# Pleroma {#module-services-pleroma}

[Pleroma](https://pleroma.social/) is a lightweight activity pub server.

## Generating the Pleroma config {#module-services-pleroma-generate-config}

The `pleroma_ctl` CLI utility will prompt you some questions and it will generate an initial config file. This is an example of usage
```ShellSession
$ mkdir tmp-pleroma
$ cd tmp-pleroma
$ nix-shell -p pleroma-otp
$ pleroma_ctl instance gen --output config.exs --output-psql setup.psql
```

The `config.exs` file can be further customized following the instructions on the [upstream documentation](https://docs-develop.pleroma.social/backend/configuration/cheatsheet/). Many refinements can be applied also after the service is running.

## Initializing the database {#module-services-pleroma-initialize-db}

First, the Postgresql service must be enabled in the NixOS configuration
```
services.postgresql = {
  enable = true;
  package = pkgs.postgresql_13;
};
```
and activated with the usual
```ShellSession
$ nixos-rebuild switch
```

Then you can create and seed the database, using the `setup.psql` file that you generated in the previous section, by running
```ShellSession
$ sudo -u postgres psql -f setup.psql
```

## Enabling the Pleroma service locally {#module-services-pleroma-enable}

In this section we will enable the Pleroma service only locally, so its configurations can be improved incrementally.

This is an example of configuration, where [](#opt-services.pleroma.configs) option contains the content of the file `config.exs`, generated [in the first section](#module-services-pleroma-generate-config), but with the secrets (database password, endpoint secret key, salts, etc.) removed. Removing secrets is important, because otherwise they will be stored publicly in the Nix store.
```
services.pleroma = {
  enable = true;
  secretConfigFile = "/var/lib/pleroma/secrets.exs";
  configs = [
    ''
    import Config

    config :pleroma, Pleroma.Web.Endpoint,
      url: [host: "pleroma.example.net", scheme: "https", port: 443],
      http: [ip: {127, 0, 0, 1}, port: 4000]

    config :pleroma, :instance,
      name: "Test",
      email: "admin@example.net",
      notify_email: "admin@example.net",
      limit: 5000,
      registrations_open: true

    config :pleroma, :media_proxy,
      enabled: false,
      redirect_on_failure: true

    config :pleroma, Pleroma.Repo,
      adapter: Ecto.Adapters.Postgres,
      username: "pleroma",
      database: "pleroma",
      hostname: "localhost"

    # Configure web push notifications
    config :web_push_encryption, :vapid_details,
      subject: "mailto:admin@example.net"

    # ... TO CONTINUE ...
    ''
  ];
};
```

Secrets must be moved into a file pointed by [](#opt-services.pleroma.secretConfigFile), in our case `/var/lib/pleroma/secrets.exs`. This file can be created copying the previously generated `config.exs` file and then removing all the settings, except the secrets. This is an example
```
# Pleroma instance passwords

import Config

config :pleroma, Pleroma.Web.Endpoint,
   secret_key_base: "<the secret generated by pleroma_ctl>",
   signing_salt: "<the secret generated by pleroma_ctl>"

config :pleroma, Pleroma.Repo,
  password: "<the secret generated by pleroma_ctl>"

# Configure web push notifications
config :web_push_encryption, :vapid_details,
  public_key: "<the secret generated by pleroma_ctl>",
  private_key: "<the secret generated by pleroma_ctl>"

# ... TO CONTINUE ...
```
Note that the lines of the same configuration group are comma separated (i.e. all the lines end with a comma, except the last one), so when the lines with passwords are added or removed, commas must be adjusted accordingly.

The service can be enabled with the usual
```ShellSession
$ nixos-rebuild switch
```

The service is accessible only from the local `127.0.0.1:4000` port. It can be tested using a port forwarding like this
```ShellSession
$ ssh -L 4000:localhost:4000 myuser@example.net
```
and then accessing <http://localhost:4000> from a web browser.

## Creating the admin user {#module-services-pleroma-admin-user}

After Pleroma service is running, all [Pleroma administration utilities](https://docs-develop.pleroma.social/) can be used. In particular an admin user can be created with
```ShellSession
$ pleroma_ctl user new <nickname> <email>  --admin --moderator --password <password>
```

## Configuring Nginx {#module-services-pleroma-nginx}

In this configuration, Pleroma is listening only on the local port 4000. Nginx can be configured as a Reverse Proxy, for forwarding requests from public ports to the Pleroma service. This is an example of configuration, using
[Let's Encrypt](https://letsencrypt.org/) for the TLS certificates
```
security.acme = {
  email = "root@example.net";
  acceptTerms = true;
};

services.nginx = {
  enable = true;
  addSSL = true;

  recommendedTlsSettings = true;
  recommendedOptimisation = true;
  recommendedGzipSettings = true;

  recommendedProxySettings = false;
  # NOTE: if enabled, the NixOS proxy optimizations will override the Pleroma
  # specific settings, and they will enter in conflict.

  virtualHosts = {
    "pleroma.example.net" = {
      http2 = true;
      enableACME = true;
      forceSSL = true;

      locations."/" = {
        proxyPass = "http://127.0.0.1:4000";

        extraConfig = ''
          etag on;
          gzip on;

          add_header 'Access-Control-Allow-Origin' '*' always;
          add_header 'Access-Control-Allow-Methods' 'POST, PUT, DELETE, GET, PATCH, OPTIONS' always;
          add_header 'Access-Control-Allow-Headers' 'Authorization, Content-Type, Idempotency-Key' always;
          add_header 'Access-Control-Expose-Headers' 'Link, X-RateLimit-Reset, X-RateLimit-Limit, X-RateLimit-Remaining, X-Request-Id' always;
          if ($request_method = OPTIONS) {
            return 204;
          }
          add_header X-XSS-Protection "1; mode=block";
          add_header X-Permitted-Cross-Domain-Policies none;
          add_header X-Frame-Options DENY;
          add_header X-Content-Type-Options nosniff;
          add_header Referrer-Policy same-origin;
          add_header X-Download-Options noopen;
          proxy_http_version 1.1;
          proxy_set_header Upgrade $http_upgrade;
          proxy_set_header Connection "upgrade";
          proxy_set_header Host $host;

          client_max_body_size 16m;
          # NOTE: increase if users need to upload very big files
        '';
      };
    };
  };
};
```