Step 1: Install Docker and Docker Compose

Before installing Mastodon, you need to ensure Docker and Docker Compose are installed on your Rocky Linux 9 server. Run the following commands to install Docker:

sudo dnf update -y
sudo dnf install -y dnf-plugins-core
sudo dnf config-manager --add-repo https://download.docker.com/linux/centos/docker-ce.repo
sudo dnf install -y docker-ce docker-ce-cli containerd.io
            

Once Docker is installed, enable and start the Docker service:

sudo systemctl enable docker
sudo systemctl start docker
            

Now install Docker Compose using the following command:

sudo curl -L "https://github.com/docker/compose/releases/download/1.29.2/docker-compose-$(uname -s)-$(uname -m)" -o /usr/local/bin/docker-compose
sudo chmod +x /usr/local/bin/docker-compose
            

Verify the installation by checking the Docker and Docker Compose versions:

docker --version
docker-compose --version
            

This setup prepares your server to run Docker containers, whether locally or on a VPS Windows Servers platform.

Step 2: Set Up Mastodon Docker Environment

Create a directory for Mastodon and navigate into it:

mkdir ~/mastodon && cd ~/mastodon

Clone the Mastodon repository from GitHub:

git clone https://github.com/mastodon/mastodon.git .

Switch to the latest stable release branch:

git checkout $(git tag | grep -v rc | tail -1)

Step 3: Configure Environment Variables

Copy the sample environment configuration file to use for your instance:

cp .env.production.sample .env.production

Edit the .env.production file to configure your domain, email, and database information. Make sure to set up your domain name, for example:

LOCAL_DOMAIN=yourdomain.com
SMTP_SERVER=smtp.yourmailprovider.com
SMTP_PORT=587
SMTP_LOGIN=yourlogin
SMTP_PASSWORD=yourpassword
            

Configure other necessary settings, including database passwords. This configuration ensures Mastodon will work correctly when deployed, whether locally or on a UK VPS Windows hosting solution.

Step 4: Build and Start Mastodon with Docker Compose

Now that the environment is set up, you can build and start the Mastodon containers. Run the following commands to build the containers:

docker-compose build
docker-compose run --rm web rake db:setup
docker-compose run --rm web rake db:migrate
docker-compose run --rm web rake assets:precompile
            

Once the containers are built, start Mastodon:

docker-compose up -d

Mastodon will now be running in the background using Docker. Whether you're deploying locally or using a Windows Virtual Private Server hosting platform, your Mastodon instance will be accessible.

Step 5: Configure Nginx as a Reverse Proxy

To make your Mastodon instance publicly accessible, you can configure Nginx as a reverse proxy. Install Nginx with the following command:

sudo dnf install nginx

After installation, create a configuration file for Mastodon in Nginx:

sudo nano /etc/nginx/conf.d/mastodon.conf

Add the following configuration, replacing yourdomain.com with your domain:

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name yourdomain.com;
    
    location / {
        proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:3000;
        proxy_set_header Host $host;
        proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;
    }
}
            

Enable and restart Nginx:

sudo systemctl enable nginx
sudo systemctl restart nginx
            

This will allow users to access your Mastodon instance through your domain, whether it's hosted locally or on a VPS Windows hosting UK platform.

Step 6: Secure Your Mastodon Instance with SSL

For security, you should enable SSL on your Mastodon instance using Let’s Encrypt. Install Certbot and its Nginx plugin:

sudo dnf install certbot python3-certbot-nginx

Obtain the SSL certificate and configure Nginx with the following command:

sudo certbot --nginx -d yourdomain.com

Certbot will automatically configure SSL for your domain, securing your Mastodon instance with HTTPS, whether hosted on a local server or a Windows VPS hosting UK.