is the fedi instance identified by some cryptographic key pair? what if one replaces fedi software on the same domain?

let's say i find a way to figure out and migrate the database of socialhome i host to tootik or gotosocial. or i just replace socialhome with gotosocial on the same domain.

does each fedi instance also have some keypair that also has to be migrated, so that new instance on the same domain would be accepted by other fedi instances that already established connection with previous software?

Posted in: s/Fediverse

🐙 norayr

2023-07-26 · 10 months ago · 👍 deathbyindierock

6 Comments ↓

🤖 alexlehm · 2023-07-27 at 08:08:

I believe it is only identified by the DNS name and the username, there is no signature identity

🐙 norayr [OP] · 2023-07-27 at 21:51:

hm, so reinstalling doesn't break federation? i heard it does. may it be there is a key pair that identifies the user.

😈 dimkr · 2023-07-29 at 07:39:

Each user is associated with a key used to sign requests (federation of new posts, etc'). As long as you migrate users, retain their keys and all old URLs keep working (for example, user IDs don't change, inbox URL for user x doesn't change ...), it should be a smooth transition. Big "if", though.

🎵 deathbyindierock · 2023-08-21 at 02:44:

so glad someone else is wondering the same thing! I really don't like the direction the mastodon project is going in (i run hometown, which is a fork of masto) and was wondering if it was possible to migrate to other fedi software, as there are a ton of cool projects out there, but I don't want all my users to have to start fresh : / I hate the lock in, someone needs to make a script or something that translates postgres schemas

🐙 norayr [OP] · 2023-08-29 at 14:17:

hey, sorry for the late reply.

i don't like mastodon's tech decisions, i mean usage of ruby and js, it works very slow and heavy on weaker machines.

i like gotosocial - it is fast, and it is lightweight because of the technology behind it - go language.

i opened an issue there and gotosocial devs replied that it is in their plans to prepare a migration from mastodon.

i host mastodon, but for my personal account i host socialhome, which is written in python. it can connect both to diaspora and activity pub. and socialhome is even more heavy than mastodon.

🐙 norayr [OP] · 2023-08-29 at 14:19:

@dimkr, i don't know why i didn't comment back then, because i remember i have read it. i guess something distracted me. thank you very much for the explanation. eventually i understand. so user keys, not the instance keys.

now i get it.