highlighted = strong recommendation
red = well worth a watch if you have the time
doc = documentary

• Vera (S14)
• Guy Martin: Arctic Warrior
• 2024: The Year From Space (doc)
• Black Doves (S1)
• 7/7: The London Bombings (doc)
• SAS: Rogue Heroes (S1–S2)
• Taskmaster (S1–20)
• Travel Man: 48 Hours In… (S13)
• 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown (S27)
• Helmand: Tour of Duty (doc)
• Top Guns: Inside the RAF (doc)
• Edward vs George: The Windsors at War (doc)
• Surviving Black Hawk Down (doc)
• Untold: Hope Solo vs US Soccer (doc)
• Concorde: The Race for Supersonic (doc)
• David Mitchell’s Outsiders (S3)
• Prime Target
• American Murder: Gabby Petito (doc)
• Full Swing (S3)
• Out There
• Guy Martin: Top Gun
• Last One Laughing UK (S1)
• Kinahan: The True Story of Ireland’s Mafia (doc)
• Mindhunter (S1–2)
• Black Mirror (S7)
• Louis Theroux: The Settlers (doc)
• Dave Gorman’s Googlewhack Adventure
• Clarkson’s Farm (S4)
• The Last of Us (S2)
• This City Is Ours (S1)
• Fred & Rose West: A British Horror Story (doc)
• American Manhunt: Osama Bin Laden (doc)
• The Fall: Skydive Murder Plot (doc)
• Titan: The OceanGate Submersible Disaster (doc)
• The Gold (S1–2)
• Flight 149: Hostage of War (doc)
• Shifty
• Welcome to Wrexham (S4)
• The Bear (S4)
• Glastonbury Festival 2025
• Trainwreck: Mayor of Mayhem (doc)
• Hamza's Hidden Wild Isles (doc)
• Earth's Tropical Islands: Hawaii (doc)
• Trainwreck: Poop Cruise (doc)
• Wise Guy: David Chase and The Sopranos (doc)
• The Penguin
• Smoke
• Resident Alien (S4)
• Slow Horses (S5)
• Grand Designs (S27)
• Human (doc)
• How Are You? It's Alan (Partridge)
• Cocaine Quarterback (doc)
• Blue Lights (S3)
• Down Cemetery Road
• Only Connect (S21)
• Man Like Mobeen (S1–5)
• The Studio (S1)
• Community (S1–6)
• King of Lies: Football's Greatest Con (doc)
• Fatboy Slim: Right Here, Right Now (doc)
• The Diplomat (S3)
• Rick and Morty (S1)
• Heat Vision and Jack
• Sean Combs: The Reckoning (doc)
• Pluribus (S1)

Tags: #tv #endOfYearReview

5★ Masterpiece
4½★ Amazing
4★ Great
3★ Good/Decent
2★ Okay/Meh
1★ Bad

• Casablanca (1942) ★★★★★
• A Real Pain (2024) ★★★★½
• Warfare (2025) ★★★★½
• Apocalypse Now (Final Cut) (1979) ★★★★★
• Sinners (2025) ★★★★½
• Apollo 11 (2019) ★★★★½
• Hamilton (2020) ★★★★★
• Bo Burnham: Inside (2021) ★★★★½

• Monkey Man (2024) ★★★★
• The Holdovers (2023) ★★★★
• The Substance (2024) ★★★★
• Black Bag (2025) ★★★★
• The Thing (1982) ★★★★
• F1: The Movie (2025) ★★★★
• Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story (2024) (doc) ★★★★
• Happy Gilmore 2 (2025) ★★★★
• Weapons (2025) ★★★★
• Fargo (1996) ★★★★

• Nosferatu (2024) ★★
• Smokescreen (1964) ★★
• Plane (2023) ★★
• Mickey 17 (2025) ★★
• Angels and Demons (2009) ★★
• Big Trouble in Little China (1986) ★★
• Stardust (2007) ★★
• Mission: Impossible – Final Reckoning (2025) ★★
• Star Trek: Beyond (2016) ★★

• Get Away (2024) ★
• The Thursday Murder Club (2025) ★

highlighted = 4½★ or 5★ — the best
red = 4★ recommendations
N = new release (in 2025 or late-2024)
R = seen before (rewatch)

1. Casablanca (1942) ★★★★★
2. Nosferatu (2024) ★★ N
3. Monkey Man (2024) ★★★★
4. Smokescreen (1964) ★★
5. The Holdovers (2023) ★★★★
6. Get Away (2024) ★ N
7. A Real Pain (2024) ★★★★½ N
8. Wolf Man (2025) ★★★ N
9. Sexy Beast (2000) ★★★★½ R
10. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) ★★★★ R
11. Sin City (2005) ★★★★½ R
12. Companion (2025) ★★★ N
13. September 5 (2025) ★★★ N
14. The Substance (2024) ★★★★
15. Heat (1995) ★★★★★ R
16. The Monkey (2025) ★★★ N
17. Zombieland (2009) ★★★★ R
18. Zombieland: Double Tap (2019) ★★★
19. The Big Lebowski (1998) ★★★★★ R
20. Plane (2023) ★★
21. Mickey 17 (2025) ★★ N
22. Black Bag (2025) ★★★★ N
23. Last Breath (2025) ★★★ N
24. Bad Boys (1995) ★★★ R
25. The Da Vinci Code (2006) ★★★
26. Angels and Demons (2009) ★★
27. Interstellar (2014) (IMAX) ★★★★★ R
28. The Shining (1980) ★★★★★ R
29. Snatch (2000) ★★★★ R
30. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) ★★★★★ R
31. Warfare (2025) ★★★★½ N
32. Apocalypse Now (Final Cut) (1979) ★★★★★
33. Sinners (2025) ★★★★½ N
34. Office Space (1999) ★★★
35. Big Trouble in Little China (1986) ★★
36. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) ★★★★ R
37. Django Unchained (2012) ★★★★½ R
38. Stardust (2007) ★★
39. Hot Fuzz (2007) ★★★★½ R
40. Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood (2019) ★★★★½ R
41. Hotel Mumbai (2018) ★★★★ R
42. Collateral (2004) ★★★★ R
43. Mountainhead (2025) ★★★ N
44. The Thing (1982) ★★★★
45. Sicario (2015) ★★★★½ R
46. Dog Day Afternoon (1975) ★★★★½ R
47. The Wind in the Willows (1983) ★★★★ R
48. 28 Days Later (2002) ★★★★ R
49. F1: The Movie (2025) (IMAX) ★★★★ N
50. Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping (2016) ★★★
51. 28 Years Later (2025) ★★★ N
52. Mission: Impossible – Final Reckoning (2025) ★★ N
53. Sicario 2: Soldado (2018) ★★★
54. Shallow Grave (1994) ★★★★ R
55. Hill (2025) (doc) ★★★ N
56. Star Trek: Into Darkness (2013) ★★★
57. Star Trek: Beyond (2016) ★★
58. The Amateur (2025) ★★★ N
59. Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story (2024) (doc) ★★★★ N
60. Red Riding: 1974 (2009) ★★★
61. Bring Her Back (2025) ★★★ N
62. Happy Gilmore 2 (2025) ★★★★ N
63. Red Riding: 1980 (2009) ★★★
64. Red Riding: 1983 (2009) ★★★
65. The Covenant (2023) ★★★★½ R
66. The Commitments (1991) ★★★★ R
67. Nobody (2021) ★★★★ R
68. Weapons (2025) (IMAX) ★★★★ N
69. Nobody 2 (2025) ★★★ N
70. Army of Darkness (1992) ★★★ R
71. 2010: The Year We Make Contact (1984) ★★★★ R
72. Jaws (1975) (IMAX) ★★★★ R
73. TRON: Legacy (2010) ★★★ R
74. Baby Driver (2017) ★★★★ R
75. The Thursday Murder Club (2025) ★ N
76. Grosse Pointe Blank (1997) ★★★★ R
77. The Fifth Element (1997) ★★★★ R
78. Apollo 13 (1995) ★★★★½ R
79. GoldenEye (1995) ★★★ R
80. Lethal Weapon 3 (1992) ★★★ R
81. Apollo 11 (2019) ★★★★½
82. The 'Burbs (1989) ★★★
83. Hamilton (2020) ★★★★★
84. Interstellar (2015) ★★★★★ R
85. Batman Begins (2005) ★★★★ R
86. Nosferatu (1922) ★★★
87. The Dark Knight (2008) ★★★★½ R
88. The Lost Bus (2025) ★★★ N
89. Fargo (1996) ★★★★
90. Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977) ★★★★ R
91. Skyfall (2012) ★★★★ R
92. Scrooge (1951) ★★★★½ R
93. Die Hard 2 (1990) ★★★★ R
94. The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) ★★★★½ R
95. Die Hard (1988) ★★★★★ R
96. Gremlins (1984) ★★★★ R
97. Home Alone (1990) ★★★★ R
98. Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994) ★★★ R
99. Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009) ★★★★★ R
100. Bo Burnham: Inside (2021) ★★★★½

Tags: #movies #endOfYearReview

It skews my ratings artificially high and devalues the top ratings for those films that deserve it. Conversely, the stinkers don't get singled out either. To demonstrate this, my Letterboxd ratings are were* a mess. A different approach is needed.

*Letterboxd ratings now amended!

This was my old scale:

10 • Masterpiece 9 • Amazing 8 • Great 7 • Good 6 • Okay 5 • Mediocre 4 • Poor 3 • Bad 2 • Awful 1 • Unwatchable

I made it too complicated with so many choices; the idea was to provide nuance by using a scale out of ten, but it's not worked out as intended.

I'm switching back to the tried-and-tested 5★ rating, with an added 4½★ option available for those films that deserve special mention but don't quite hit masterpiece status.

This will now be my guide:

5★ (Masterpiece) → 1–2% of films Only the very best across all my watching life. The “desert island” films. Generally, if I'm giving more than one or two 5★ in a year for new releases, I'm probably being too generous. → “Blew me away. I loved every minute. I’d watch it again tomorrow. This is among the best films I’ve ever seen.”

4½★ (Amazing) → 5–10% of films Films I absolutely loved, nearly flawless. If I see 100 films in a year, maybe up to 10 earn this. → “I really loved it. Nearly perfect for me. I’d recommend it without hesitation, though maybe not one of the all-time greats.”

4★ (Great) → 15–20% of films Memorable, rewatchable, strong. These are the ones I'd recommend to friends. → “I had a really good time. I’d gladly watch it again. Strong, memorable, but doesn’t quite reach personal favourite status.”

3★ (Good/Decent) → 35–40% of films The largest category. Fun enough, competent, but not a standout. This is where most decent cinema lands — the backbone of my watch list. → “Enjoyable. Solid. Glad I watched it, but I probably won’t revisit it often.”

2★ (Okay/Meh) → 20–25% of films Didn’t do much for me, but not outright painful. Forgettable. → “Meh. Didn’t grab me. I wouldn’t recommend it, but it wasn’t a total waste.”

1★ (Bad) → 5–10% of films Rare, but I should actually use it. This is my dumping ground for the duds. → “If I had known how it would be, I wouldn’t have watched it. I’d warn others away.”

This should produce more of a bell curve distribution and force me to be more measured. It should stop the 4★ inflation and keep the top ratings rare, so they mean something special when they're used. I don't need the fine slicing at the bottom end either as I never use them; one bucket of “not good” is enough.

I also need to remind myself that I'm no film critic and that my ratings largely reflect my personal enjoyment (so a fluffy but fun film could get 4★) rather than being solely a critical judgement of the filmmaking (where even if I enjoyed a film, if it’s technically weak it gets 2–3★). It does play a small part however, so ratings should in theory be based on an approx. 80/20 split of these factors.

So, when I start giving a lot more ★★★ ratings in future, it doesn't mean they're not good; in fact it actively means they are good. IMHO.

tags: #movies

“Warming stripes” are a powerful visual representation of how temperatures have increased around the world since the Industrial Revolution.

Created by climate scientist Professor Ed Hawkins at the University of Reading, each stripe represents one year. The colours transition from cool blues to warm reds to represent the temperature increases seen throughout the past 150 years or more.

Show your stripes at: showyourstripes.info

tags: #science

highlighted = strong recommendation
bold = well worth a watch if you have the time

• Fargo (S5) (FX)
• Mr. Bates vs. The Post Office (ITV)
• Masters of the Air (Apple)
• Griselda (Netflix)
• American Nightmare (doc) (Netflix)
• Deadwater Fell (Channel 4)
• Curb Your Enthusiasm (S12) (HBO)
• The Space Shuttle That Fell To Earth (doc) (BBC)
• Alice & Jack (Channel 4)
• Kin (S2) (RTE/BBC)
• Tell Them You Love Me (doc) (Sky)
• The Reckoning (BBC)
• The Gentlemen (Amazon)
• Full Swing (S2) (Netflix)
• How To with John Wilson (HBO)
• The Dropout (Hulu/Disney)
• The Hunt for Raoul Moat (ITV)
• True Detective: Night Country (S4) (HBO)
• The Jinx (doc) (HBO)
• The Regime (HBO)
• Resident Alien (S3) (SyFy)
• Blue Lights (BBC)
• Ripley (Netflix)
• Clarkson's Farm (S3) (Amazon)
• The Responder (BBC)
• Vera (S13) (ITV)
• Shōgun (FX/Disney)
• The Boys (S4) (Amazon)
• House of the Dragon (S2) (HBO)
• Dark Matter (Apple)
• Sugar (Apple)
• Young Sheldon (S7) (Channel 4)
• The Diplomat (S2) (Netflix)
• The Bear (S3) (FX/Disney)
• The Old Man (S2) (FX/Disney)
• Tom Brady: Man in the Arena (ESPN/Disney)
• Rivals (Disney)
• Lucan (doc) (BBC)
• Bad Monkey (Apple)
• Shrinking (S2) (Apple)
• Industry (S3) (HBO/BBC)
• The Day of the Jackal (Sky/Universal)
• James Blunt: One Brit Wonder (doc) (Netflix)
• The Perfect Couple (Netflix)
• A Man On The Inside (Netflix)
• Solar System (doc) (BBC)
• The Tourist (BBC)
• Nobody Wants This (Netflix)
• Cheaters (BBC)
• Game of Throws: Inside Darts (doc) (Sky)
• Wolf Hall (BBC)
• Bad Sisters (S2) (Apple)

Tags: #tv #endOfYearReview

10 = Masterpiece
9 = Amazing
8 = Great
7 = Good
6 = Okay
5 = Mediocre
4 = Poor
3 = Bad
2 = Awful
1 = Unwatchable

highlighted = 8/10 or better (recommendation)
bold = new release (in 2024 or late-2023)
italic = seen before (rewatch)

• Poor Things (2023) 10/10
• The Favourite (2018) 10/10
• Ex Machina (2015) 10/10
• Interstellar (2014) 10/10
• Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011) 10/10
• The Shawshank Redemption (1994) 10/10
• Conclave (2024) 9/10
• Dune: Part Two (2024) 9/10
• Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl (2024) 9/10
• Killers of the Flower Moon (2023) 9/10
• Asteroid City (2023) 9/10
• Nope (2022) 9/10
• Pig (2021) 9/10
• Once Upon A Time In... Hollywood (2019) 9/10
• Apollo 11 (2019) (doc) 9/10
• Hotel Mumbai (2018) 9/10
• The Killing Of A Sacred Deer (2017) 9/10
• Sicario (2015) 9/10
• Gladiator (2000) 9/10
• Traffic (2000) 9/10

• Heretic (2024) 8/10
• Civil War (2024) 8/10
• The Old Oak (2023) 8/10
• Ferrari (2023) 8/10
• Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (2023) 8/10
• The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry (2023) 8/10
• X (2022) 8/10
• The Menu (2022) 8/10
• A Man Called Otto (2022) 8/10
• The Outfit (2022) 8/10
• Buried: The 1982 Alpine Meadows Avalanche (2022) (doc) 8/10
• Dune: Part One (2021) 8/10
• The French Dispatch (2021) 8/10
• The Dig (2021) 8/10
• 9/11: Inside the President's War Room (2021) (doc) 8/10
• Just Mercy (2019) 8/10
• Dirty God (2019) 8/10
• The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018) 8/10
• The Little Stranger (2018) 8/10
• Kursk (2018) 8/10
• The Founder (2016) 8/10
• The Light Between Oceans (2016) 8/10
• The Lobster (2015) 8/10
• Seven Psychopaths (2012) 8/10
• We Need To Talk About Kevin (2011) 8/10
• Red State (2011) 8/10
• Layer Cake (2004) 8/10
• Shaun of the Dead (2004) 8/10
• Catch Me If You Can (2002) 8/10
• The Beach (2000) 8/10
• 10 Things I Hate About You (1999) 8/10
• What Ever Happened To Baby Jane? (1962) 8/10
• The Man Between (1953) 8/10

• Gladiator 2 (2024) 5/10
• Trap (2024) 5/10
• The Creator (2023) 5/10
• Cocaine Bear (2023) 5/10

• Maggie Moore(s) (2023) 4/10
• Poker Face (2022) 4/10
• Ambulance (2022) 4/10
• Gunpowder Milkshake (2021) 4/10
• The Commuter (2018) 4/10
• Zulu (1964) 4/10

• The Godfather Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone (1990) (Director’s Recut, 2020) 6/10
• Zulu (1964) 4/10
• The Hitman's Bodyguard (2017) 6/10
• Widows (2017) 6/10
• The Dig (2021) 8/10
• Reptile (2023) 6/10
• The Founder (2016) 8/10
• Traffic (2000) 9/10
• Promising Young Woman (2020) 6/10
• The Duke (2020) 6/10
• Gunpowder Milkshake (2021) 4/10
• The Men Who Stare At Goats (2009) 6/10
• Days of Thunder (1990) 6/10
• Green Zone (2010) 6/10
• X (2022) 8/10
• The Commuter (2018) 4/10
• Gorillas In The Mist (1988) 6/10
• The Killing Of A Sacred Deer (2017) 9/10
• Poor Things (2023) 10/10
• The Man Between (1953) 8/10
• Ex Machina (2015) 10/10
• Greed (2019) 6/10
• The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry (2023) 8/10
• Layer Cake (2004) 8/10
• The Little Stranger (2018) 8/10
• The Favourite (2018) 10/10
• The Lobster (2015) 8/10
• The Light Between Oceans (2016) 8/10
• A Man Called Otto (2022) 8/10
• French Exit (2020) 6/10
• Operation Mincemeat (2021) 6/10
• Hotel Mumbai (2018) 9/10
• Maggie Moore(s) (2023) 4/10
• Poker Face (2022) 4/10
• Killers of the Flower Moon (2023) 9/10
• Sister Act (1992) 6/10
• Nope (2022) 9/10
• The Monuments Men (2014) 6/10
• The Outfit (2022) 8/10
• Ambulance (2022) 4/10
• Seven Psychopaths (2012) 8/10
• Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017) 6/10
• The Card Counter (2021) 6/10
• The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018) 8/10
• Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (2023) 8/10
• Asteroid City (2023) 9/10
• Dog Soldiers (2002) 6/10
• Sicario (2015) 9/10
• Ferrari (2023) 8/10
• The Old Oak (2023) 8/10
• Cocaine Bear (2023) 5/10
• Apollo 11 (2019) (documentary) 9/10
• 9/11: Inside the President's War Room (2021) (documentary) 8/10
• Just Mercy (2019) 8/10
• The Mule (2018) 7/10
• Dune: Part One (2021) 8/10
• Dune: Part Two (2024) 9/10
• Buried: The 1982 Alpine Meadows Avalanche (2022) (documentary) 8/10
• Pig (2021) 9/10
• Lost In Translation (2003) 6/10
• Red State (2011) 8/10
• Annihilation (2018) 6/10
• Once Upon A Time In... Hollywood (2019) 9/10
• Emily The Criminal (2022) 7/10
• Dirty God (2019) 8/10
• Draft Day (2014) 6/10
• Civil War (2024) 8/10
• 10 Things I Hate About You (1999) 8/10
• Hellboy (2004) 6/10
• Kursk (2018) 8/10
• We Need To Talk About Kevin (2011) 8/10
• Rush (2013) 7/10
• What Ever Happened To Baby Jane? (1962) 8/10
• The Menu (2022) 8/10
• Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011) 10/10
• The Creator (2023) 5/10
• Kinds of Kindness (2024) 6/10
• Longlegs (2024) 6/10
• Beverly Hills Cop (1984) 7/10
• Beverly Hills Cop II (1987) 7/10
• Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F (2024) 6/10
• The Beach (2000) 8/10
• Trap (2024) 5/10
• Blink Twice (2024) 6/10
• Speak No Evil (2024) 7/10
• Interstellar (IMAX) (10th ann.) (2014) 10/10
• Wolfs (2024) 6/10
• Shaun of the Dead (20th ann.) (2004) 8/10
• Gladiator (2000) 9/10
• Arcadian (2024) 6/10
• Heretic (2024) 8/10
• The Shawshank Redemption (1994) 10/10
• The French Dispatch (2021) 8/10
• Daddio (2024) 6/10
• Spike Island (2012) 6/10
• Gladiator 2 (2024) 5/10
• The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare (2024) 7/10
• Conclave (2024) 9/10
• Wallace and Grommit: Vengeance Most Fowl (2024) 9/10
• Catch Me If You Can (2002) 8/10
• Next Goal Wins (2023) 7/10

Tags: #movies #endOfYearReview

Step 1. Increase the swap file

If you're using a 4GB Raspberry Pi (4B or 5), you will need to increase the size of the swap file, at least temporarily, otherwise the process (in Step 9) to compile CSS/JS assets may crash. Obviously, the 1GB and 2GB models should not be used here as they lack sufficient memory.

You can set the swap file back to its original size—once Mastodon is installed—by following these steps again, but this is not necessary.

⚠️  If you're using a Raspberry Pi (4B or 5) with 8GB of RAM, you can safely skip this and move straight on to Step 2.

1. Stop the system from using the current swap file:

   sudo dphys-swapfile swapoff

2. Open the swap file configuration file:

   sudo nano /etc/dphys-swapfile

3. Find the following line of text within the file (value may vary):

   CONF_SWAPSIZE=200

   and change the value to 2048 (MB):

   CONF_SWAPSIZE=2048

4. Save the file by pressing CTRL + X, followed by Y, then Enter.

5. Re-initialise the swap file (removes the original swap file and recreates it to fit the newly defined size):

   sudo dphys-swapfile setup

6. Turn the swap back on:

   sudo dphys-swapfile swapon

7. Reboot the device to allow all programs to be reloaded with access to the new memory pool:

   sudo reboot

Step 2. SSH Keys

Using SSH keys for authentication instead of passwords is a great way of securing the Raspberry Pi, as well as making logins much quicker.

1. Find your public SSH key on your computer. On macOS, this will be a file ending .pub in the ~/.ssh directory.

2. Create a .ssh directory in your home directory on the Raspberry Pi:

   install -d -m 700 ~/.ssh

3. Create (and edit) an authorized_keys file in the new directory:

   nano ~/.ssh/authorized_keys

4. Paste the contents of your public SSH key into this file, then save.

5. Ensure the file has the correct permissions:

   sudo chmod 644 ~/.ssh/authorized_keys

6. Ensure the file has the correct owner (if not using pi as the default user, replace it below with the name of your default user):

   sudo chown pi:pi ~/.ssh/authorized_keys

Step 3. NGINX web server

We want the ability to host other websites on this server so we will use NGINX as a reverse proxy for Mastodon.

1. Update the package list and upgrade existing packages:

   sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

2. Install NGINX:

   sudo apt install -y nginx

3. Start the NGINX service:

   sudo systemctl start nginx

4. Install PHP-FPM and recommended PHP modules:

   sudo apt install -y php8.2-fpm php8.2-mbstring php8.2-mysql php8.2-curl php8.2-gd php8.2-zip php8.2-xml

Step 4. SSL certificates

I am using Cloudflare for DNS and tunnelling so I need to follow these steps to create and deploy an Origin CA certificate.

⚠️  If you don't use Cloudflare, install your own SSL certificate here instead of following the exact instructions below.

1. Log in to the Cloudflare dashboard and select an account.

2. Choose your domain.

3. Go to SSL/TLS > Origin Server.

4. Select Create Certificate.

5. Choose Generate private key and CSR with Cloudflare and leave all other options as they are. Click the Create button.

6. Ensure the Key Format is PEM and then copy the signed Origin Certificate and Private Key into separate .pem and .key files. Click the OK button.

7. Copy the .pem and .key files to your Raspberry Pi in the /etc/ssl directory.

8. Change the owner of both files to root:

   sudo chown root:root /etc/ssl/filename.key /etc/ssl/filename.pem

9. Restart NGINX:

   sudo systemctl restart nginx

10. Back in the Cloudflare dashboard, go to SSL/TLS > Overview and click Configure. Under the option Custom SSL/TLS click Select. Change the option to Full (Strict) and click Save.

Step 5. Mastodon pre-installation

1. Update and upgrade system packages:

   sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

2. Install dependencies:

   sudo apt install -y curl lsb-release imagemagick ffmpeg libpq-dev libxml2-dev libxslt1-dev file git-core g++ libprotobuf-dev protobuf-compiler pkg-config nodejs gcc autoconf bison build-essential libssl-dev libyaml-dev libreadline6-dev zlib1g-dev libncurses5-dev libffi-dev libgdbm-dev nginx redis-server redis-tools certbot python3-certbot-nginx libidn11-dev libicu-dev libjemalloc-dev

3. Create a mastodon user:

   sudo useradd mastodon -m

Step 6. Install NodeJS

1. Update the package list and upgrade existing packages:

   sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

2. To ensure we have all of the packages we need to access the Nodesource repository, run the following command:

   sudo apt install -y ca-certificates curl gnupg

3. Download the Nodesource GPG key and store it within the /usr/share/keyrings directory:

   curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/gpgkey/nodesource-repo.gpg.key | sudo gpg --dearmor -o /usr/share/keyrings/nodesource.gpg

4. Set an environment variable that we will reference next:

   NODE_MAJOR=20

5. Add the NodeJS repository to your sources list:

   echo "deb [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/nodesource.gpg] https://deb.nodesource.com/node_$NODE_MAJOR.x nodistro main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/nodesource.list

6. Since we made changes to the sources list, we need to update the package list:

   sudo apt update

7. Install the NodeJS package:

   sudo apt install -y nodejs

Step 7. Install PostgreSQL (and enable Yarn)

1. Save the GPG key for the PostgreSQL repository:

   curl -L https://www.postgresql.org/media/keys/ACCC4CF8.asc | gpg --dearmor | sudo tee /usr/share/keyrings/postgresql-archive-keyring.gpg >/dev/null

2. Add the repository to our sources list:

   echo "deb [arch=arm64 signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/postgresql-archive-keyring.gpg] http://apt.postgresql.org/pub/repos/apt $(lsb_release -cs)-pgdg main" | sudo tee  /etc/apt/sources.list.d/postgresql.list

3. As we changed the available repositories, we need to update the package list cache again:

   sudo apt update

4. Install the PostgreSQL package:

   sudo apt install -y postgresql postgresql-contrib

5. Launch the PostgreSQL command line interface (CLI):

   sudo -u postgres psql

6. Create a PostgreSQL user named mastodon:

   CREATE USER mastodon CREATEDB;

7. Quit out of the CLI:

   \q

8. To build and run Mastodon, we need to enable Yarn (the NodeJS package manager). Do this now:

   sudo corepack enable && sudo yarn set version classic

Step 8. Install Ruby

1. Switch to the mastodon user:

   sudo su mastodon

2. Change to the home directory:

   cd ~

3. Clone the code repository for the rbenv utility:

   git clone https://github.com/rbenv/rbenv.git ~/.rbenv

4. Clone the code repository for the ruby-build plugin:

   git clone https://github.com/rbenv/ruby-build.git ~/.rbenv/plugins/ruby-build

5. Adjust the .bashrc file to initialise the rbenv utility to set up the Ruby environment:

   echo 'eval "$(~/.rbenv/bin/rbenv init - bash)"' >> ~/.bashrc

6. To ensure the changes we made are available immediately:

   exec bash

7. Install Ruby 3.3.5:

   RUBY_CONFIGURE_OPTS=--with-jemalloc rbenv install 3.3.5

   ⚠️  This step can take a long time to complete.

8. Declare the installed Ruby version 3.3.5 as the global version to use:

   rbenv global 3.3.5

9. Use the Ruby package manager to install bundler:

   gem install bundler --no-document

Step 9. Install Mastodon

1. Make sure that you are still running as the mastodon user; switch to that user now, if not:

   sudo su mastodon

2. Change to the home directory:

   cd ~

3. Clone the code repository for Mastodon, then change to the new live directory:

   git clone https://github.com/mastodon/mastodon.git live && cd live

4. Change to the latest stable release of Mastodon:

   git checkout $(git tag -l | grep '^v[0-9.]*$' | sort -V | tail -n 1)

5. Set the deployment option to true and exclude any packages that are only used for development or test purposes:

   bundle config deployment 'true' && bundle config without 'development test'

6. Install all of the Ruby dependencies for Mastodon:

   bundle install -j$(nproc)

   Note: we use the -j option to tell the package manager to use as many CPU cores as we have.

7. Install all of the NodeJS dependencies for Mastodon:

   yarn install

   ⚠️  You can safely ignore any warnings thrown here.

8. Configure Mastodon:

   RAILS_ENV=production bundle exec rake mastodon:setup

9. Follow the on-screen prompts for how you would like to set up Mastodon. You can leave the PostgreSQL and Redis options as default (just press Enter on each option).

10. Switch back to your default user:

    exit

11. Update the default NGINX host file using the template provided on the Mastodon docs website, or replace the file with a copy of a previously backed-up host file.

12. Reload NGINX web server:

    sudo systemctl reload nginx

13. Copy the systemd services for Mastodon to the relevant directory:

    sudo cp /home/mastodon/live/dist/mastodon-*.service /etc/systemd/system/

14. Start the services now and enable them to start automatically at logon in future:

    sudo systemctl enable --now mastodon-web mastodon-sidekiq mastodon-streaming

Step 10. Post-installation customisation (optional)

Import a blocklist

1. Download this blocklist.

2. In Mastodon, go to Moderation > Federation and click on the Import button at the top of the page.

3. Choose the blocklist file you previously downloaded and click Upload.

4. You should now see a long list of domain blocks. Make sure the Select All checkbox is selected and then click on Import.
   

Change the maximum post length and poll limit

1. Switch to the mastodon user:

   sudo su mastodon

2. Change to the home directory:

   cd ~

3. Edit the compose_form_container.js file:

   nano -w live/app/javascript/mastodon/features/compose/containers/compose_form_container.js

4. Search for the line:

   maxChars: state.getIn(['server', 'server', 'configuration', 'statuses', 'max_characters'], 500)

   and change the value 500 to the new limit (e.g. 2000).

5. Save the file by pressing CTRL + X, followed by Y, then Enter.

6. Edit the status_length_validator.rb file:

   nano -w live/app/validators/status_length_validator.rb

7. Search for the line:

   MAX_CHARS = 500

   and change the value 500 to the same new limit as above.

8. Save the file by pressing CTRL + X, followed by Y, then Enter.

9. Edit the poll_options_validator.rb file:

   nano -w live/app/validators/poll_options_validator.rb

10. Search for the line:

    MAX_OPTIONS = 4

    and change the value 4 to the new limit (e.g. 12).

11. Save the file by pressing CTRL + X, followed by Y, then Enter.

12. Rebuild the assets:

    cd live && RAILS_ENV=production bundle exec rails assets:precompile

13. Switch back to the main user:

    exit

14. Restart the Mastodon services:

    sudo systemctl restart mastodon-sidekiq mastodon-web mastodon-streaming

    
    

Change the username, display name, and notes limits

1. Switch to the mastodon user:

   sudo su mastodon

2. Change to the home directory:

   cd ~

3. Edit the account.rb file:

   nano -w live/app/models/account.rb

4. Search for the following lines and amend as required:

   USERNAME_LENGTH_LIMIT = 30

   DISPLAY_NAME_LENGTH_LIMIT = 30

   NOTE_LENGTH_LIMIT = 500

5. Save the file by pressing CTRL + X, followed by Y, then Enter.

6. Restart the Mastodon services:

   sudo systemctl restart mastodon-sidekiq mastodon-web mastodon-streaming

1. https://pimylifeup.com/raspberry-pi-swap-file 2. https://pimylifeup.com/raspberry-pi-ssh-keys 3. https://pimylifeup.com/raspberry-pi-nginx 4. https://developers.cloudflare.com/ssl/origin-configuration/origin-ca
 5. https://www.digicert.com/kb/csr-ssl-installation/nginx-openssl.htm 6. https://pimylifeup.com/raspberry-pi-mastodon 7. https://pimylifeup.com/raspberry-pi-nodejs 8. https://github.com/sgrigson/oliphant/tree/main/blocklists/mastodon 9. https://fouquet.me/2024/10/10/mastodon-4-3-char-limit

Tags: #mastodon #raspberryPi