How to Install GNU Social on Linux Mint Latest

GNU social is a free and open-source microblogging platform that allows users to create and share messages, photos, videos, and other content. In this tutorial, we will walk through how to install GNU social on Linux Mint Latest.

Prerequisites

Before getting started, you should have the following:

• A Linux Mint Latest machine with root access
• A web server (Apache or Nginx)
• PHP 7.2 or later
• MySQL or MariaDB database server

Step 1: Install the Required Packages

First, we need to install the required packages for GNU social. Open the terminal and run the following command:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install git php-xml php-mbstring

Step 2: Install and Configure MySQL/MariaDB

Install and configure MySQL or MariaDB if you haven't already by following the instructions in this tutorial.

Step 3: Download GNU Social

Use git to download the GNU social source code into the web root directory.

cd /var/www/
sudo git clone https://git.gnu.io/gnu/gnu-social.git

Step 4: Configure Apache

Create a new Apache virtual host configuration file for GNU social.

sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/social.example.com.conf

Add the following content to the file:

<VirtualHost *:80>
    ServerName social.example.com
    DocumentRoot /var/www/gnu-social
    <Directory /var/www/gnu-social>
        Options FollowSymLinks
        AllowOverride All
        Order allow,deny
        allow from all
    </Directory>
    ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/social.example.com_error.log
    LogLevel warn
    CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/social.example.com_access.log combined
</VirtualHost>

Replace social.example.com with your own domain name.

Save and close the file by pressing Ctrl+X, then Y, and then Enter.

Enable the new virtual host and restart the Apache service.

sudo a2ensite social.example.com.conf
sudo systemctl reload apache2

Step 5: Configure GNU Social

Create a new configuration file for GNU social.

cd /var/www/gnu-social
sudo cp config.php.sample config.php

Edit the config.php file.

sudo nano config.php

Set the following parameters:

...
$config['site']['name'] = 'My Social Site';
...
$config['site']['email'] = 'admin@mysocialsite.com';
...
$config['db']['database'] = 'social';
$config['db']['user'] = 'socialuser';
$config['db']['password'] = 'socialpassword';
$config['db']['type'] = 'mysqli';
$config['db']['hostspec'] = 'localhost';
$config['db']['port'] = null;
$config['db']['persistent'] = false;
...

Replace My Social Site, admin@mysocialsite.com, socialuser, and socialpassword with your own values. Make sure that the database, user, and password match the ones you set up in Step 2.

Save and close the file by pressing Ctrl+X, then Y, and then Enter.

Step 6: Install GNU Social

Run the installation script from the GNU social directory.

cd /var/www/gnu-social
sudo php scripts/install.php

Follow the prompts to complete the installation.

Step 7: Enable HTTPS

To enable HTTPS, configure the SSL certificate on your web server.

For Apache, follow the instructions in this tutorial.

For Nginx, follow the instructions in this tutorial.

Conclusion

You have successfully installed GNU social on Linux Mint Latest. You can now access your new microblogging platform at your domain name, e.g. https://social.example.com. Enjoy!

If you want to self-host in an easy, hands free way, need an external IP address, or simply want your data in your own hands, give IPv6.rs a try!

Alternatively, for the best virtual desktop, try Shells!