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WordPress and ActivityPub: my first fail

@selfhosted

I've already posted about my success and fail in the past, but I have something else to talk about: ActivityPub fails in my self hosted WordPress (hostinger vps).

Setup: YunoHost, WordPress multisite. For a multisite network, YunoHost requires WordPress to reside in a folder. Such as "domain .ext /folder" and not "site1 . domain .ext" or "site2 .domain .ext"

Started setup, the site apparently works. But, before involving a co-worker to help me with theme, I wanted to try installing ActivityPub plugin first.

Immediately WordPress health system, warned that endpoint webfinger wasn't accessible.

Watching the logs, it was YunoHost ssowat and I tried to comment it on domain's nginx file - /etc/nginx/config.d/domain.ext.conf

Result, from 302 error, it returned 500. "error establishing database connection".

The .well-known stays on /var/www/.well-known, while WordPress lives on /var/www/wordpress__3

I set all YunoHost's permissions to "visitors"

I really don't know where to go, at the moment.

#ActivityPub #AskFedi #FediHelp #selfhost #selfhosting #WordPress #YunoHost

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[-] ju_ri@social.tchncs.de 3 points 3 days ago

@elettrona
hi elena, you have to leave a "detour sign" at Folder your request lands. An explanation you find here:
https://forum.yunohost.org/t/configuring-redirects/15038/3
good luck
@selfhosted

[-] elettrona@poliversity.it 1 points 2 days ago

@ju_ri @selfhosted I'm afraid I have screwed my YunoHost service. I tried to follow the forum's rules (no idea if they can help me with the ActivityPub problem) I was just logging in to get my admin interface. But ... [POST] "https://plusbrothers.net/yunohost/portalapi/login": <no response> Load failed I think tomorrow I'm going to perform a regen conf

[-] ju_ri@social.tchncs.de 1 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

@elettrona
hmm, sad to heare. the yunohost forum is friendly and competent so you are in best hands there.
before you do the regen conf, you may want to do that with --dry option to get what will going on, and save the nginx logs before reset to get help at yunohost forum.
good luck 🤞
@selfhosted

[-] elettrona@poliversity.it 1 points 2 days ago

@ju_ri @selfhosted It didn't work. The "redirect" app as explained in the forum, doesn't work, because despite my WordPress resides in "domain .ext /wp", if I install redirect on the "/" URL, it stops, saying it can't be installed. I think I'm going to try writing on YunoHost forum

[-] ju_ri@social.tchncs.de 0 points 2 days ago
[-] elettrona@poliversity.it 1 points 2 days ago
[-] ju_ri@social.tchncs.de 1 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

@elettrona
i feel you.
in case nothing works for you, do you know https://www.libre-workspace.org/ its perhaps an alternative to yunohost and wordpress is included (just a click). you do not have hundreds of apps, but its easier to mange and forum is really well. tbh, the webfinger question you have to clear before a change.
@selfhosted

[-] elettrona@poliversity.it 1 points 2 days ago

@ju_ri @selfhosted I've activated fediverse now, but it's a very basic instance with base WordPress. I must rearrange my whole multilingual experience. Damn.

[-] ju_ri@social.tchncs.de 1 points 2 days ago

@elettrona
ok, a lot of workload but the right direction. :)
@selfhosted

[-] elettrona@poliversity.it 1 points 2 days ago

@ju_ri @selfhosted the only issues is that the activitypub client (posting from mastodon clients) doesn't work and gives no errors

[-] ju_ri@social.tchncs.de 1 points 2 days ago

@elettrona
hmm isn't it you have to leave a code snippet in root folder to reach from mastodon? I don't remember really, sorry

@selfhosted

[-] elettrona@poliversity.it 1 points 2 days ago

@ju_ri @selfhosted I don't think so. The plugin is called "enable mastodon apps"

this post was submitted on 19 Jul 2026
16 points (94.4% liked)

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