Host your own PDS

LinkJar PDS is an AT Protocol Personal Data Server written in Rust. Host your accounts, records, and media, and connect them to the wider network.

This guide takes you from a Linux host to your first account, then covers the work of keeping the server running.

Choose your starting point

Set up a new serverPrepare a host and domain, then install with Docker Compose.

Move from the reference PDSCheck your existing data, plan the switch, and review rollback limits.

Get a server running

Follow these pages in order for a new installation. The guide uses Docker Compose with Caddy for HTTPS and a local data directory for SQLite and blobs.

1. Prepare the host

   Check Docker, storage, network access, and the domain you will use.

2. Set up DNS

   Point the server name and account handles at your host.

3. Install with Docker Compose

   Pin the image, generate secrets, and check the configuration before starting.

4. Verify the setup

   Check HTTPS, server metadata, and health from outside the host.

5. Create your first account

   Make an invite, create an account, and sign in with a client.

Keep it running

Back up and restoreKeep account data, blobs, and the secrets needed to recover them.

Update the serverDeploy a pinned image and understand recovery-aware rollback.

Monitor the serviceRead logs, check health, and collect operational metrics.

Find a settingEnvironment variables, defaults, and request resource limits.

Before hosting other people's data

Set up email for account recovery, keep a tested backup, and review the authentication limits when rolling back. A database that an older server can read does not guarantee the same credential-revocation protection.

Understand the system

The architecture guide explains the server’s parts and data files. For larger deployments, start with Postgres or the entryway and member model. If a check fails, use the troubleshooting guide.

These pages describe LinkJar PDS. The upstream AT Protocol documentation explains the protocol, and its self-hosting guide links to the reference server. LinkJar’s implementation and deployment instructions are maintained in the source repository.