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Mastodon as a service

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Getting started​

You've just setup your Mastodon instance and you've got this error on the frontpage serve by the https://{your_instance_hash}.mastodon.comwork.(cloud|dev|info), that's pretty normal.

mastodon_error

It's because your instance is not ready yet, you have to follow those steps first:

1/ Connect with ssh

2/ Execute the following command on the SSH session:

$ sudo su -
$ docker-compose -f docker-compose-mastodon.yml run --rm shell bundle exec rake secret

And add the following variable with the output in the ansible environment file (env/{ instance_hash }.yml):

mastodon_secret_key: changeit

3/ Execute the following command on the SSH session:

$ sudo su -
$ docker-compose -f docker-compose-mastodon.yml run --rm shell bundle exec rake mastodon:webpush:generate_vapid_key

And add the following variables with the output (pick only the values right to the = signs) in the ansible environment file (env/{ instance_hash }.yml):

mastodon_vapid_private_key: changeit
mastodon_vapid_public_key: changeit

4/ Also update this setting (replace "true" by "false"):

pgsql_first_install: "false"

Push on the main branch of your gitlab repo.

5/ Your instance is ready on https://{your_instance_hash}.mastodon.comwork.(cloud|dev|info), go register your first user account there:

mastodon_register

6/ On the SSH session you've opened earlier, register your user as the admin of instance using our rake task like that:

$ sudo su -
$ docker-compose -f docker-compose-mastodon.yml run -e USERNAME=YOUR_USERNAME --rm shell bundle exec rake comwork:set_admin

Replace YOUR_USERNAME by the username you've chosen.

Settings automation in a gitops way​

We also provide this project: mastodon-term-services in order to automatize in a gitops way the following settings:

  • Term of services html page
  • List of rules
  • Ban list of not compliant instances

Feel free to fork-it and make your own rules and term of services.