How to Install Lemmy on Windows 10

Lemmy is a free and open-source Reddit alternative that allows you to discuss and share content with other users in a decentralized and privacy-focused way. In this tutorial, we will guide you through the steps to install Lemmy on a Windows 10 computer.

Prerequisites

Before we start, make sure you have the following:

  • A Windows 10 computer
  • A stable internet connection

Step 1: Download and Install Rust

Lemmy is written in Rust, so we need to install Rust first. To do this, follow these steps:

  1. Go to the Rust website: https://www.rust-lang.org/tools/install
  2. Download and run the Rust installer for Windows
  3. Follow the installer instructions to install Rust on your computer

Step 2: Download and Build Lemmy

Once Rust is installed, we can download and build Lemmy. Here's how:

  1. Open Command Prompt or PowerShell
  2. Clone the Lemmy repository by entering the following command:
git clone https://github.com/LemmyNet/lemmy.git
  1. Navigate to the cloned repository by entering the following command:
cd lemmy
  1. Build Lemmy using the following command:
cargo build --features "postgres"

This may take a while to complete, so be patient.

Step 3: Set up the PostgreSQL Database

Lemmy requires a PostgreSQL database to store its data. Follow these steps to set up the database:

  1. Download and install PostgreSQL from the official website: https://www.postgresql.org/download/windows/
  2. Run pgAdmin (you should see it in the Start menu or on your desktop)
  3. Click on "Servers" in the left-hand sidebar, and then on the server name (which should be the same as your computer name)
  4. Click on "Databases" and then on "Create Database"
  5. Give your database a name (e.g. lemmy_db) and click "Save"

Step 4: Configure Lemmy

Now that we have built Lemmy and set up the database, we need to configure Lemmy to use the database we just created. Follow these steps:

  1. Create a copy of the .env.example file and name it .env using the following command:
cp .env.example .env
  1. Open the .env file in a text editor
  2. Change the DATABASE_URL value to:
DATABASE_URL=postgres://<username>:<password>@localhost/<database_name>

where <username> and <password> are the credentials you set up when installing PostgreSQL, and <database_name> is the name of the database you created in Step 3.

  1. Save the changes and close the text editor

Step 5: Run Lemmy

Finally, we can run Lemmy. Follow these steps:

  1. Open a new Command Prompt or PowerShell window
  2. Navigate to the Lemmy folder, if you aren't already there:
cd path/to/lemmy
  1. Start Lemmy using the following command:
cargo run serve
  1. Lemmy should now be running! Open a web browser and go to http://localhost:8536 to access it.

That's it! You have successfully installed and set up Lemmy on your Windows 10 computer. Enjoy using this decentralized and privacy-focused alternative to Reddit!