Stay connected with diaspora*
Meet Me in the Stream
You don't need Facebook to keep up with your friends online. With diaspora*, you get a similar experience without the spying.
The diaspora* federated social network allows users to independently run pods (diaspora* servers) to interact with each other and the world in a "privacy first" way. Technically speaking, diaspora* is a macroblogging platform. You could say it's a Fediverse equivalent to Facebook. You can still create a space that serves as your online presence, post pictures, links, and personal reflections. But this time, you stay in control of your data.
Anyone can set up or join their own diaspora* server (called a pod) using free and open source software. Although pods are managed separately from each other, they can be federated, so someone who uses their account on the US-based diasp.org can still interact with another user who's registered with the German-based despora.de.
Diaspora* (Figure 1) fills the strong need for a decentralized social network in a world where the established, monolithic social media services have abused their market dominance, playing fast and loose with users' privacy (see the box entitled "Facing Up to Facebook").
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
CachyOS Gets an Update
CachyOS August 2026 release is now available with the latest version of KDE, some new features, and plenty of improvements.
-
The Linux Kernel Dev Staging Area Now Rejects AI-Generated Patches
Unless a kernel patch is a valid security fix, it will be rejected if it was created using AI.
-
Linux Surpasses Double-Digit Market Share
According to two sources, the Linux operating system has hit a major milestone in market share that naysayers thought would never happen.
-
AI Helped Develop a Linux Exploit
A use-after-free race exploit was discovered and exploited on CentOS Stream 9.
-
Yet Another Linux Kernel Vulnerability Discovered
Affecting millions of systems, a kernel flaw discovered by Qualys could allow users to gain root privileges.
-
Ubuntu 26.10 to Include Ubuntu Certified Hardware Check
If you've ever wondered if your laptop or PC is officially certified to run Ubuntu, that curiosity will soon be met.
-
Substantial Update to IPFire Now Available
The lastest version of IPFire features a fundamental change to how the system handles DNS.
-
Gnome Working on Test Center App to Make Testing Easier
It's now possible to test experimental features on the Gnome desktop without worrying that you'll break things.
-
New Vulnerability Discovered in Linux Kernel
Hiding out for nearly 15 years, the Ghostlock vulnerability allows a standard logged-in user to gain root privileges.
-
New Linux Flaw Lets Attackers Escape VMs
A 16-year-old vulnerability allows an attacker to escape a virtual machine, gain access to the host, and execute malicious code.