pleroma/README.md

# Pleroma

## About Pleroma

Pleroma is an OStatus-compatible social networking server written in Elixir, compatible with GNU Social and Mastodon. It is high-performance and can run on small devices like a Raspberry Pi.

For clients it supports both the [GNU Social API with Qvitter extensions](https://twitter-api.readthedocs.io/en/latest/index.html) and the [Mastodon client API](https://github.com/tootsuite/documentation/blob/master/Using-the-API/API.md).

Mobile clients that are known to work well:

* Twidere
* Tusky
* Pawoo (Android + iOS)
* Subway Tooter
* Amaroq (iOS)
* Tootdon (Android + iOS)

No release has been made yet, but several servers have been online for months already. If you want to run your own server, feel free to contact us at @lain@pleroma.soykaf.com or in our dev chat at https://matrix.heldscal.la/#/room/#pleromafe:matrix.heldscal.la.

## Installation

### Dependencies

* Postgresql version 9.6 or newer
* Elixir version 1.4 or newer
* Build-essential tools

#### Installing dependencies on Debian system
PostgreSQL 9.6 should be available on Debian stable (Jessie) from "main" area. Install it using apt: `apt install postgresql-9.6`. Make sure that older versions are not installed since Debian allows multiple versions to coexist but still runs only one version.

You must install elixir 1.4+ from elixir-lang.org, because Debian repos only have 1.3.x version. You will need to add apt repo to sources.list(.d) and import GPG key. Follow instructions here: https://elixir-lang.org/install.html#unix-and-unix-like (See "Ubuntu or Debian 7"). This should be valid until Debian updates elixir in their repositories. Package you want is named `elixir`, so install it using `apt install elixir`

Elixir will also require `make` and probably other related software for building dependencies - in case you don't have them, get them via `apt install build-essential`

### Preparation

  * You probably want application to run as separte user - so create a new one: `adduser pleroma`, you can login as it via `su pleroma`
  * Clone the git repository into new user's dir (clone as the pleroma user to avoid permissions errors)
  * Again, as new user, install dependencies with `mix deps.get` if it asks you to install "hex" - agree to that.

### Database setup

  * Create a database user and database for pleroma
     * Open psql shell as postgres user: (as root) `su postgres -c psql`
     * Create a new PostgreSQL user:

     ```sql
     \c pleroma_dev
     CREATE user pleroma;
     ALTER user pleroma with encrypted password '<your password>';
     GRANT ALL ON ALL tables IN SCHEMA public TO pleroma;
     GRANT ALL ON ALL sequences IN SCHEMA public TO pleroma;
     ```

     * Create `config/dev.secret.exs` and copy the database settings from `dev.exs` there.
     * Change password in `config/dev.secret.exs`, and change user to `"pleroma"` (line like `username: "postgres"`)
     * Create and update your database with `mix ecto.create && mix ecto.migrate`.

### Some additional configuration

  * You will need to let pleroma instance to know what hostname/url it's running on. _THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT STEP. GET THIS WRONG AND YOU'LL HAVE TO RESET YOUR DATABASE_. We _ONLY_ support _HTTPS_ deployments in production. You can use basic http for local dev, but _NEVER USE IT_ on an actual instance.

    Create the file `config/dev.secret.exs`, add these lines at the end of the file:

    ```elixir
    config :pleroma, Pleroma.Web.Endpoint,
    url: [host: "example.tld", scheme: "https", port: 443]
    ```

    replacing `example.tld` with your (sub)domain

  * You should also setup your site name and admin email address. Look at config.exs for more available options.

    ```elixir
    config :pleroma, :instance,
      name: "My great instance",
      email: "someone@example.com"
    ```

  * The common and convenient way for adding HTTPS is by using Nginx as a reverse proxy. You can look at example Nginx configuration in `installation/pleroma.nginx`. If you need TLS/SSL certificates for HTTPS, you can look get some for free with letsencrypt: https://letsencrypt.org/
  On Debian you can use `certbot` package and command to manage letsencrypt certificates.

  * [Not tested with system reboot yet!] You'll also want to set up Pleroma to be run as a systemd service. Example .service file can be found in `installation/pleroma.service` you can put it in `/etc/systemd/system/`.

## Running

By default, it listens on port 4000 (TCP), so you can access it on http://localhost:4000/ (if you are on the same machine). In case of an error it will restart automatically.

### As systemd service (with provided .service file)
Running `service pleroma start`
Logs can be watched by using `journalctl -fu pleroma.service`

### Standalone/run by other means
Run `mix phx.server` in repository's root, it will output log into stdout/stderr