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Can Mastodon work as an isolated server on a corporate network without phoning home? We're looking for a Slack alternative (edit: with channels). Regulations

Can Mastodon work as an isolated server on a corporate network without phoning home? We're looking for a Slack alternative (edit: with channels). Regulations prevent us from using external SaaS products.

detaro 9y ago
Sure (there isn't even a direct "home" for it to phone to, as far as I know). It can't connect to other instances then, but that's probably what you want. It's really a twitter-like though, not a chat system, so it isn't necessarily a Slack replacement.
- CoolGuySteve 9y ago
  We actually want the Slack channel functionality more than anything for stuff like releases, production debugging, etc.
dsr_ 9y ago
Mastodon is more like twitter, less like slack. Try a Jabber server, like prosody or ejabberd. There are web jabber clients, as well as native clients for Windows, Mac, Linux, Android and iOS. You can require TLS on all connections, optionally log all conversations and chatrooms on the server, and easily federate servers to scale. Most Jabber servers have LDAP integration if you want to push user auth out that way. All of them can be configured to never talk to any other server outside of your control.
Carioca 9y ago
Check out https://rocket.chat/ https://rocket.chat/ for a FOSS alternative to Slack
daveid 9y ago
Mastodon has no home to phone to. You only host your own user's data and the data they request by e.g. following users on other instances. If your users don't follow anyone on the outside, nothing will leave your instance.
- actuallyalys 9y ago
  To elaborate, Mastodon.social is only a de facto home, nothing in the code privileges that instance over others.
netcraft 9y ago
I think something like mattermost or zulip - I think you can host those yourselves.
- Freak_NL 9y ago
  Mattermost is really nice, and comes bundles with the self-hosted GitLab omnibus releases. If you use GitLab (self-hosted) already, or are considering it, it makes a nice combination all in one package.
mxuribe 9y ago
Yes, mastodon - and others like Gnu Social - can function in an isolated fashion. However, as others have noted, it seems you want a chat-like system...where as mastodon - and others like Gnu Social - are really meant to be social networks. You may also want to consider matrix (see matrix.org)...which is a chat-based, decentralized, open source platform...which yes can also be setup in an isolated fashion (and not phone home anywhere)...and there are also bridges between matrix and other platforms such as slack, irc, etc.; see https://matrix.org/docs/projects/try-matrix-now.html#application-services https://matrix.org/docs/projects/try-matrix-now.html#applica... I encourage you to try the main matrix.org server first using the riot.im UI/client...and if it seems like it works, you would want to proceed standing up your own matrix server within your corporate network. The reference server most people install is synapse; see https://matrix.org/docs/projects/server/synapse.html https://matrix.org/docs/projects/server/synapse.html And while it is quite performant, and somewhat the de facto thing that most people install, my guess is that the future (ref. servers) will likely be: * the Go-based Dendrite: https://github.com/matrix-org/dendrite https://github.com/matrix-org/dendrite * the Rust-based Ruma: https://github.com/ruma/ruma https://github.com/ruma/ruma I've set up my own matrix server using synapse - admittedly for my own family - and its pretty straightforward installation, and quite rock solid for being such a new platform. There are so many people building stuff for it - such as these bridges - and using it, that's it quite exciting. Again, though, matrix is for chat (e.g. irc, slack, mattermost, etc.), and mastodon/gnu social is for social network messaging. i hope that helps, cheers!!!
Tenobrus 9y ago
Have you considered IRC?
s73ver_ 9y ago
If you're looking for a Slack alternative, you'd maybe want to look at Mattermost instead.
tzahola 9y ago
It’s called IRC.

detaro 9y ago

Sure (there isn't even a direct "home" for it to phone to, as far as I know). It can't connect to other instances then, but that's probably what you want. It's really a twitter-like though, not a chat system, so it isn't necessarily a Slack replacement.

CoolGuySteve 9y ago
We actually want the Slack channel functionality more than anything for stuff like releases, production debugging, etc.

dsr_ 9y ago

Mastodon is more like twitter, less like slack. Try a Jabber server, like prosody or ejabberd. There are web jabber clients, as well as native clients for Windows, Mac, Linux, Android and iOS. You can require TLS on all connections, optionally log all conversations and chatrooms on the server, and easily federate servers to scale. Most Jabber servers have LDAP integration if you want to push user auth out that way. All of them can be configured to never talk to any other server outside of your control.

Carioca 9y ago

Check out https://rocket.chat/ https://rocket.chat/ for a FOSS alternative to Slack

daveid 9y ago

Mastodon has no home to phone to. You only host your own user's data and the data they request by e.g. following users on other instances. If your users don't follow anyone on the outside, nothing will leave your instance.

actuallyalys 9y ago
To elaborate, Mastodon.social is only a de facto home, nothing in the code privileges that instance over others.

netcraft 9y ago

I think something like mattermost or zulip - I think you can host those yourselves.

Freak_NL 9y ago
Mattermost is really nice, and comes bundles with the self-hosted GitLab omnibus releases. If you use GitLab (self-hosted) already, or are considering it, it makes a nice combination all in one package.

mxuribe 9y ago

Yes, mastodon - and others like Gnu Social - can function in an isolated fashion. However, as others have noted, it seems you want a chat-like system...where as mastodon - and others like Gnu Social - are really meant to be social networks. You may also want to consider matrix (see matrix.org)...which is a chat-based, decentralized, open source platform...which yes can also be setup in an isolated fashion (and not phone home anywhere)...and there are also bridges between matrix and other platforms such as slack, irc, etc.; see https://matrix.org/docs/projects/try-matrix-now.html#application-services https://matrix.org/docs/projects/try-matrix-now.html#applica... I encourage you to try the main matrix.org server first using the riot.im UI/client...and if it seems like it works, you would want to proceed standing up your own matrix server within your corporate network. The reference server most people install is synapse; see https://matrix.org/docs/projects/server/synapse.html https://matrix.org/docs/projects/server/synapse.html And while it is quite performant, and somewhat the de facto thing that most people install, my guess is that the future (ref. servers) will likely be: * the Go-based Dendrite: https://github.com/matrix-org/dendrite https://github.com/matrix-org/dendrite * the Rust-based Ruma: https://github.com/ruma/ruma https://github.com/ruma/ruma I've set up my own matrix server using synapse - admittedly for my own family - and its pretty straightforward installation, and quite rock solid for being such a new platform. There are so many people building stuff for it - such as these bridges - and using it, that's it quite exciting. Again, though, matrix is for chat (e.g. irc, slack, mattermost, etc.), and mastodon/gnu social is for social network messaging. i hope that helps, cheers!!!

Tenobrus 9y ago

Have you considered IRC?

s73ver_ 9y ago

If you're looking for a Slack alternative, you'd maybe want to look at Mattermost instead.

tzahola 9y ago

It’s called IRC.