Microblogging with GNU Social

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Bob Mottram 2014-03-23 22:48:39 +00:00
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@ -5163,6 +5163,159 @@ Install the browser plugin by navigating to https://addons.mozilla.org/en-us/fir
After installation restart your browser.
You will notice that an icon appears in the top right corner of the browser, which resembles a lock and two plus signs. Click on the down arrow to the right of it and select *options*.
** Install a microblog
#+BEGIN_VERSE
/If you want to have more control over how you interact on the web, and regain your freedom, privacy and autonomy from outside interference, you need to start moving towards using programs like GNU Social/
-- Jason Self
#+END_VERSE
For a microblog you will need a separate domain/subdomain, so see [[Setting up a web site]] for details of how to create an Apache configuration for your microblog. If you're using freedns then you will need to create a new subdomain.
Install some dependencies:
#+BEGIN_SRC: bash
apt-get install php5-xcache php-gettext php5-curl php5-gd php5-mysql
#+END_SRC
Download GNU Social
#+BEGIN_SRC: bash
cd /tmp
wget http://freedombone.uk.to/gnu-social.tar.gz
#+END_SRC
Verify it.
#+BEGIN_SRC: bash
sha256sum gnu-social.tar.gz
1f886241c7f1a175e7be3cccbcb944ab6c03617fb75aefa4d62d37abed87d2b4
#+END_SRC
Extract the files and set permissions on them, where /mydomainname.com/ is your domain name.
#+BEGIN_SRC: bash
export HOSTNAME=mydomainname.com
tar zxf gnu-social.tar.gz
rm -rf /var/www/$HOSTNAME/htdocs
mv statusnet-gnu-social /var/www/$HOSTNAME/htdocs
chmod a+w /var/www/$HOSTNAME/htdocs
chown www-data:www-data /var/www/$HOSTNAME/htdocs
chmod a+w /var/www/$HOSTNAME/htdocs/avatar
chmod a+w /var/www/$HOSTNAME/htdocs/background
chmod a+w /var/www/$HOSTNAME/htdocs/file
chmod +x /var/www/$HOSTNAME/htdocs/scripts/maildaemon.php
#+END_SRC
Edit the Apache access settings.
#+BEGIN_SRC: bash
emacs /var/www/$HOSTNAME/htdocs/.htaccess
#+END_SRC
Add the following:
#+BEGIN_SRC: bash
<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
RewriteEngine On
RewriteBase /
## Uncomment these if having trouble with API authentication
## when PHP is running in CGI or FastCGI mode.
#
#RewriteCond %{HTTP:Authorization} ^(.*)
#RewriteRule ^(.*) - [E=HTTP_AUTHORIZATION:%1]
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
RewriteRule (.*) index.php?p=$1 [L,QSA]
</IfModule>
<FilesMatch "\.(ini)">
Order allow,deny
</FilesMatch>
#+END_SRC
Save and exit, then create a database.
#+BEGIN_SRC: bash
mysql -u root -p
create database gnusocial;
CREATE USER 'gnusocialadmin'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'gnusocialpassword';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON gnusocial.* TO 'gnusocialadmin'@'localhost';
quit
#+END_SRC
Add the mailer script to the aliases file:
#+BEGIN_SRC: bash
emacs /etc/aliases
#+END_SRC
Add the following, replacing /mydomainname.com/ with your domain name.
#+BEGIN_SRC: bash
www-data: root
*: /var/www/mydomainname.com/htdocs/scripts/maildaemon.php
#+END_SRC
Save and exit. Update the aliases by typing:
#+BEGIN_SRC: bash
newaliases
#+END_SRC
Then with a web browser navigate to:
https://$HOSTNAME/install.php
Set a name for the site.
Server SSL: enable
Hostname: localhost
Type: MySql
Name: gnusocial
DB username: gnusocialadmin
DB Password; your gnu social admin password goes here
Administrator nickname: myusername
Administrator password: mylongrandompassword
Subscribe to announcements: ticked
Site profile: Community
Press the *Submit* button. It may take a few minutes, so don't be concerned that it has crashed. When the process completes you will see a lot of "Strict standards" warnings which you can ignore.
Navigate to http://$HOSTNAME/gnusocial and you can then complete the configuration via the *Admin* section on the header bar. Some recommended admin settings are:
Under the *Site* settings:
Text limit: 140
Dupe Limit: 60000
Under the *User* settings:
Bio limit: 1000
Under the *Access* settings:
/Invite only/ ticked
Under the License section select a license if you wish. Details for Creative Commons licenses [[https://creativecommons.org/licenses/][can be found here]]. If you only intend to do private microblogging then just leave these settings as they are.
If you want to invite more users then click on the big button *Invite more colleagues*, then enter their email addresses and hit the *send* button. The invite only configuration which you've just installed is useful because it prevents spammers, or other [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joint_Threat_Research_Intelligence_Group]["bad actors"]], from clogging your system with nonsense.
So, you're now microblogging on the open web, with no companies in the middle. Congratulations! To find some other people to connect to you can try searching other nodes listed at http://gnu.io/try/
** Install Tripwire
#+BEGIN_VERSE