Instructions for running your own lemmy instance.

For the moment, lemmy.ml is using an explicit allowlist for instances we federate with. If you currently run an instance, and would like to be added to join.lemmy.ml:

  • Let us know either on !lemmy_instances, or commenting here.
  • We’ll add you to our allowlist.
  • Add this block to your server’s lemmy.hjson config (for open federation):
federation: {
  enabled: true
  tls_enabled: true
  # allowed_instances: lemmy.ml,other_instance.tld,... uncomment this to use an allowlist
}
  • Type !announcements@lemmy.ml into your server’s search box, and subscribe to it to connect the two instances.
    • dandelion
      1•3 years ago

      Maybe good to post in /c/lemmy ? Are you using dynamic IP or does the site go off-line sometimes ?

      • @[email protected]
        2•3 years ago

        The IP is dynamic and updated with nsupdate, via my OpenWrt router. But for now it’s mostly under heavy testing from my side (I want many services to be running on this Rock64), so it’s mostly offline for now.

  • @[email protected]
    1•2 years ago

    Maybe I’m missing a basic concept on Federation. I was assuming that the federation feature would allow a user on another instance (e.g., on Baraza.africa) to post on Lemmy.ml.

    Here are two posts that Baraza.Africa shows as being posted to c/bitcoin: https://baraza.africa/c/[email protected]

    However, on [email protected], those posts do not show. https://lemmy.ml/c/bitcoin/data_type/Post/sort/New/page/1

    Is that correct, expected behavior?

    • DessalinesOPM
      1•2 years ago

      It’ll get added automatically the next time we deploy joinlemmy, which should be soon.

  • @[email protected]
    0•3 years ago

    Awesome!

    Regardless of whether it’s wanted or not, I bet this will be regarded as the flagship instance, and choices made for who gets on the allow list will serve to set a precedent that others may follow in how they decide to federate.

    I’ve always said I thought the Nutomic did a great job setting the tone for what was and wasn’t expected/allowed here, and I think it carries on the very excellent standard set by other activitypub projects like Mastodon and Funkwhale in terms of not being open to toxicity. I think the allow list can help with that as well in terms of setting a standard.

  • Bilb!
    0•3 years ago

    Does it make sense to use a single-user instance like I do with pleroma? Probably not at this stage since it would require manual whitelisting, right?

    • DessalinesOPM
      0•3 years ago

      You could I guess, but it’d be a bit weird since lemmy is built around communities.

      • Bilb!
        3•3 years ago

        In a hypothetical future world where there are many vibrant lemmy communities, a person with their own instance could participate in each without their identity being tied to an instance owned by someone else. You could also host a com related to a project you maintain that would be open to lemmy users form other instances, etc.

        There is also the problem of having your federation choices made for you. If you use a federation instance with good moderation policies, they also likely do not federate with instances that do not. That’s perfectly understandable and I support any instance owner doing that, but I would prefer to make those choices myself.

        At this point it might be premature, but maybe this is a use case you want someone kicking the tires on.

  • @[email protected]
    0•3 years ago

    This is very good news! Have been looking forward to this for long time already.

    But it’s seeming that some things aren’t working right (Maybe it’s transfer problems? New posts seem to be working fine).

    For example, here the same post viewed from Lemmygrad:

    and from “main” Lemmy:

    Apparently the upvotes and some of the comments don’t show up when looking at it from Lemmygrad. This isn’t a single problem in only that post, you can look at [email protected] for some more, or for example this post with no comments and 2 upvotes when viewing from Lemmygrad and 101 upvotes (and 32 downvotes lol) and lots and lots of comments when viewing from “main” Lemmy.

              

    On another note, are there plans to make the search search across instances? At the moment, it seems to not find posts from another instance:

    • @[email protected]M
      0•3 years ago

      The search is only local, but you can search the URL of a remote post/comment/user/community, and it will fetch that.

      • Helix
        1•3 years ago

        does that still work? If so, how? Just entering it into the search box doesn’t seem to work (anymore) for me.

        • @[email protected]M
          1•3 years ago

          Yes, if its not working then either that instance is not on the allowlist of your instance, or the remote instance is misconfigured.

  • @[email protected]
    0•3 years ago

    That is excellent news! I think congratulations are required to the developers that made this possible :)

    Edit: does that mean I can, say, log on to lemmy.ml with this account, or do I have to browse it from lemmygrad.ml?