Twitter. People can follow one other and publish messages, photographs, and videos, just as on Twitter. However, unlike Twitter, there is no single repository or content authority. If you are looking for how to install Mastodon using Docker, this article is dedicated to you. 

    Mastodon runs on hundreds of distinct servers, each of which is manned by a different community member. Users who have created accounts on different servers can easily connect and follow each other between instances. A Mastodon server instance can be set up by anyone. This guide will show you how to install Mastodon using Docker on a server running Ubuntu 18.04.

    How to install Mastodon using Docker? This article includes the perquisite required to install Mastodon using Docker installing dependencies, configuring firewall and complete process to install Docker. Go through the article and explore the details. 

    How To Install Mastodon Using Docker?

    Let’s go through the details and follow the steps below to install Mastodon using Docker:

    Step 1. Prerequisites

    Step 1: A server running Ubuntu 18.04 with a sudo user who is not root.

    Step 2: Make sure your system is current.

    $ sudo apt update
    $ sudo apt upgrade

    Step 3: Users of Mastodon receive email notifications. Setting up your own mail server is one way to make it work. On the same server where you will be installing Mastodon, or on a different server, is your choice. The scope of this guide does not include doing it.

    Step 4: Use a third-party transactional mail solution, such as Mailgun, Sendgrid, Amazon SES, or Sparkpost, is what we’ll advise. When following the directions in the manual, Mailgun will be your SMTP provider.

    Step 5: Ensure that your domain points at the server. We will use example.com as the domain for this tutorial.

    Step 2. Installing Dependencies

    Installing dependencies is the next step to install Mastodon using Docker:

    Step 1: Before installing Mastodon, we must ensure that our server is equipped with the necessary programs. Install the dependencies by issuing the following commands.

    $ sudo apt update
    $ sudo apt install ca-certificates curl ufw apt-transport-https software-properties-common git -y

    Step 2: You could already have some of the aforementioned apps installed. We should configure Git because we installed it before moving on.

    $ git config --global user.name "Your Name" 
    $ git config --global user.email "youremail@domain.com"
    
    

    Step 3. Configuring Firewall

    Configuring Firewall is the next step to Install Mastodon Using Docker:

    In the step before this one, we installed ufw (Uncomplicated Firewall). Mastodon needs to be configured before we can move on to installing it.

    Step 1: To prevent lockout, enable SSH and the port we just configured.

    $ sudo ufw allow OpenSSH

    Step 2: Enable the ufw firewall.

    $ sudo ufw enable

    Step 3: For Mastodon to function, http and https must also be enabled.

    $ sudo ufw allow http
    $ sudo ufw allow https

    Step 4: Check the firewall status.

    $ sudo ufw status

    Step 5: The output should look something like this.

    Status: active
    To                         Action      From

    —                         ——      —-

    OpenSSH                    ALLOW       Anywhere                  
    80/tcp                     ALLOW       Anywhere                  
    443/tcp                    ALLOW       Anywhere                  
    OpenSSH (v6)               ALLOW       Anywhere (v6)             
    80/tcp (v6)                ALLOW       Anywhere (v6)             
    443/tcp (v6)               ALLOW       Anywhere (v6)    
    
    

    Step 4. Install Docker

    Install docker is the next step to Install Mastodon Using Docker

    Step 1: Add the GPG key for Docker to your machine.

    $ curl -fsSL https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu/gpg | sudo apt-key add -

    Step 2: Check the key’s fingerprint after downloading it.

    $ sudo apt-key fingerprint 0EBFCD88

    Step 3: You will find an output like the following.

    pub   rsa4096 2017-02-22 [SCEA]

          9DC8 5822 9FC7 DD38 854A  E2D8 8D81 803C 0EBF CD88

    uid           [ unknown] Docker Release (CE deb) <docker@docker.com>
    sub   rsa4096 2017-02-22 [S]

    Step 4: Add the Docker repository.

    $ sudo add-apt-repository "deb [arch=amd64] https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu $(lsb_release -cs) stable"

    Step 5: Update your package database.

    $ sudo apt update

    Step 6: Install Docker-CE. CE is the Community Edition of the Docker.

    $ sudo apt install docker-ce -y

    Step 7: Docker ought to now be set up. Verify that it is operating.

    $ sudo systemctl status docker

    Step 8: The result should resemble the one below.

    ? docker.service - Docker Application Container Engine
       Loaded: loaded (/lib/systemd/system/docker.service; enabled; vendor preset: enabled)
       Active: active (running) since Tue 2019-10-22 18:26:29 UTC; 25min ago
         Docs: https://docs.docker.com
     Main PID: 3574 (dockerd)
        Tasks: 8
       CGroup: /system.slice/docker.service
       ??3574 /usr/bin/dockerd -H fd:// --containerd=/run/containerd/containerd.sock

    Step 9: To exit, press q.

    Step 10: To run Docker without sudo, add your restricted Linux user account to the Docker group.

    sudo usermod -aG docker $USER

    Step 11: The current logged-in user will be selected by the $USER variable and added to the docker group. If you are not logged in as that user right now, substitute $USER with the actual username.

    Step 12: Change to the new user that we added. You will still have to switch to it once more to reload the privileges even though you are already logged in.

    $ su - ${USER}

    Step 13: Run the integrated “Hello World” program to ensure that everything is functioning properly.

    $ docker run hello-world

    Step 14: The results listed below should show that Docker is installed and operating correctly.

    Unable to find image 'hello-world:latest' locally
    latest: Pulling from library/hello-world
    1b930d010525: Pull complete 
    Digest: sha256:c3b4ada4687bbaa170745b3e4dd8ac3f194ca95b2d0518b417fb47e5879d9b5f
    Status: Downloaded newer image for hello-world:latest
    Hello from Docker!

    This message shows that your installation appears to be working correctly.

    Step 5. Install Docker Compose

    Step 1: Although installing Docker Compose makes running Mastodon much simpler, especially if you want to run it on multiple servers, it is feasible to skip this step and continue.

    $ sudo curl -L "https://github.com/docker/compose/releases/download/1.24.1/docker-compose-$(uname -s)-$(uname -m)" -o /usr/local/bin/docker-compose

    Step 2: The most recent stable version of Docker Compose is 1.24.1 as of the time this guide was being written. Their Github page has the most recent release version available for download.

    Step 3: Put the docker compose binary’s permissions to execute under executable.

    $ sudo chmod +x /usr/local/bin/docker-compose

    Step 4: Add Command Completion to Docker Compose.

    $ sudo curl -L https://raw.githubusercontent.com/docker/compose/1.24.1/contrib/completion/bash/docker-compose -o /etc/bash_completion.d/docker-compose

    Step 5: Verify if your installation was successful.

    $ docker-compose --version

    Step 6: It will print out the following output.

    docker-compose version 1.24.1, build 4667896b
    
    

    Step 6. Install Mastodon

    Step 1: You should Clone Mastodon’s repository to your server.

    $ git clone https://github.com/tootsuite/mastodon

    Step 2: Navigate to the directory that just copied files.

    $ cd mastodon

    Step 3: A sample setup file for Mastodon is included. To enable Mastodon, we must rename it.

    $ cp .env.production.sample .env.production

    Step 4: To create secret keys for our configuration file, click here. But first, we must create the Docker image.

    $ docker-compose build

    Step 5: After the image has been successfully generated, you must create a number of keys in order to set up Mastodon.

    First, create SECRET KEY BASE.

    $ SECRET_KEY_BASE=$(docker-compose run --rm web bundle exec rake secret)

    Step 6: Insert the above key in the configuration file.

    $ sed -i -e "s/SECRET_KEY_BASE=/&${SECRET_KEY_BASE}/" .env.production

    Step 7: Generate and insert the OTP_SECRET into the configuration file.

    $ OTP_SECRET=$(docker-compose run --rm web bundle exec rake secret)
    $ sed -i -e "s/OTP_SECRET=/&${OTP_SECRET}/" .env.production

    Step 8: Generate and insert the PAPERCLIP_SECRET into the configuration file.

    $ PAPERCLIP_SECRET=$(docker-compose run --rm web bundle exec rake secret)
    $ sed -i -e "s/PAPERCLIP_SECRET=/&${PAPERCLIP_SECRET}/" .env.production

    Step 9: Generate values for VAPID_PRIVATE_KEY and VAPID_PUBLIC_KEY.

    $ docker-compose run --rm web bundle exec rake mastodon:webpush:generate_vapid_key

    Step 10: Open the .env.production file.

    $ sudo nano ./.env.production

    Step 11: Search for VAPID_PRIVATE_KEY and VAPID_PUBLIC_KEY in the file and copy the output from the previous command.

    Step 12: Discover the LOCAL DOMAIN variable, and replace example.com with the domain name you’ve selected for your Mastodon installation.

    Put in the information you received from your SMTP provider.

    SMTP_SERVER = smtp.mailgun.org
    SMTP_PORT = 587
    SMTP_LOGIN = username
    SMTP_PASSWORD = password
    SMTP_FROM_ADDRESS = notifications@example.com

    Step 13: When done, hit Ctrl + X to save the document.

    To apply all the changes made above, you must rebuild the Docker image.

    $ docker-compose build

    Step 14: Set up the database.

    $ docker-compose run --rm web rails db:migrate

    Step 15: Pre-compile Mastodon’s assets.

    $ docker-compose run --rm web rails assets:precompile

    Step 16: Run the following command to execute the container.

    $ docker-compose up -d

    Step 7. Install and Configure Nginx Server

    Step 1: You will need to install the Nginx server in order to configure it for Mastodon and install the SSL certificate. To install the nginx server, use the following command.

    # sudo apt-get install nginx

    Step 2: By running the command below, you can remove the default site Nginx configuration.

    # sudo rm /etc/nginx/sites-available/default

    Step 3: Remove symlink for default site by using command below.

    # sudo rm /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/default

    Step 4: Create the Nginx configuration file for Mastodon by executing command below.

    # sudo touch /etc/nginx/sites-available/mastodon

    Step 5: Create symlink of Mastodon by using command below.

    # sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/mastodon /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/mastodon

    Step 6: To open the Mastodon Nginx configuration file in a nano text editor, run the following command.

    # sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/mastodon

    Step 7: Copy-paste the following text in opened file and save the changes.

    map $http_upgrade $connection_upgrade {
      default upgrade;
      ''      close;
    }
    server {
      listen 80;
      listen [::]:80;
      server_name softpedia.xyz;
      root /home/mastodon/live/public;
      # Useful for Encrypt
      location /.well-known/acme-challenge/ { allow all; }
      location / { return 301 https://$host$request_uri; }
    }
    server {
      listen 443 ssl http2;
      listen [::]:443 ssl http2;
      server_name softpedia.xyz;
      ssl_protocols TLSv1.2;
      ssl_ciphers HIGH:!MEDIUM:!LOW:!aNULL:!NULL:!SHA;
      ssl_prefer_server_ciphers on;
      ssl_session_cache shared:SSL:10m;
      ssl_certificate     /etc/letsencrypt/live/softpedia.xyz/fullchain.pem;
      ssl_certificate_key /etc/letsencrypt/live/softpedia.xyz/privkey.pem;
      keepalive_timeout    70;
      sendfile             on;
      client_max_body_size 80m;
      root /home/mastodon/live/public;
      gzip on;
      gzip_disable "msie6";
      gzip_vary on;
      gzip_proxied any;
      gzip_comp_level 6;
      gzip_buffers 16 8k;
      gzip_http_version 1.1;
      gzip_types text/plain text/css application/json application/javascript text/xml application/xml application/xml+rss text/javascript;
      add_header Strict-Transport-Security "max-age=31536000";
      location / {
        try_files $uri @proxy;
      }
      location ~ ^/(emoji|packs|system/accounts/avatars|system/media_attachments/files) {
        add_header Cache-Control "public, max-age=31536000, immutable";
        try_files $uri @proxy;
      }
      location /sw.js {
        add_header Cache-Control "public, max-age=0";
        try_files $uri @proxy;
      }
      location @proxy {
        proxy_set_header Host $host;
        proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto https;
    
        proxy_set_header Proxy "";
        proxy_pass_header Server;
        proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:3000;
        proxy_buffering off;
        proxy_redirect off;
        proxy_http_version 1.1;
        proxy_set_header Upgrade $http_upgrade;
        proxy_set_header Connection $connection_upgrade;
        tcp_nodelay on;
      }
      location /api/v1/streaming {
        proxy_set_header Host $host;
        proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto https;
        proxy_set_header Proxy "";
        proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:4000;
        proxy_buffering off;
        proxy_redirect off;
        proxy_http_version 1.1;
        proxy_set_header Upgrade $http_upgrade;
        proxy_set_header Connection $connection_upgrade;
        tcp_nodelay on;
      }
      error_page 500 501 502 503 504 /500.html;
    }

    Step 8. Install SSL Certificate:

    Utilizing Certbot and Let’s Encrypt, we will install an SSL certificate. Execute the subsequent actions to achieve this.

    Step 1: Update the package.

    # sudo apt-get update

    Step 2: Install software-properties-common.

    # sudo apt-get install software-properties-common

    Step 3: Add the certbot repository by using command below.

    # sudo add-apt-repository ppa:certbot/certbot

    Step 4: Update the package to load the added certbot repository.

    # sudo apt-get update

    Step 5: Before an SSL certificate is issued, stop Apache.

    # sudo systemctl stop apache2

    Step 6: Install python-certbot-apache using the command below.

    # sudo apt-get install python-certbot-apache

    Step 7: Execute the following command to get Let’s Encrypt SSL issued.

    # sudo certbot --apache -d softpedia.xyz

    To change the virtual host settings for SSL and redirect the link to https, choose option 2. relaunch the apache server.

    # sudo systemctl start apache2

    You can access your website at https://your_domain_name.tld

    Wrapping Up

    Hope, this blog helped you to install Mastodon using Docker. Let’s go through the article as many times as required to install Mastodon using Docker on your server. If you are facing any issues or you are stuck, let us know in the comment box for help! Follow TopHillSport for more updates on Mastodon!  

    Frequently Asked Questions 

    Q1. What Is Mastodon API?

    With no advertisements and a decentralized architecture, the Mastodon API returns social networking data similar to that of Twitter. In order to access accounts, personalized emojis, follow inquiries and suggestions, media uploads, notifications, reports, statuses, and timeframes, developers can create call backs.

    Q2. Can I Install Anything In Docker Container?

    The packages must be defined in the Dockerfile in order to be installed in a Docker container. Use the RUN statement followed by the precise download instruction if you want to deploy packages in the container. You may always build again to create a fresh image by updating the Dockerfile with the most recent list of packages.

    Q3. Can You Switch Servers In Mastodon?

    Connor Couts On Mastodon, moderation functions a little bit differently. In response to your inquiry, I would say that certainly, that person could go and register for another server. You can also choose to block entire websites, though.

    Q4. What Protocol Does Mastodon Use?

    Mastodon implements federation using an open, standardized protocol. It’s known as ActivityPub. Any application that uses ActivityPub for federation can easily communicate with Mastodon in the same way that Mastodon webpages can.

    Q5. Is Mastodon like Twitter?

    Similar to Twitter, Mastodon enables users to post, follow individuals and groups, as well as like and repost other people’s content. Mastodon is not a single platform, despite supporting many of the same social networking functions as Twitter. Instead, it’s a network of connected, independently run servers.