[SOLVED] Can I host my own Lemmy instance on localhost?
[SOLVED] Can I host my own Lemmy instance on localhost?
Would it be possible for me to make comments to other instances etc?
Solved: I can't, it would only work with a public domain.
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No, ActivityPub is a push protocol. Other instances send data to your instance via HTTPS and only HTTPS. So you need at minimum a public domain and web server with TLS enabled.
Some people use Cloudflare tunnels to avoid opening ports or just get a cheap VPS to forward the traffic home without exposing the home IP.
You do realize all this is easily done with a reverse proxy + DuckDNS?
Wouldn't you need a publically available IP? DuckDNS is only for dynamic IP's that is public, yes?
Works with anything that can open ports. DuckDNS works by pinging their service from anywhere to update the target IP for the subdomain.
Doesn't work if you are on CGNAT
See: Anything that can open ports. NAT of any kind tends to not allow opening ports.
Absolutely. However I feel like the whole thread needs extra clarification, considering the question OP posed.
Dynamic DNS isn't a magic wand in the way a Reverse Proxy over VPN is.
Yea, that is also what I thought. To bypass this, you would need something like Cloudflare Tunnels or setup a VPN on a VPS, that redirects traffic to your homeserver.
Duckdns is pretty much a service that offers free domain names.. that could point to any public IP. (I have seen setups where local IPs are used just for HTTPS). So its good for instances as HTTPS can be achieved without buying domain name.
Why not HTTP :c
Data send via HTTP is not encrypted. That's bad.
I want it encrypted but I don't want to ask a 3rd party to get a certificate.
Letsencrypt provides free certificates. It's very easy to get one from them.
If they're easy to get, why have them 😑
Because then you can encrypt your traffic with HTTPS 🙃
This is madness 🤯
I'm not sure I understand the question. They are used to encrypt traffic and prove that the entity hosting the site hasn't changed by using a digital signature. These two together make it so third parties can't read the traffic coming through. This is a requirement for modern internet. Otherwise your passwords wouldn't be a secret because literally anyone would see them.
If they're easy to get, why not have them 😉
Plain HTTP should be considered obsolete. Also it makes impersonating websites harder (but not impossible)
Additionally, HTTPS if very easy to set up nowadays and the certificates are free1.
1: Assuming you have a public domain name, but for ActivityPub that's already a requirement due to the push nature of the protocol.
You can get Let's Encrypt certificates for DuckDNS, so you don't even need to own anything.