Weekly GitHub Report for Mastodon - 2024-12-02 12:00:11
Weekly GitHub Report for Mastodon
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Table of Contents
I. News
1.1 Recent Version Releases:
The current version of this repository is v4.3.1
1.2 Other Noteworthy Updates:
II. Issues
2.1 Top 5 Active Issues:
We consider active issues to be issues that that have been commented on most frequently within the last week.
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New-style embeds not working on 4.3: This issue is about the failure of new-style embeds to work correctly on Mastodon version 4.3, where attempts to embed posts result in a placeholder being displayed instead of the actual post content. The problem seems to be related to the
embed.jsscript, which throws an exception due to the redeclaration of theallowedPrefixesconstant, preventing multiple posts from being embedded on a single page.- The comments discuss the issue of embedding Mastodon posts from version 4.3, highlighting that the
allowedPrefixesconstant causes errors when multiple scripts are loaded on the same page. Users share examples and mockups demonstrating the problem, noting that the script fails to render dynamically added posts and lacks a method to manually trigger parsing, unlike other platforms. A potential workaround using a standard event is mentioned, but it is considered temporary due to possible drawbacks and unpredictable interactions with other scripts. - Number of comments this week: None
- The comments discuss the issue of embedding Mastodon posts from version 4.3, highlighting that the
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Add hashes to the custom emoji list: This issue is about adding hash values to the custom emoji list in a GitHub project to improve caching and retrieval efficiency. The proposal suggests that if URLs are not already unique, documenting this uniqueness would be beneficial, as it would help clients maintain a longer-lasting cache and simplify the process of finding specific emojis.
- The comments discuss the need for more details on the proposal, with clarifications provided about adding hash fields to the CustomEmoji record to avoid redownloading the entire emoji set. This would enhance the emoji picker experience by allowing permanent caching. The conversation also touches on the idea of including hash values in API responses, similar to HTTP headers, and considers potential deduplication of identical emojis.
- Number of comments this week: None
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Backblaze B2 "no tomes available" and related errors: This issue involves users experiencing recurrent problems when attempting to upload media to a Mastodon instance using Backblaze B2, resulting in errors such as "no tomes available" and "internal error" messages. The problem appears to be related to connection saturation with Backblaze's servers, and attempts to mitigate the issue by adjusting timeout settings have not been successful.
- Users in the comments report similar issues with Backblaze B2, noting that the problem is not specific to a particular Mastodon version but rather related to Backblaze's service. Backblaze has suggested using exponential backoff for retries during network congestion, but some users have opted to switch to alternative storage providers like Cloudflare R2 or OVH Object Storage due to persistent issues. A new environment variable, S3_RETRY, has been mentioned as a potential solution, though some users have already decided to move to other services.
- Number of comments this week: None
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Fresh instance error 503/502 for all federation endpoints: This issue involves a fresh Mastodon instance encountering 503 and 502 errors for all federation endpoints, despite being set up with certbot for certificates and using nginx in Docker. The expected behavior is normal search results, but the actual behavior results in a 503 error, as indicated by the logs from both the Mastodon web instance and nginx.
- The comments discuss potential configuration issues, with suggestions to check additional logs and restart processes. The user reports persistent errors, including missing access tokens and 503 errors, even after restarts. Debug logs are shared, and a configuration through environment variables is provided. The user later updates to a newer version, encountering a 500 error, and shares additional logs. A suggestion is made to check volume mounts in the container, revealing that mounting volumes in
/publicis causing issues with access to pre-built assets, and a recommendation is given to adjust the volume mounts accordingly. - Number of comments this week: None
- The comments discuss potential configuration issues, with suggestions to check additional logs and restart processes. The user reports persistent errors, including missing access tokens and 503 errors, even after restarts. Debug logs are shared, and a configuration through environment variables is provided. The user later updates to a newer version, encountering a 500 error, and shares additional logs. A suggestion is made to check volume mounts in the container, revealing that mounting volumes in
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Other servers should be faster notified about account suspensions: This issue addresses the delay in notifying remote servers about account suspensions on Mastodon, which results in spam accounts continuing to affect users on servers that have not yet received suspension notifications. The problem is exacerbated by the current notification system, which does not prioritize informing all potentially affected servers, leading to increased moderation work and prolonged exposure to spam.
- The comments discuss the current notification process for suspended accounts, highlighting that only certain servers are notified immediately, such as those that reported the account or were recently mentioned by it. There is a concern about the delay in notifying all relevant servers, which may be due to the timing of reports relative to the suspension. Suggestions include forwarding suspension notices through existing paths, but caution is advised to avoid potential security issues like reflection or amplification attacks and infinite message loops.
- Number of comments this week: None
2.2 Top 5 Stale Issues:
We consider stale issues to be issues that has had no activity within the last 30 days. The team should work together to get these issues resolved and closed as soon as possible.
As of our latest update, there are no stale issues for the project this week.
2.3 Open Issues
This section lists, groups, and then summarizes issues that were created within the last week in the repository.
Issues Opened This Week: 14
Summarized Issues:
- API Enhancements for User Relationships: The proposal to add a
relationshipproperty to embeddedAccountobjects in API responses aims to streamline client operations by reducing the need for additional API calls. This enhancement would enable features like follow suggestions and content filtering based on user relationships, improving user experience. Additionally, API access to "Follows and Followers" functionality is requested to allow client applications to efficiently manage relationship data, enhancing user experience with sorting, filtering, and bulk actions.
- Reporting and Moderation Features: A feature is proposed to allow users to toggle all posts of a reported account for inclusion in a report with a single checkbox, streamlining the reporting process. Additionally, a feature is suggested for moderators to create reports without sending notifications to other moderators, reducing unnecessary notifications for reports that are primarily for record-keeping. These enhancements aim to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of moderation and reporting processes.
- User Interface and Experience Issues: Several issues highlight problems with the user interface, such as the inability to close the picture-in-picture player due to the close button being outside the viewport. Another issue involves differentiating icons for "Mention" and "Private mention" to prevent confusion. These issues suggest improvements to enhance user interaction and clarity in the interface.
- Text and Content Display Issues: Problems with text display include the account header bio not supporting bidirectional text, leading to incorrect alignment. Additionally, a character limit indicator is needed in the registration form to prevent users from losing input. These issues highlight the need for better text handling and user feedback mechanisms.
- Deployment and Configuration Challenges: Deployment issues include a Mastodon server in Docker unable to connect to an SMTP server due to SASL authentication failures. Another problem involves a missing 'packs' folder causing only the logo to display on a website, suggesting configuration changes in Docker Compose. These challenges emphasize the need for proper configuration and troubleshooting in deployment environments.
- Feature Requests for Enhanced User Engagement: A proposal for a customizable feed system inspired by Bluesky aims to allow users to create personalized feeds, enhancing engagement and community building. Additionally, a search functionality by instance URL on the
/relationshipspage is requested to help users analyze their social connections. These features are designed to increase user interaction and satisfaction.
- Technical Issues with Updates and Mentions: An issue with processing updates containing unresolvable mentions results in failed jobs, requiring a fix similar to a previous issue. This technical problem highlights the need for robust handling of updates and mentions to ensure smooth operation.
- List and Timeline Functionality: A problem is identified where muting and then unmuting an account that was boosted into a list causes the boost to not reappear in the list timeline. This issue affects the expected functionality of lists and timelines, requiring attention to ensure consistent user experience.
2.4 Closed Issues
This section lists, groups, and then summarizes issues that were closed within the last week in the repository. This section also links the associated pull requests if applicable.
Issues Closed This Week: 9
Summarized Issues:
- Chrome Browser Issues on Mastodon: Users have reported a bug in the Chrome browser on Windows 10 where the scrollwheel stops functioning when hovering over a GIF in the advanced interface of Mastodon. This issue persists even after moving the mouse away, indicating a Chrome-specific problem rather than a Mastodon bug. The problem does not occur in Firefox or other non-Mastodon tabs, suggesting a need for a Chrome-specific fix.
- Mastodon Feature Requests: There is a demand for new features in Mastodon, such as the ability to switch between multiple accounts within the same instance, which is currently missing. Users have also suggested a "Starter Pack" feature to enhance user onboarding by allowing new users to follow curated collections of accounts. These features aim to improve user experience and engagement on the platform.
- Deployment and Configuration Issues: Deploying a Mastodon instance using Ansible on a Rocky Linux host has been problematic due to "Blocked host" errors and a 403 Forbidden response from Puma. The issue seems to stem from the
TRUSTED_PROXY_IPvariable not functioning as expected, requiring additional configuration. This highlights the need for better handling of local IPs and host headers in the deployment process.
- Translation Errors with DeepL: A translation issue with DeepL has been identified where the Russian phrases "самое свежее" and "самое несвежее" are sometimes both translated into English as "freshest." This leads to confusion and incorrect translations under specific circumstances. The problem highlights the need for improved accuracy in translation services.
- Third-Party App Feature Support: Users have expressed a desire for third-party apps to support posting polls and images together in a single post on Mastodon. This feature would enhance interactions, such as artists seeking feedback on images or relating images to poll questions. However, it has been identified as a duplicate of an existing issue, indicating ongoing demand for this functionality.
- Server Communication Errors: A 503 error occurs when attempting to load a message on a Mastodon server because one of the message's recipients is on an unreachable server. This results in the entire message becoming inaccessible despite the originating server functioning correctly. The issue underscores the challenges in server-to-server communication within the network.
- Typographical Error in Release Notes: A typo has been identified in the v4.3.0 release notes of the Mastodon project, where "dismiss" is incorrectly spelled as "dimsiss" in the API endpoint documentation. This error could lead to confusion for developers referencing the documentation. Correcting such typos is important for maintaining clear and accurate project documentation.