How to Install Pleroma on OpenBSD

Introduction

Pleroma is a free, open-source and federated social networking platform. It allows users to share messages, images, videos and files with other users. In this tutorial, we will explain the steps to install Pleroma on OpenBSD.

Prerequisites

• A server with OpenBSD installed with root privileges
• A domain name pointing towards your server
• A non-root user with sudo privileges

Step 1 — Installing Dependencies

Firstly we need to install the necessary system libraries and dependencies that are required to run Pleroma. We will be using the OpenBSD package manager (pkg_add) to install them.

sudo pkg_add erlang postgresql zlib yaml gmp git 

Note: If the packages are already installed, you can skip this step and move to step 2.

Step 2 — Installing Pleroma

Next, we need to install Pleroma. We can download the latest stable Pleroma release from the official website's release page. Please check for the latest stable release link from the official website.

sudo git clone https://git.pleroma.social/pleroma/pleroma.git

Step 3 — Configuring the Database

Now that we've installed the system dependencies and downloaded Pleroma, let's create a database for Pleroma to store data. We will be using PostgreSQL as our database.

First, we need to create a new PostgreSQL user for Pleroma:

sudo su - _postgresql
createuser -P -s -e pleroma

This command will create a new PostgreSQL user called "pleroma" and prompts you to create a password for it. After creating the user, enter the PostgreSQL shell:

psql -d postgres -U pleroma

Inside the PostgreSQL shell, set the password for the "pleroam" user:

alter user pleroma with password 'YOUR_PASSWORD';

After resetting the password, exit the PostgreSQL shell:

\q

Step 4 — Configuring Pleroma

We are now ready to start configuring Pleroma.

Create a new configuration file, copy the sample configuration file from the Pleroma directory:

sudo cp /opt/pleroma/config/pleroma.example.config.exs /opt/pleroma/config/config.exs

Next, edit the new configuration file with your favorite text editor:

sudo nano /opt/pleroma/config/config.exs

In the configuration file, update the following values:

config :pleroma, Pleroma.Mixfile.project(:version),
  db: [
    adapter: Ecto.Adapters.Postgres,
    username: "pleroma",
    password: "YOUR_PASSWORD",
    database: "pleroma",
    hostname: "localhost",
    pool_size: 10
  ],
  http: [
    ip: {0, 0, 0, 0},
    port: 4000,
    protocol_options: [
      certfile: "/etc/ssl/cert.pem",
      keyfile: "/etc/ssl/privkey.pem"
    ]
  ],
  ...

Replace "YOUR_PASSWORD" with the password you created for the "pleroma" PostgreSQL user.

After saving the configuration file, we need to compile Pleroma by running the following command:

sudo mix do deps.get, compile

Lastly, we need to create the Pleroma database and run the migrations:

sudo MIX_ENV=prod mix ecto.create
sudo MIX_ENV=prod mix ecto.migrate

Step 5 — Starting Pleroma

We are now ready to start Pleroma. To start Pleroma, simply run the following command:

sudo MIX_ENV=prod mix phx.server

Pleroma should now be running at http://YOUR_SERVER_IP:4000 in your web browser.

Conclusion

In this tutorial, we explained the steps to install Pleroma on OpenBSD. You can now create an account, configure your node and start using Pleroma. Happy federating!