$ du -hd0 /var/snac/data && find /var/snac | wc -l
71.5M	/var/snac/data
   26230

• generate configuration files locally for each server (sshd, httpd, relayd, acme-client, nsd, and now #snac2)
• deploy with ssh or rsync (set permissions, time)
• clean up if needed
• run health checks that all configurations applied correctly (testing with nc, dig, curl, etc)

$ snac adduser data relay
$ snac follow data relay https://.../actor

@hi I love fedi meta talk 😀
As a Rails dev I started with #Mastodon (I‘m used to run Rails apps). It‘s great, but too much for my needs.

Now I have a #GotoSocial and a #snac2. I like them both, but GTS having a global timeline to read the federated stuff I feed via API into the instance with some scripts made it the primary instance for now.

@hi ah, I question I just cannot resist!

I have my own instances of #Gotosocial, #snac2, and... #honk, all for my own use.

All running as jails on a FreeBSD box with an 8 core Ryzen 7 and 32GB memory, but those 3 jails, plus a couple of others only really utilise about 4-5GB.

• 12 posts
• 60 following
• over 9000 files (sic!)

$ du -hd0 /var/snac && find /var/snac | wc -l
61.8M	/var/snac
    9532
$

$ curl -s https://romanzolotarev.com/pub/hi.rss | wc -c
    9999

The time is probably right.

Back in 2022, when I was still using iOS, I wasn’t completely happy with the Fediverse apps that were available. I was mostly using Akkoma, and the interface I liked the most was actually its web UI, even on mobile. So I started playing with Xcode and put together the foundations of an app tailored to my needs.

A lot has changed since then and today we have great alternatives like IceCubes, Mona, Ivory, etc. Each one has strengths and weaknesses though, so I picked up my old project again and kept pushing it forward.

So I’m happy to announce that my app will finally see the light: I’ve been using it for the past few days and, in my spare time, I’m fixing bugs and adding missing features. I’m building it around my own needs, so it doesn’t have to “appeal to everyone”. I wouldn’t call it opinionated, but it’s definitely targeted.

The app will have one key trait: #snac2 support will be a first-class feature, not an incidental one. Many apps, especially on iOS, support snac as a side effect, but the experience is often not optimal. In this case, the choice is deliberate and it strictly follows the Mastodon API support implemented by snac. So snac will work properly (within the limits of the platform, of course).

Among the features already implemented: the app is minimal and lightweight (under 10 MB, including debug code), easy on RAM, and privacy-first (for example it strips EXIF data from media before posting, so the server will never see it). On snac it also cleans up the "Boosted by Aoderelay" messages that appear when using a relay, removes the character limit, and supports posting in Markdown.

I also added support for Apple Intelligence to generate alt text, both for the media I post and for media posted by others that is missing alt text.

Everything is processed locally through Apple APIs and only on supported devices. The results aren't amazing, Apple Intelligence is extremely limited, but in my opinion it's the only privacy-friendly and ethical way to approach it. And of course, you can disable it.

On Mastodon it supports all the main features: lists, quote posts, granular notifications (you can choose what you want for each category), notification grouping, multi-account support, and it works.

It's still missing a few things (block, etc.) and has some bugs, which I’m spotting as I keep using it.
As soon as it's stable enough, I'll invite a few people to test it. I still haven't fully decided how I'll distribute it: an Apple Developer account has a yearly cost, and I hope to reuse it for other projects too. So this app might be paid, with a trial period, but if possible (I still need to check what’s feasible) I'd like it to be free if you connect to one of the BSD Cafe instances, illumos Cafe, or any snac instance, including your own.

I don't know how long it will take before it's ready... but I can already tell you what it will be called.
It already has a name, and it's... MastoBlaster.

This name was chosen for personal reasons, and also because of its similarity to Master Blaster by Stevie Wonder, which even today feels relevant and fitting for the Fediverse.

Stay tuned!

#MastoBlaster #Fediverse #Mastodon #iOS #FediverseApp #Announcement #Apple #snac #snac2 #BSDCafe #illumosCafe

is it safe to backup #snac2 like this:

any plans to use sqlite or some other database?

also thank you for creating #snac2. i love it!