Hugo Gameiro
After doing more testing, I decided to go ahead and provide shared hosting for Mastodon instances.
This will be a trial but unless something goes horribly wrong, I believe that I can price it at €5/month for an instance of up to 100 users.
This can greatly diminish the cost of running small instances and remove the technical barrier from everyone who wishes to run their own Mastodon Instance.
Let me know what you think https://masto.host/#pricing-table
Apr 24, 2017 at 12:21pmWeb
Show threadBjarniBjarniBjarni 🙊 🇮🇸 🍏Apr 24, 2017
@hugo I'll bite! If I bring a domain name and $5/month and a willingness to be an early tester... what happens next?
Show threadBjarniBjarniBjarni 🙊 🇮🇸 🍏Apr 24, 2017

Putting my money where my mouth is. 🤑

A luxury afforded those with mouths and monies in compatible proportions.

Show threadHugo GameiroApr 24, 2017
@HerraBRE I install an instance for you and you have fun with it :) really there is not much else I can say. Do you have any specific question?
Show threadBjarniBjarniBjarni 🙊 🇮🇸 🍏Apr 24, 2017

@hugo Well, I clicked the link on the site and it gave me a placeholder page, so I don't know how to pay you or tell you further details (aside from just chatting like this).

I guess my first step is to decide on a domain name.

Would you prefer we move this to e-mail?

Show threadHugo GameiroApr 24, 2017
@HerraBRE ahhh, sorry. I didn't get the questions. Yes to all, I need to know the domain you wish to use (can also create a sub domain on masto.host but I believe you already have a domain) but yes please email me [email protected] :)
Show threadindigo6:monkey:Apr 24, 2017
@hugo HI, I am quite interested in your service....but cannot yet find out how to fund it monthly by my community. I might contact you later.
Show threadHugo GameiroApr 24, 2017
@indigo6 Awesome! Please do and if you can't solve the funding issue, just let me know and I can try and see what I can do :)
Show threadBill PostersApr 24, 2017
@hugo This is excellent idea, I don't know when I would have a use for it, but I'd like to. I'm pretty enamoured by Mastodon these days.
Show threadHugo GameiroApr 24, 2017
@BillPosters I am hoping there are some uses for it but time will tell :)
Show threadBill PostersApr 24, 2017
@hugo I think mastodon would be cool when you have people living off-grid, you can create individual communities that can function in isolation. Like a way for people to communicate in an isolated village. Then again. I might be over thinking this.
In my head the combination of a fediverse and mesh messaging go well together, although I have to think how exactly they could work together.
Show threadHugo GameiroApr 24, 2017
@BillPosters I think there are interesting use cases to talk with people with similar interest by joining a specific instance. But it could also be from a location (eg: school). There are some really cool use cases that I can think of but think that many more will come that we cannot even imagine.
Show threadRuud SchildersApr 24, 2017
@hugo Very nice initiative!
Show threadDr. Edward Morbius ❌Apr 24, 2017

@hugo Interesting.

I've previously suggested a potential market for Mastodon-as-a-Service.

Show threadHugo GameiroApr 24, 2017
@dredmorbius could always use more help ;)
Show threadKristján [Backup account]Apr 24, 2017
@hugo "What are you waiting FOR?" 😋
Show threadHugo GameiroApr 24, 2017
@BitScout my marketing/copy skills are amazing 🤣
Show threadKristján [Backup account]Apr 24, 2017
@hugo What about domains?
That will still require some technical knowledge, right? (Buying, setting A-Records, ...)
So Trump won't be able to just click "buy"? 😉
Show threadHugo GameiroApr 24, 2017
@BitScout I offer a subdomain masto.host to everyone,
even Trump (eg: trump.masto.host) 😉
Show threadArthurLApr 24, 2017
@hugo i use VPS SSD 3 https://www.ovh.com/fr/vps/vps-ssd.xml But how do you manage cache media ?
Show threadHugo GameiroApr 24, 2017
@LemoineArthur set up in public cloud and use attached hard disks. I use OVH too.
Show threadf2f 🇷🇺Apr 24, 2017
@hugo The digitalocean is much cheaper and the configuration is much better than yours for 5$. What are your advantages?
Show threadHugo GameiroApr 24, 2017
@f2f DO doesn't install, update and give customer support for Mastodon instances. Besides, I am awesome, does that count? 😂
Show threadf2f 🇷🇺Apr 24, 2017
@hugo I understand, then there are no questions. Thanks for the answer. Your service will be of much use to the ordinary user not just from scratch to raise the Mastodon instance. Sorry for my English ) Google Trans.
Show threadChrisApr 24, 2017

@f2f @hugo Another thing I've been meaning to work on is some kind of interactive, "one-click" installer that does all the setup for you. I mean, installation and updates are already really simple thanks to the Docker work that's been done, but data persistence, nginx, and SSL setup could still be automated more.

Eventually want to get the point where you can just get a VM (e.g. from DO), point your domain at it, run some install.sh script, and be up and running.

Show threadHugo GameiroApr 24, 2017
@chris @f2f I don't use Docker but have some bash scripts to help with installation of servers, making multi-redis work in different ports but there is still a lot of manual labour involved.
When I have something solid and tested, I will share it on GitHub ;)
Show threadChrisApr 24, 2017
@hugo @f2f You're spawning multiple redis instances on different ports? Why not have all the instances share one and use separate databases or prefixes?
Show threadHugo GameiroApr 24, 2017
@chris @f2f Several reasons:
- When you need to migrate you can just copy the dump.rdb from that port/instance and place it in a new one
- Control (if needed limit) resources used
- Be extra careful with data privacy cross instances
Show threadf2f 🇷🇺Apr 24, 2017
@hugo @chris I'd love to see your scripts, not for commercial activity. Purely as a devops. Very interesting.
Show threadHugo GameiroApr 24, 2017
@f2f @chris I will share them for commercial activity or not. I will let anyone use them for whatever they want.
I need to take some time to do a script that works for everyone and not my custom setup. The way they are right now would not work for anyone.
But I will share them.
Show thread†ヤバみ†✅ Apr 24, 2017
@hugo 英語わからない
Show threadHugo GameiroApr 24, 2017
@yabami
私もそうではないです。😋
Show threadAndré Mellentin 🤍Apr 24, 2017
@hugo the question is how far you can get with 5GB of diskspace. Does this also include the DB size?
Show threadHugo GameiroApr 24, 2017
@eller82 DB size doesn't count towards the disk space limit.
The main usage of space for small instances is remote cache, that is cleared every week. See: https://github.com/tootsuite/mastodon/blob/master/lib/tasks/mastodon.rake#L47
But it really depends on the community, if it uploads a lot of gifs and images, it can go fast. If it uses mostly text, then it can last a long time.
Still, adding extra space is cheap.
Show threadMaggie McFeeApr 24, 2017
@hugo Do you intend to limit instance to 100 users or just set >100 as unsupported/you're on your own now?
Show threadHugo GameiroApr 24, 2017
@tankgrrl I would say that if you are over 100 users you should upgrade or you will start noticing a degradation of performance.
But currently this is a bet and I need volume of usage to know if I can increase that number. Also, each instance is unique and an instance with not many concurrent users can work well over that and just need extra space. Time will tell how plans will adjust
Show threadS3th Has MovedApr 25, 2017
@hugo love it!
Show threadHugo GameiroApr 25, 2017
@encryptr 👊
Show threadS3th Has MovedApr 25, 2017
@hugo intrigued to run my own instance.... is it $5 or 5 Euro? Or are you counting it as the same?
Show threadHugo GameiroApr 25, 2017
@encryptr It's 5 Euro.
It is not much different +/-$5.50 but I need to go with Euros because that is the currency to pay for the servers. Easier to calculate costs/revenue :)
Show threadS3th Has MovedApr 25, 2017
@hugo how long would it take you to setup and how would I pay you?
Show threadHugo GameiroApr 25, 2017
@encryptr usually about an hour but it depends on the work load at the moment of the order.
Show threadS3th Has MovedApr 25, 2017
@hugo okay... is it charged monthly or yearly? and how do I pay you?
Show threadHugo GameiroApr 25, 2017
@encryptr billed monthly and payments via PayPal
Show threadSoapDogApr 25, 2017
@hugo this whole "host your own instance" movement reminds me of the crazy of "host your own minecraft server" services... I think this is awesome and I am waiting for the mods to appear.
Show threadThe Big MammothApr 25, 2017
@hugo works! #recommend
Show threadAswath RaoApr 26, 2017
@hugo BW cost may be indep of number of users, how do you protect yourself against that? TIA
Show threadHugo GameiroApr 26, 2017
@Aswath I don't think I understand your question.
How do I protect myself against what?
Show threadAswath RaoApr 26, 2017
@hugo excessive consumption of bandwidth since the user has too many followers spread over a large number of instances
Show threadHugo GameiroApr 26, 2017
@Aswath Haven't found that to be a problem. I don't pay for traffic and have public guaranteed 500mbps on every server. That is a lot of bandwidth and I doubt any instance (<1000 users) will use all of that. Still, I host everything in Cloud and with load balancing you just need to put another machine up and you keep running. Have you experienced problems with bandwidth and Mastodon instances?
Show threadAswath RaoApr 26, 2017
@hugo I was not thinking of BW capacity, but clod provider charging for consumed bandwidth. I do not have direct exp w Masodon; I am exploring self-hosted comm (V & V) which could consume considerable bytes.