Install and Run a Diaspora Pod on CentOS 7 Step-by-Step

Diaspora is an open-source social platform with a focus on user privacy. This tutorial explains how to install and configure a Diaspora pod on CentOS 7.

Prerequisites

A CentOS 7 server setup
At least 512MB RAM, 1GB swap space, and a multi-core CPU for standard pod operation
An active sudo user

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Install Required Packages

Start by retrieving and installing the latest EPEL release:

Console

sudo yum install epel-release

Install the essential packages:

Console

sudo yum install tar make automake gcc gcc-c++ git net-tools cmake libcurl-devel libxml2-devel libffi-devel libxslt-devel wget redis ImageMagick nodejs postgresql-devel

Activate Redis at system startup:

Console

sudo systemctl enable redis
sudo systemctl start redis

Install and Configure PostgreSQL

While Diaspora also works with MySQL or MariaDB, this guide uses PostgreSQL.

Install PostgreSQL server and tools:

Console

sudo yum install postgresql-server postgresql-contrib postgresql-setup initdb

Enable PostgreSQL to run at startup:

Console

sudo systemctl enable postgresql
sudo systemctl start postgresql

Access the PostgreSQL prompt:

Console

sudo -u postgres psql

Create a new PostgreSQL user for Diaspora:

Code

CREATE USER diaspora WITH CREATEDB PASSWORD '<password>';

Add a Dedicated Diaspora User

Create a local system user for running Diaspora:

Console

sudo adduser --disabled-login diaspora

Switch to this user session:

Console

sudo  su - diaspora

Install Ruby with rbenv

Install all required dependencies for Ruby:

Console

sudo yum install -y git-core zlib zlib-devel gcc-c++ patch readline readline-devel libyaml-devel libffi-devel openssl-devel make bzip2 autoconf automake libtool bison curl sqlite-devel

Clone and set up rbenv:

Console

git clone https://github.com/rbenv/rbenv.git ~/.rbenv
cd ~/.rbenv && src/configure && make -C src
echo 'export PATH="$HOME/.rbenv/bin:$PATH"' >> ~/.bash_profile
echo 'eval "$(rbenv init -)"' >> ~/.bash_profile

Reconnect as the Diaspora user to apply environment changes:

Code

exit
sudo su - diaspora

Install ruby-build plugin for rbenv:

Console

git clone https://github.com/rbenv/ruby-build.git ~/.rbenv/plugins/ruby-build

Install Ruby 2.4.3 and make it the global version:

Code

rbenv install 2.4.3
rbenv global 2.4.3

Set Up Mail Server

Use Postfix as the mail transfer agent. Please refer to the appropriate guide to set up Postfix with Dovecot and Sieve for handling user mail.

Install and Configure Diaspora

Clone Diaspora’s master repository:

Console

cd ~
git clone -b master https://github.com/diaspora/diaspora.git
cd diaspora

Copy sample config files:

Code

cp config/database.yml.example config/database.yml
cp config/diaspora.yml.example config/diaspora.yml

Modify the database config file with your database credentials:

Code

nano config/database.yml

Example PostgreSQL configuration block:

YAML

postgresql: &postgresql
  adapter: postgresql
  host: localhost
  port: 5432
  username: diaspora
  password: __password__
  encoding: unicode

Edit Diaspora config file with required values:

Code

nano config/diaspora.yml

Make these changes:

Set the url to your pod's public address
Uncomment certificate_authorities
Set rails_environment to production
Set require_ssl to false

Install Gems with Bundler

Install bundler and configure the environment:

Code

gem install bundler
script/configure_bundler

Note: If you receive version errors, edit .ruby-version and specify 2.4.3.

Set Up the Database

Create the database and run migrations:

Code

RAILS_ENV=production bin/rake db:create db:migrate

Precompile Assets

Run this Rake command to generate the production-ready assets:

Code

RAILS_ENV=production bin/rake assets:precompile

Set Up Diaspora with systemd

To manage Diaspora as a service, we’ll use systemd. Begin by creating the following files:

Create the target unit:

Code

touch /etc/systemd/system/diaspora.target

Set up the web service unit:

Code

touch /etc/systemd/system/diaspora-web.service

Create the sidekiq service file:

Code

touch /etc/systemd/system/diaspora-sidekiq.service

diaspora.target

Code

[Unit]
Description=Diaspora social network
Wants=postgresql.service
Wants=redis-server.service
After=redis-server.service
After=postgresql.service

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

diaspora-web.service

Code

[Unit]
Description=Diaspora social network (unicorn)
PartOf=diaspora.target
StopWhenUnneeded=true

[Service]
User=diaspora
Environment=RAILS_ENV=production
WorkingDirectory=/home/diaspora/diaspora
ExecStart=/bin/bash -lc "bin/bundle exec unicorn -c config/unicorn.rb -E production"
Restart=always

[Install]
WantedBy=diaspora.target

diaspora-sidekiq.service

Code

[Unit]
Description=Diaspora social network (sidekiq)
PartOf=diaspora.target
StopWhenUnneeded=true

[Service]
User=diaspora
Environment=RAILS_ENV=production
WorkingDirectory=/home/diaspora/diaspora
ExecStart=/bin/bash -lc "bin/bundle exec sidekiq"
Restart=always

[Install]
WantedBy=diaspora.target

Enable and Start Services

Activate all Diaspora-related services at boot:

Console

sudo systemctl enable diaspora.target diaspora-sidekiq.service diaspora-web.service
sudo systemctl restart diaspora.target

Check service status:

Console

sudo systemctl status diaspora-web.service
sudo systemctl status diaspora-sidekiq.service

Configure Nginx as a Reverse Proxy

Set up Nginx to proxy Diaspora and deliver static assets. Also use acme.sh to acquire a Let's Encrypt SSL certificate.

Clone acme.sh

Console

git clone https://github.com/Neilpang/acme.sh.git

Request a Certificate

Code

./.acme.sh/acme.sh --issue --log \
--dns \
--keylength ec-256 \
--cert-file /etc/nginx/https/cert.pem \
--key-file /etc/nginx/https/key.pem \
--fullchain-file /etc/nginx/https/fullchain.pem \
-d example.com \
-d www.example.com

Install and Configure Nginx

Console

sudo yum install nginx
nano /etc/nginx/conf.d/diaspora.conf

Paste this configuration:

Code

upstream diaspora_server {
 server unix:/home/diaspora/diaspora/tmp/diaspora.sock;
}

server {
  listen 80;
  listen [::]:80; 
  server_name www.example.com example.com;
  return 301 https://example.com$request_uri;

  access_log /dev/null;
  error_log /dev/null;
}

server {
  listen 443 ssl http2;
  listen [::]:443 ssl http2;
  server_name www.example.com example.com;

  if ($host = www.example.com) {
   return 301 https://example.com$request_uri;
  }

  access_log /var/log/nginx/dspr-access.log;
  error_log /var/log/nginx/dspr-error.log;

  ssl_certificate /etc/nginx/https/fullchain.pem;
  ssl_certificate_key /etc/nginx/https/key.pem;

  ssl_protocols TLSv1.2;
  ssl_ciphers EECDH+CHACHA20:EECDH+AESGCM:EECDH+AES;
  ssl_ecdh_curve X25519:P-521:P-384:P-256;
  ssl_prefer_server_ciphers on;
  ssl_stapling on;
  ssl_stapling_verify on;
  resolver 80.67.169.40 80.67.169.12 valid=300s;
  resolver_timeout 5s;
  ssl_session_cache shared:SSL:10m;

  root /home/diaspora/diaspora/public;

  client_max_body_size 5M;
  client_body_buffer_size 256K;

  try_files $uri @diaspora;

  location /assets/ {
    expires max;
    add_header Cache-Control public;
  }

  location @diaspora {
    proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
    proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
    proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto https;
    proxy_set_header Host $http_host;
    proxy_redirect off;
    proxy_pass http://diaspora_server;
  }
}

Replace example.com with your actual domain name.

Test and Reload Nginx

Console

sudo nginx -t
sudo systemctl restart nginx

Allow Web Traffic Through Firewall

Console

sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --zone=public --add-service=http 
sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --zone=public --add-service=https
sudo firewall-cmd --reload

Access Diaspora in Browser

Open your domain in a browser to see the Diaspora welcome screen: https://example.com

Create an Admin User

Create a Diaspora user by clicking “Start by creating an account.” After registering, assign admin rights:

Code

Role.add_admin User.where(username: "your_username").first.person

Access the admin dashboard via:

https://example.com/admins/dashboard

Access Sidekiq Dashboard and Stats

Sidekiq UI: https://example.com/sidekiq
Pod statistics: https://example.com/statistics

Log Management with logrotate

Create a logrotate config file:

Code

nano /etc/logrotate/diaspora

Insert the following configuration:

Code

/home/diaspora/diaspora/log/*.log {
  notifempty
  copytruncate
  missingok
  compress
  weekly
  rotate 52
}

Update Diaspora

To upgrade Diaspora:

Update all installed system packages:

Console

sudo yum update

Update the source code and gems:

Code

su - diaspora
cd diaspora
git pull
gem install bundler
bin/bundle --full-index

Apply database changes and recompile:

Code

RAILS_ENV=production bin/rake db:migrate
RAILS_ENV=production bin/rake assets:precompile

Restart Diaspora:

Console

systemctl restart diaspora.target

Conclusion

By completing these steps, you've successfully deployed a private, production-grade Diaspora pod on CentOS 7. You’ve configured core components including PostgreSQL, Ruby, Nginx, and systemd services. With SSL encryption, log rotation, and proper user roles, your instance is secure, performant, and ready for use. Stay up-to-date by routinely updating the application and monitoring system health through Sidekiq and admin dashboards.

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Install and Run a Diaspora Pod on CentOS 7 Step-by-Step

Prerequisites

Install Required Packages

Install and Configure PostgreSQL

Add a Dedicated Diaspora User

Install Ruby with rbenv

Set Up Mail Server

Install and Configure Diaspora

Install Gems with Bundler

Set Up the Database

Precompile Assets

Set Up Diaspora with systemd

diaspora.target

diaspora-web.service

diaspora-sidekiq.service

Enable and Start Services

Configure Nginx as a Reverse Proxy

Clone acme.sh

Request a Certificate

Install and Configure Nginx

Test and Reload Nginx

Allow Web Traffic Through Firewall

Access Diaspora in Browser

Create an Admin User

Access Sidekiq Dashboard and Stats

Log Management with logrotate

Update Diaspora

Conclusion

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