95 lines
4.3 KiB
Markdown
95 lines
4.3 KiB
Markdown
---
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title: Migrating to a new machine
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description: Copying your Mastodon installation to a new server without losing anything.
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menu:
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docs:
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weight: 90
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parent: admin
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---
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Sometimes, for various reasons, you may want to migrate your Mastodon instance from one server to another. Fortunately this is not too difficult of a process, although it may result in some downtime.
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{{< hint style="info" >}}
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This guide was written with Ubuntu Server in mind; your mileage may vary for other setups.
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{{< /hint >}}
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## Basic steps {#basic-steps}
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1. Set up a new Mastodon server using the [Production Guide]({{< relref "install.md" >}}) \(however, don’t run `mastodon:setup`\).
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2. Stop Mastodon on the old server \(e.g. `systemctl stop 'mastodon-*.service'`\).
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3. Dump and load the Postgres database using the instructions below.
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4. Copy the `system/` files using the instructions below. \(Note: if you’re using S3, you can skip this step.\)
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5. Copy the `.env.production` file.
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6. Run `RAILS_ENV=production bundle exec rails assets:precompile` to compile Mastodon
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7. Run `RAILS_ENV=production ./bin/tootctl feeds build` to rebuild the home timelines for each user.
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8. Start Mastodon on the new server.
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9. Update your DNS settings to point to the new server.
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10. Update or copy your Nginx configuration, re-run LetsEncrypt as necessary.
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11. Enjoy your new server!
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## Detailed steps {#detailed-steps}
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### What data needs to be migrated {#what-data-needs-to-be-migrated}
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At a high level, you’ll need to copy over the following:
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* The `~/live/public/system` directory, which contains user-uploaded images and videos \(if using S3, you don’t need this\)
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* The Postgres database \(using [pg\_dump](https://www.postgresql.org/docs/9.1/static/backup-dump.html)\)
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* The `~/live/.env.production` file, which contains server config and secrets
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Less crucially, you’ll probably also want to copy the following for convenience:
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* The nginx config \(under `/etc/nginx/sites-available/default`\)
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* The systemd config files \(`/etc/systemd/system/mastodon-*.service`\), which may contain your server tweaks and customizations
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* The pgbouncer configuration under `/etc/pgbouncer` \(if you’re using it\)
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### Dump and load Postgres {#dump-and-load-postgres}
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Instead of running `mastodon:setup`, we’re going to create an empty Postgres database using the `template0` database \(which is useful when restoring a Postgres dump, [as described in the pg\_dump documentation](https://www.postgresql.org/docs/9.1/static/backup-dump.html#BACKUP-DUMP-RESTORE)\).
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Run this as the `mastodon` user on your old system:
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```bash
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pg_dump -Fc mastodon_production -f backup.dump
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```
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Copy the `backup.dump` file over, using `rsync` or `scp`. Then on the new system, create an empty database as the `mastodon` user:
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```bash
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createdb -T template0 mastodon_production
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```
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Then import it:
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```bash
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pg_restore -Fc -U mastodon -n public --no-owner --role=mastodon \
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-d mastodon_production backup.dump
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```
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\(Note that if the username is not `mastodon` on the new server, you should change the `-U` AND `--role` values above. It’s okay if the username is different between the two servers.\)
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### Copy files {#copy-files}
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This will probably take some time, and you’ll want to avoid re-copying unnecessarily, so using `rsync` is recommended. On your old machine, as the `mastodon` user, run:
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```bash
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rsync -avz ~/live/public/system/ mastodon@example.com:~/live/public/system/
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```
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You’ll want to re-run this if any of the files on the old server change.
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You should also copy over the `.env.production` file, which contains secrets.
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Optionally, you may copy over the nginx, systemd, and pgbouncer config files, or rewrite them from scratch.
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### During migration {#during-migration}
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You can edit the `~/live/public/500.html` page on the old machine if you want to show a nice error message to let existing users know that a migration is in progress.
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You’ll probably also want to set the DNS TTL to something small \(30-60 minutes\) about a day in advance, so that DNS can propagate quickly once you point it to the new IP address.
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### After migrating {#after-migrating}
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You can check [whatsmydns.net](https://whatsmydns.net/) to see the progress of DNS propagation. To jumpstart the process, you can always edit your own `/etc/hosts` file to point to your new server so you can start playing around with it early.
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