until finally the browser told me "redirection error".
I then tested with some arbitrary PHP file if PHP worked. It did (in the root directory and the friendica subdirectory).
Then I tried stuff that was recommended in the forum (where I also found people told to become developers if they had problems), like entering database details into config files, some changes in .htaccess, but, alas, to no avail.
Not sure what is the actual state of the art of the installer is. Last I "heard" and experienced is that it was broken and that the best way to install is thru the console commands detailed in the helpers page: /help/Install#Option+B%3A+Run+the+automatic+install+script
Actually I didn't followed the @Friendica Support or friendica news channel latelly, so no idea if there were any updates. What I wondered "the other day" is that we could ask @Tobias wich friendica version was the last that had the install working fine and simply install that version, via gitpull. Once installed you can than just start the updates. If you do that before even creating any contacts or content, that should go quite smoothly. We recently did updates from 2023.05 on this server and the referenced installation guide was from that (stable) version in it's time and worked well so I assume that installing via gitpull but adressing that version, or the one Tobias indicates should work out easily.
In any case it's probably recommended that you hop on some friendica server first to see how it looks and feels. Squeet.me could be a recomendation, it is running 2025.07rc branch right now, that's apparently a step in between from stable and develop branch. Than there are also the instances of @Tuxi ⁂. @OldKid ⁂ and @Raroun not sure if they a
In any case it's probably recommended that you hop on some friendica server first to see how it looks and feels. Squeet.me could be a recomendation, it is running 2025.07rc branch right now, that's apparently a step in between from stable and develop branch. Than there are also the instances of @Tuxi ⁂. @OldKid ⁂ and @Raroun not sure if they accept users.
I'll dig into the actual state of the art of the branches and friendica. Apparently the development of the code has some delays:
friendica notes on github on the actual stable release: wrote:
Known Issues At the time of writing this, none with 2024.12
But the development branch is currently rather unstable and should be used with caution as the development diverged far (for Friendica terms) from the now stable branch. We will let our very valued ALPHA testers when the dev team things that the development branch is stable enough again.
@Michael 🇺🇦 @Hypolite Petovan any recommendation in which latest friendica release the installer still worked fine?
Hi there, the moment has come to do the first instance upgrade cycle in the life of this instalation to bring this server to the actual stable version 2024.12-1 in the comming days.
Are there any specific recomandations or details to have in mind besides the information expected to be found in every update release instruction?
This is basically a single user instance with round about 14 forum pages with few followers each and a total of 18 profiles with contacts in the activityPub and diaspora community and some RSS subscriptions. No other specific conectors are enabled.
DB backups amount to ~180MiB and the image file storage folder on ftp around ~400MiB.
Friendica stable | 'Giant Rhubarb' 2023.05 - 1518 PHP Version 8.1.2-1ubuntu2.14 VPS server | Ubuntu 22.04 LTS 4 Core CPU, 8 GB Ram with 300GB NVME Disk - unlimited traffic hosted by @ raroun 👍
Notes: This instances right now seems to work well. Sometimes this profile here has some strange hickups like when following up the link of a post from this server in a stream view a message "Not Found |The requested item doesn't exist or has been deleted." Also right now profiles from contacts, for example @ hoergen or @ feb don't show up in the contact list but they are displayed as followed in the profile contact page.
Anyway: I'm pretty sure, the problems I had during the installation were not caused by Friendica itself (I mean: there are a lot of people, who successful completed an installation), but by some configuration with my hosting solution (on Ionos.de).
Just useful error messages during the installation process would be great.
Actually you even might consider to setup your subdomain at first at https://weingaertner-it.de/, if they still do friendica hosting, I get a 503 right now over here. Apparently a single user instance costs 5 euro a month. If you like it you could than move the already existing DB to your own setup. Somehow that's how this instance came to live, but with another provider.
I already pay 10€ per month for a quite generous hosting package, I already paid for the domain name, and I don't want another regular cost.
The idea of this proposal, besides giving others the chance to hear\see\brainstorm it also, is to:
[li] Animate you to check #
friendica out. That might give you an incentive to setup your own instance.[li] Have the easiest way to check out the back end. If I remember well, #weingaertner-it gives you the option of a monthly rent. So, suppose a 3 month "trail test"of... show more
I already pay 10€ per month for a quite generous hosting package, I already paid for the domain name, and I don't want another regular cost.
The idea of this proposal, besides giving others the chance to hear\see\brainstorm it also, is to:
[li] Animate you to check #
friendica out. That might give you an incentive to setup your own instance.[li] Have the easiest way to check out the back end. If I remember well, #weingaertner-it gives you the option of a monthly rent. So, suppose a 3 month "trail test"of friendica. That would be 15 euro. How much is an hour of your time worth? Setting up your own server means at least 8 hours of time, in over all terms. Clicking a weingaertner setup and redirecting your subdomain to them for a testride should be like an hour. If you follow thru with friendica, your personal server setup, profiles and created content wont be a lost effort as you take all of that with the DB onto your existing hosting package.[li] Support and foster the #fediVerse structure by supporting the weingaertner PYMES
I guess that's why @utopiArte invest time to create that text and posted it as a new answer with hashtags. That way it is a public answer and can be spread by an easy reshare all over the fediverse .. 😇
#fediTips
How to do your first steps in hosting your own #fediVerse presence.
♲ utopiArte (https://tupambae.org/profile/utopiarte) - 2025-08-24 10:17:47 GMT (https://tupambae.
Mina
•That's sweet of you!
I followed the instructions on
https://friendi.ca/resources/installation/
word for word, i.e.
1. uploaded the directories (including addons)
2. renamed the .htaccess-dist to .htaccess (it's an Apache server)
3. Created a database and had the details at hand.
4. Went to https://friendica.penkagram.me in order to start the installer.
and what happened was:
The installer didn't start, but went redirecting me into
[url]/index.php/install/install/install/…
1/?
@helpers
Installation – friendica
friendi.caMina
•until finally the browser told me "redirection error".
I then tested with some arbitrary PHP file if PHP worked. It did (in the root directory and the friendica subdirectory).
Then I tried stuff that was recommended in the forum (where I also found people told to become developers if they had problems), like entering database details into config files, some changes in .htaccess, but, alas, to no avail.
2/?
@helpers
Mina
•I managed to break it, so that now I get a Error 500 when trying to access the page.
So:
I am going to delete everything, start over from scratch, and if that doesn't work, try it with git.
If you have any idea, what might have gone wrong, that would be nice. If not, never mind.
3/3
@helpers
utopiArte
•@Mina
Not sure what is the actual state of the art of the installer is. Last I "heard" and experienced is that it was broken and that the best way to install is thru the console commands detailed in the helpers page:
/help/Install#Option+B%3A+Run+the+automatic+install+script
https://tupambae.org/help/Install#Option+B%3A+Run+the+automatic+install+script
And yes, it's recommendable to use the git install form, that way you will be able to easily update the installation.
Mina
•utopiArte
•Hey @Mina, any news on your intents?
No feedback?
Actually I didn't followed the @Friendica Support or friendica news channel latelly, so no idea if there were any updates. What I wondered "the other day" is that we could ask @Tobias wich friendica version was the last that had the install working fine and simply install that version, via gitpull. Once installed you can than just start the updates. If you do that before even creating any contacts or content, that should go quite smoothly. We recently did updates from 2023.05 on this server and the referenced installation guide was from that (stable) version in it's time and worked well so I assume that installing via gitpull but adressing that version, or the one Tobias indicates should work out easily.
Mina
•I'm a bit brain-foggy these days.
In order to do such a thing like the Friendica installation, I need to be sharp.
@helpers @tobias
utopiArte
•@Mina
Hope your problems get better.
Here a link to the updating process notes of this server over here.
https://tupambae.org/display/0ac89072-4267-9b07-3c42-4a4803852951
In any case it's probably recommended that you hop on some friendica server first to see how it looks and feels. Squeet.me could be a recomendation, it is running 2025.07rc branch right now, that's apparently a step in between from stable and develop branch. Than there are also the instances of @Tuxi ⁂. @OldKid ⁂ and @Raroun not sure if they a
... show more@Mina
Hope your problems get better.
Here a link to the updating process notes of this server over here.
https://tupambae.org/display/0ac89072-4267-9b07-3c42-4a4803852951
In any case it's probably recommended that you hop on some friendica server first to see how it looks and feels. Squeet.me could be a recomendation, it is running 2025.07rc branch right now, that's apparently a step in between from stable and develop branch. Than there are also the instances of @Tuxi ⁂. @OldKid ⁂ and @Raroun not sure if they accept users.
I'll dig into the actual state of the art of the branches and friendica.
Apparently the development of the code has some delays:
friendica notes on github on the actual stable release: wrote:
@Michael 🇺🇦 @Hypolite Petovan any recommendation in which latest friendica release the installer still worked fine?
@Tobias
TupambAdminOrg [2024.03]
2025-01-30 04:59:40
Mina
•I will try again, once my head is clear again.
Anyway: I'm pretty sure, the problems I had during the installation were not caused by Friendica itself (I mean: there are a lot of people, who successful completed an installation), but by some configuration with my hosting solution (on Ionos.de).
Just useful error messages during the installation process would be great.
@tux @heluecht @hypolite @raroun @tobias @oldkid
utopiArte
•@Mina
Actually you even might consider to setup your subdomain at first at https://weingaertner-it.de/, if they still do friendica hosting, I get a 503 right now over here. Apparently a single user instance costs 5 euro a month. If you like it you could than move the already existing DB to your own setup. Somehow that's how this instance came to live, but with another provider.
Mina
•utopiArte
•#fediTips
@Mina
a foggy Mina wrote:
The idea of this proposal, besides giving others the chance to hear\see\brainstorm it also, is to:
- [li] Animate you to check #
friendica out. That might give you an incentive to setup your own instance.[li] Have the easiest way to check out the back end.If I remember well, #weingaertner-it gives you the option of a monthly rent. So, suppose a 3 month "trail test"of... show more
#fediTips
@Mina
a foggy Mina wrote:
The idea of this proposal, besides giving others the chance to hear\see\brainstorm it also, is to:
- [li] Animate you to check #
friendica out. That might give you an incentive to setup your own instance.[li] Have the easiest way to check out the back end.If I remember well, #weingaertner-it gives you the option of a monthly rent. So, suppose a 3 month "trail test"of friendica. That would be 15 euro.
How much is an hour of your time worth?
Setting up your own server means at least 8 hours of time, in over all terms. Clicking a weingaertner setup and redirecting your subdomain to them for a testride should be like an hour. If you follow thru with friendica, your personal server setup, profiles and created content wont be a lost effort as you take all of that with the DB onto your existing hosting package.[li] Support and foster the #fediVerse structure by supporting the weingaertner PYMES
It's a win\speedUp\win strategy ..
https://weingaertner-it.de/
Mina
•Sounds like an excellent plan.
However: I don't like to be pushed.
bitpickup
•@Mina
I guess that's why @utopiArte invest time to create that text and posted it as a new answer with hashtags. That way it is a public answer and can be spread by an easy reshare all over the fediverse ..
😇
utopiArte
•mʕ•ﻌ•ʔm bitPickup
•Glueckwunsch @mina du hast es bis ins Diasporanetzwerk geschaft und es gab auch gleich einen Kommentar:
https://diaspora-fr.org/posts/11200696
👍
@utopiarte
#fediTips How to do your first steps in hosting your own #fediVerse...
diaspora-fr.org, un réseau social libre et respectueuxMina
•@bitpickup
Oh! Diaspora, the undiscovered country (at least for me).
So thank you for taking me by the hand and leading me there!
@utopiarte