From d24d6a78fc61bc7a1693ebab227f0c8ba825acb0 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Ben Harris Date: Tue, 23 Jun 2020 14:12:31 -0400 Subject: [PATCH] add ttbp page --- wiki/source/ttbp.md | 201 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 201 insertions(+) create mode 100644 wiki/source/ttbp.md diff --git a/wiki/source/ttbp.md b/wiki/source/ttbp.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..b0d880d --- /dev/null +++ b/wiki/source/ttbp.md @@ -0,0 +1,201 @@ +--- +title: ttbp (feels) +author: + - benharri +category: tilde.club +--- + +# FEELS MANUAL # + +`ttbp` stands for "tilde.town blogging platform", the original working name for +this project. the complete codebase is available on +[github](https://github.com/tildeclub/ttbp). + +`ttbp` runs from the command line, providing a hub for writing personal blog +posts and reading posts written by other users of tilde.club. it's a little bit +like livejournal or dreamwidth or tumblr. you can opt to publish your posts to a +public html file hosted on your tilde page, to tilde.club's gopher server, or +keep all your entries private to the tilde.club server. + +this is a project that runs on tilde.club, so all users of this program are +expected to operate under the tilde.club [code of +conduct](http://tilde.club/wiki/code-of-conduct.html). content/personal issues should be +worked out according to the CoC, with support from the [administrative +team](https://tilde.club/wiki/code-of-conduct.html#contact-info) if needed. + +### support + +if you're having trouble getting started, or run into program errors or strange +behavior, please hop on irc and contact ben or deepend. + +there's also a function from the main menu that lets you send feedback/inquiries +to me directly; this uses email, which is what i'll respond to. + +### writing entries + +entries are recorded as plaintext files in your `~/.ttbp/entries` directory. +`ttbp` will use your selected editor to open and write files; each day is its +own entry, like a diary page. at midnight for whatever timezone you've set for +your user account on tilde.club, you'll get a fresh entry. if you don't write +any feels on a particular day, no entries will show up there. + +when you save and quit the text editor, your entry will automatically propagate +to the global feels list; if you've opted to publish your feels to html/gopher, +those files will update immediately. you can always go back to the current day's +entry and edit/add as you'd like, but older entries will not be available for +editing from `ttbp`. + +*(since files are just stored as plaintext in your directory, it's possible to +edit and move old entries directly from the command line. however, changing old +entries might cause strange things to happen with timestamps. the main program +looks at the filename first for setting the date, then the last modified time to +sort recent posts. it expects YYYMMDD.txt as the filename; anything else won't +show up as a valid entry. yes, this means you can post things out of date order +by creating files with any date you want.)* + +#### general entry-writing notes + +* you can use [markdown](https://daringfireball.net/projects/markdown/syntax) +* you can use html +* you can also put things between `` to have them show up + in the feed but not render in a browser (but people can still read them with + view-source) + +### reading other feels + +the `browse global feels` feature shows the ten most recent entries that anyone +has written on ttbp. this list is only accessible from within tilde.club, +although individual entries may be posted to html or gopher. + +you can also pull up a list of a single user's feels through `check out your +neighbors`, which displays all users who are writing on `ttbp` based on their +most recently updated entry, and a link to their public html blog if they've +opted to publish their posts. + +**please note!** entries written on `ttbp` should be considered sensitive, +private information, even if a particular user is publishing entries in a +world-viewable way! please be respectful about having access to other people's +feels, and do not copy/repeat any information without getting their explicit +permission. tilde.club operates on a high level of mutual trust, and `ttbp` is +designed to give individuals control over their content. + +### privacy + +when you start your ttbp, you have the option of publishing or not publishing +your blog. + +if you opt to not publish, your entires will never be accessible from outside of +the tilde.club network; other tilde.club users will still be able to read your +entries through the ttbp interface, or by directly accessing your +`~/.ttbp/entries` directory. + +if you want to further protect your entries, you can `chmod 700` your entries +directory. + +if you opt to publish, the program creates a directory `~/.ttbp/www` where it +stores all html files it generates, and symlinks this from your `~/public_html` +with your chosen blog directory. your blog will also be listed on the [main ttbp +page](https://tilde.club/wiki/ttbp.html). + +you can also opt to publish to gopher, and the program will automatically +generate a gophermap of your feels. + +you can set publishing status on individual entries, or bury individual feels; +see "data management" below for details. + +### data management + +the `manage your feels` menu provides several tools for organizing your feels. +these are all actions you can perform manually from the command line, but doing +them from within the program can help keep your files properly linked up. + +* **read over feels**--a list of all your entries, which you can open and + read like any other feel +* **modify feels publishing**--this lets you toggle privacy on individual + posts. entries marked `(nopub)` will not get written to html or gopher, + and toggling them from this menu will immediately publish or unpublish + that entry (if you're not publishing your posts at all, these settings + won't matter, since your feels will never show up outside of tilde.club) +* **backup your feels**--makes a .tar.gz of all your entries, saving one + copy to `~/.ttbp/backups/` with the current date, and a second copy to + your home directory for safekeeping. +* **import a feels backup**--unpacks a backup file into your current feels + list. this tool checks the `~/.ttbp/backups` directory for archives, and + expects a file created by the above backup utility. if it detects any file + collisions, it will preserve your current live copy and leave the backup + verison in a temp directory, and notify you that this happened. also, any + entries that were previously marked as `(nopub)` will retain their nopub + status. +* **bury some feels**--hides individual feels from viewing; entries are + moved to `~/.ttbp/buried` (and marked with a unique timestamp to prevent + file collision) with permissions set to 600, meaning no one except you + will be able to open that file. these entries are also hidden from your + own view from `read over feels`, and you'll have to open the files from + the command line if you want to see them. this is intended to be a + permament action, so you'll be asked to type the entry date once to load + the feel, then shown a preview of that feel, and then type the date again + to confirm burying. +* **delete feels by day**--*permanently removes individual entries*, + including deleting published html/gopher files if needed. this action is + not recoverable, unless you have a backup to restore; you'll be asked to + type the entry date once to load the feel, then shown a preview of that + feel, and then type the date again to confirm deletion. +* **purge all feels**--*permanently removes all feels*, including deleting + all published html/gopher files if needed. this action is not recoverable, + unless you have a backup to restore. you'll be asked to type a + one-time-use purge code to confirm this action. +* **wipe feels account**--*permanently removes all data associated with + feels*, including deleting any published hmtl/gopher files and removing + your `~/.ttbp` directory. any backups that you have in `~/.ttbp/backups` + will also be deleted with this action (which is why the backup function + makes a second copy for safekeeping in your home directory). you will no + longer show up in any lists as a user. + +### settings + +the settings menu lets you change specific options for handling your feels and +using the interface. + +* **editor**--set your text editor +* **gopher**--opt in or out of automatically posting to gopher +* **post as nopub**--set whether posts default to being published or not + published (if you're not publishing your feels, this doesn't matter) +* **publish dir**--set the directory under you `public_html` where feels will be + published (if you're not publishing your feels, this defaults to `None`) +* **publishing**--opt in or out of automatically publishing entries to a + world-readable html page +* **rainbows**--opt in or out of having multicolored menu text + +### changing your page layout + +you can modify how your blog looks by editing the stylesheet or header and +footer files. the program sets you up with basic default. if you break your page +somehow, you can force the program to regenerate your configuration by deleting +your ~/.ttbp directory entirely. **you might want to back up your +~/.ttbp/entries directory before you do this.** + +* to modify your stylesheet, edit your ~/.ttbp/config/style.css +* to modify the page header, edit your ~/.ttbp/config/header.txt + * there's a place marked off in the default header where you can safely put + custom HTML elements! +* to modify the page footer, edit your ~/.ttbp/config/footer.txt + +### general tips/troubleshooting + +* if the date looks like it's ahead or behind, it's because you haven't set + your local timezone yet. here are some + [timezone setting instructions](http://www.cyberciti.biz/faq/linux-unix-set-tz-environment-variable/) +* the feels burying tool will effectively clear your post for the day; you can + use this feature to start a fresh entry on a particular day by burying the + current day's feels and then editing a new file + +### future features + +these are a few ideas being kicked around, or under active development: + +* stylesheet/theme selector +* better entry display within ttbp (currently just offloads to `less`) +* buried feels browser + +other ideas are listed on github as +[upcoming features](https://github.com/modgethanc/ttbp/issues?q=is%3Aissue+is%3Aopen+label%3A"upcoming+features") or [feature requests](https://github.com/modgethanc/ttbp/issues?q=is%3Aissue+is%3Aopen+label%3A"feature+request")!