Bluesky is known as a decentralized social media protocol and gives you the opportunity to manage your data yourself. With Bluesky Personal Data Server (PDS) you can run your own server and keep full control over your data. In this article, I will show you how to install and set up Bluesky PDS on your unRaid server step by step.

Table of Contents

What is Bluesky PDS?

Bluesky PDS is an open source protocol that enables decentralized networks. It allows you to host your own server, making you less dependent on centralized platforms. This gives you security and ensures that you retain control over your data.

Prerequisites

Before you get started, check that you have everything you need:

unRaid server: A functioning unRaid server with sufficient resources.
Docker-enabled host: unRaid supports Docker, which is necessary for Bluesky PDS.
Domain name: A domain under which the Bluesk PDS is accessible for unRaid.
Reverse proxy: A reverse proxy is required for a secure connection. (e.g. Nginx Proxy Manager)

Install Bluesky PDS on an unRaid server

In addition to activated Docker, the Community Applications Store is also required. So, we log in to our unRaid server and navigate to the “Apps” tab. There we search for “Bluesky” and click on “Install”. When asked for the tag, we can select “Default”.

Then we get to the configuration overview of the Docker.

Network Type: Bridge or Custom
Web UI Port: 3000 (Can remain as it is)
JWT Secret: Must be generated with the corresponding command or the Online Generator (below).
Admin password: Set your admin password
PLC rotation key: Must be created with the specified command.
Domain name: The (sub)domain to be used must be entered here. This must also be entered again in the “Advanced” view under “extra parameters”.
Email: A suitable email provider must be specified here. Free of charge would be resend.com
Email From-Address: The sender’s email address is entered here.

JWT Secret Generator

Hex generator

Generates a 16-byte random number in hexadecimal format:

–

.hex-generator { font-family: Arial, sans-serif; text-align: center; padding: 20px; background: white; border-radius: 10px; box-shadow: 0 4px 6px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); max-width: 400px; margin: 20px auto; }.hex-generator h1 { font-size: 1.5rem; color: #333; }.hex-generator .result { font-size: 1.2rem; font-weight: bold; margin: 10px 0; color: #555; }.hex-generator button { padding: 10px 20px; font-size: 1rem; background-color: #007bff; color: white; border: none; border-radius: 5px; cursor: pointer; transition: background-color 0.3s ease; margin: 5px; }.hex-generator button:disabled { background-color: #ccc; cursor: not-allowed; }.hex-generator button:hover:not(:disabled) { background-color: #0056b3; }function generateHex() { // Anzahl der Bytes (16 für 32 Zeichen in Hexadezimal) const byteCount = 16; // Zufallszahlen-Array erstellen const randomBytes = new Uint8Array(byteCount); window.crypto.getRandomValues(randomBytes);// Hexadezimal-String erzeugen const hexString = Array.from(randomBytes) .map(byte => byte.toString(16).padStart(2, ‘0’)) .join(”);// Ergebnis anzeigen document.getElementById(‘result’).textContent = hexString;// Kopieren-Button aktivieren document.getElementById(‘copyButton’).disabled = false; }function copyToClipboard() { const hexValue = document.getElementById(‘result’).textContent;// Text in die Zwischenablage kopieren navigator.clipboard.writeText(hexValue).then(() => { alert(“Hexadezimal-Wert wurde kopiert: ” + hexValue); }).catch(err => { console.error(‘Fehler beim Kopieren: ‘, err); }); }

Important: Also adjust the domain in the extra parameters. To do this, the “Advanced Mode” must be activated in the top right-hand corner.

Now the Bluesky PDS Docker container can be started with “Apply”. If everything went well, you will see the following when you enter the domain in the browser:

Bluesky PDS – Create account

To create an account on our own Bluesky PDS, we need an invite code. We can do this with a command in the Docker console (in unRaid under “Docker” click on the image of the Bluesky PDS container and then on “Console”) There we have to enter the following command to generate an invite code that can be used in the Bluesky app or the web version:

pdsadmin create-invite-code

Maintenance tips

Regular updates: Keep both unRaid and Bluesky PDS up to date.
Set up backups: Back up your data with unRaid’s integrated backup options.
Activate monitoring: Monitor the logs of your containers to detect problems at an early stage.

Why have your own Bluesky PDS?

Data protection: Your data remains under your control.
Flexibility: You can make adjustments that are not possible with centralized platforms.
Decentralization: Support a free and independent Internet.

Conclusion

Running your own Bluesky PDS on unRaid requires some technical knowledge, but offers you maximum control and security. With these instructions, you are well prepared to set up your own server and become part of the decentralized Bluesky community.