I admittedly don't know if this is still functional, and I don't really have plans on updating it. I created it for a final project for community college, and admittedly I haven't used Hubzilla nearly as much as I had expected (aka at all), so I kinda haven't had the motivation to work on it. Perhaps it may be usable for someone, so I'm archiving the project so it can at least remain accessible.
A Python-based cross poster for Hubzilla and Mastodon social media accounts
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So I use lesser-known social media websites - mainly because I'm not much a fan of Twitter, Facebook, and other centralized platforms. I've noticed a problem, though - it's kinda difficult for me to manage posting across multiple accounts, which I like doing so I can be personal with close friends on one account, but also have a "safe" account that I show people I'm not quite as comfortable around.
This problem then increased further when I started moving from one platform - Mastodon - to another - Hubzilla. They both use different federating protocols, and Hubzilla doesn't even have a phone app available for it like Mastodon does. So, I figured I would kill two birds with one stone, by bringing all of my accounts to one place, where I can post to as many or as little of them at the same time whenever I'd like.
You'll need to have Python 3 as well as pip and virtualenv installed. On Linux, you may or may not already have
these installed. If you don't, they should be available as packages on your distro's package manager. On Windows,
you'll need to install Python 3 from the Python website.
If you have Python3 and pip installed but not virtualenv, you should be able to install it with a simple command:
pip3 install virtualenvNote: If you have Python pre-installed, make sure you're using Python 3 and the corresponding pip version! Some Linux distributions, for example, ship with Python 2.7 for backwards compatibility reasons, or both Python versions with 2.7 set to the default.
Also, while not mandatory, it's highly recommended that you install Git. Many Linux distros come with it preinstalled,
and if it's not, installation is typically as simple as installing git through your package manager. For Windows,
you'll want to install Git for Windows. Don't worry about all of the options the
installer gives you: the defaults should be fine.
First, you're going to want to download the repository, then navigate into the directory. You can do this through
Github, but if you're doing this via git (which, again, I recommend), you can just run the following command:
git clone https://github.com/Frinkel/cross.git cross
cd crossFrom here, it's highly recommended you create a virtual environment. This will allow the app to install its own dependencies without messing with the packages installed on your main system.
python3 -m venv venvThen, run the following to activate the virtual environment on Windows:
venv\Scripts\activate.batIf you're on Linux or Mac OS, the command would be:
source venv/bin/activateNow, install the package dependencies. (Also, if you're interested in seeing all the dependencies for the project,
they're listed in requirements.txt.)
pip3 install -r requirements.txtIf you attempt to launch the program right away, you'll be shooed away as you haven't set up any accounts to cross-post
over. To set this up, run the hubzilla_auth.py or masto_auth.py script for each account you wish to set up with the
cross-poster. The script will tell you what to do from there. Note - for masto_auth.py, you will need access to a
browser.
When all's said and done, you will have a file in the root application directory, userdata.jl, that contains a Json
Lines-formatted list of your accounts and their credentials. Do NOT share this file with ANYONE! Doing so is the
equivalent of sharing your account details.
Note that if you need to change one of the accounts in the list, you'll need to open this file up and delete the line corresponding to that account first. I'm hoping to add a way for the scripts to do this programmatically.
There are two versions of the cross-poster: poster.py and poster_gui.py. It's highly recommended to use
poster_gui.py, as it's easier to use and has more functionality than poster.py, and poster.py has had its fair
share of weird quirks. It works if you're, say, in a console-only environment, though.
python poster_gui.py
The window is split into two columns - on the left, you'll see all the accounts that exist in the userdata file. Hold
Shift and select the accounts you wish to post to. Then, type your post out in the message boxes to the right, then
hit "Post!" once done writing the post. (Also, FYI - please watch your character count, as the app currently can't
detect if you're going over, and posts will be rejected by your instance if it exceeds the character limit.) The window
should close after a moment of hesitation. Check the console - it will tell you if it failed to post to any one of the
instances. That's it!
python poster.py
Upon launching, you will be greeted with a list of the different accounts that are in the userdata file. This script
will attempt to post to all of the accounts in the file.
It will ask you for a subject/content warning: either type one or leave it blank, then hit Enter. Then, it will ask you to type the actual post out. When you're done typing, start a new line by hitting Enter, then hit Ctrl-Z or Ctrl-D to end the post.
A preview of your post will be shown with a character count, and after 10 seconds, the post will automatically be submitted. Please watch your character count - the app currently can't detect if you're going over, and posts will be rejected by your instance if it exceeds the character limit.
Help! The app claims that my instance isn't working, but it's up and works completely!
Please submit an issue to the repo. Include your instance domain in the bug report.
I'm trying to launch the application, but it says a file doesn't exist or something?
Make sure you've added an account through the masto_auth.py or hubzilla_auth.py script first.
The following are plans I have for the possible future for this application:
- Automate overwriting account entries
- Add auto-detect of character count restraints on Mastodon-based instances that support it
- Add command line arguments for the different scripts
- Add IFTTT support via Maker Webhooks (possibly?)
- Figure out/fix OAuth2 integration with Hubzilla so I can stop using basic web auth
- Attempt to plea with Twitter for a developer account and add Twitter support
- Make GUIs for the authentication handlers?
- Port this to Android and maybe even iOS if doable
- Add image attachment support
- Add support for Mastodon-specific and Hubzilla-specific post capabilities
- Make this a webapp, store account entries in relational database instead of flat file
Currently not decided on a license at this exact moment, mainly because I haven't quite done the research on it just yet! Will get that fixed soon, however!
Holly Lotor - hollylotor@the.chirr.space - iam@hollylotor.online
Project Link: https://github.com/Frinkel/cross
- My teachers and mentors, for being patient with me
- My friends on the Fediverse for keeping me sane
- Insomnia REST Client for saving me from a dozen headaches