this post was submitted on 29 Apr 2024
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21
Is it that difficult to run Mastodon over Docker? (lemmy.world)
submitted 6 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
13 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

I am used to simple things running on Docker (Jellyfin, Nextcloud, etc.) I am looking at running my own personal Mastodon instance (maybe share it with a few friends and family), but I like using Docker. Looking at install guides, the steps required seem to be much harder than just editing docker-compose.yml and running the container. Is it actually that difficult to set up Mastodon, or is there a better guide? I can't just use Yunohost/CasaOS because I am using a VPS to host this.

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[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

I run a mastodon instance in docker and a Sharkey instance in docker on another server. I, personally, didn't find it especially temperamental but, to be fair, I have pretty extensive experience troubleshooting Docker issues re: networking/permissions/volumes because I am cataclysmically unclever.

Some advice: I would definitely recommend against running it on a naked domain you care about (i.e. instance.com). Always deploy it on a subdomain (i.e. mastodon.instance.com) because, if you ever change servers, have to re-make your intance, have domain issues, etc, you will be fucked pretty much forever on that domain. On a subdomain, you can just use a different subdomain.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 6 months ago (1 children)

I found dealing with a mastodon server to be a pain in the ass. For a time I outsourced that to Masto.host and it was smooth. The owner of that site was really helpful and knew mastodon well

[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 months ago

Sorry about the multiple replies with the same content. My client app apparently decided to have a problem.

[–] [email protected] 18 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

Instead of the full-blown Mastodon, you should also look at #GoToSocial which is compatible and pretty light-weight. (Doesn’t come with a web UI, so you need to use client apps.)

EDIT: Here's my docker-compose file.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (1 children)

I'm running the mastodon stack in docker via a compose file. It was straight forward. Follow the instructions to the letter and it will work.

I will say that it is in your best interest to have an automated update process happen, either manually (via cron) multiple times a day or have some kind of orchestration layer that manages updating the component images once they are released. Mastodon has had some nasty 0 day bugs that involved account and server takeover that had to be fixed immediately, and you don't want to lag very far behind in those cases.

Edit:

Docker compose from their repo:

https://github.com/mastodon/mastodon/blob/main/docker-compose.yml

[–] [email protected] 4 points 6 months ago

There's a project called Watchtower that is specifically for auto-updating docker-compose containers

[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 months ago (1 children)

If youre looking for a sample docker-compose,

https://docs.linuxserver.io/images/docker-mastodon/

[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Is it a run and just works docker compose file?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (1 children)

You will need to review all the required variables and configure as you require. But basically, yeah

EDIT - NO

its not just grab and run. From the docs,

This container requires separate postgres and redis instances to run.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 months ago (1 children)

I haven’t looked, are those requirements not included in the compose?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 months ago

Unfortunately not in this example. It has the compose to spin up masto, and the variables to set to tell it where redis etc is