Bug202503021017 bluesky protocol connection failure

2025-03-02 11:24:20

adminsforum@hubzilla.org

od wrote the following post Sun, 02 Mar 2025 11:24:34 +0100

Bug202503021017 bluesky protocol connection failure

It is personal opinion that functionality added without documentation nor quality assurance test, is a bug. Please ignore this post if disagreed.

The bugs as defined by this person alone will only be published within hubzilla. Again, please ignore this post and the author if disagreed.

Bugs are published as information only. Noone is forced or expected to read, reproduce, replicate. Again, please ignore these posts and the author if disagreed.

Installation of hubzilla core 'rc' version

Repeat of error continues as described:
#^https://zotum.net/item/4ed60410-46b1-45a6-9436-b1f244375ece

Attempt to add bluesky account as a 'connection' fails, dialogue window:
"
Remote channel or protocol unavailable.
"

show all 9 comments

2025-03-02 11:30:34

Der Pepe (Hubzilla) ⁂ ⚝

pepecyb@hub.hubzilla.hu

@od

What makes you think that Hubzilla can be used to connect to Bluesky accounts?
As far as I know, Hubzilla does not support the Bluesky protocol AT, so this cannot work (not even in the dev version).
The only option for you is to use bridgy, if your hub allows it.

2025-03-02 13:00:33

Scott M. Stolz

scott@loves.tech

Currently, you would need to use Bridgy Fed to follow Bluesky accounts.

There is a Friendica Addon for Bluesky that probably could be ported to Hubzilla as an addon. That would provide native support for AT Protocol. But someone would have to be willing and able to do that.

2025-03-02 15:41:47

od@zotum.net

@Der Pepe (Hubzilla) ⁂ ⚝

What makes you think that Hubzilla can be used to connect to Bluesky accounts?

It has been observed that depending on the hubzilla software version, a bluesky account may be added to the hubzilla account. After the successful addition, the hubzilla account is able to view content, seemingly "read-only" (analogous to an atom/rss feed perhaps? Not sure) and the bluesky account appears successfully as a 'connection'

Due to this inconsistent behaviour, this post is published.

2025-03-02 17:39:12

Der Pepe (Hubzilla) ⁂ ⚝

pepecyb@hub.hubzilla.hu

@od

I'm not aware of a Hubzilla version that allows native connections to Bluesky accounts. At the moment, I don't know of a fork in which this has been implemented either.

Hubzilla simply doesn't understand the AT protocol... so it's not possible.

What is possible, though, is to follow a Bluesky account via RSS. Bluesky accounts offer a corresponding feed (just tried it).

The format for adding such an RSS channel is:

https://bsky.app/profile/

Whereby the account name must be the handle WITHOUT the leading ‘@’.

2025-03-03 04:50:59

Scott M. Stolz

scott@loves.tech

@od There is no native Bluesky functionality in Hubzilla currently.

But there is a way to connect to Bluesky via ActivityPub using Bridgy Fed, which is a bridge between ActivityPub and AT Protocol. This works with ANY software that communicates with ActivityPub or AT protocol, not just Hubzilla and not just Bluesky.

So this actually is not a feature of Hubzilla at all, which is probably why it is not documented anywhere officially.

Here are my personal notes on the matter: #^https://codejournal.dev/wiki/scott/Hubzilla/Bridges

I will be adding these instructions to the redesigned Neuhub website, and may also add them to the new documentation we are about to publish on Hubzilla.org.

As far as native AT protocol support, we will need a developer to volunteer to create an addon for that.

2025-03-03 23:11:27

od@zotum.net

The bug behaviour is that a bluesky atom/rss feed may be added as a 'connection' on hubzilla version X, but _not_ on hubzilla version Y.

2025-03-04 00:12:42

Der Pepe (Hubzilla) ⁂ ⚝

pepecyb@hub.hubzilla.hu

@od

Connecting to RSS feeds has been possible with Hubzilla since, what, 100 versions (or maybe almost forever, I don't know).

The problem you are observing could stem from the fact that connecting to feeds is allowed or disallowed on different hubs. It is up to the hub admin to allow them. They can lead to a high system load (with many feed connections and feeds with high publication frequency), so some admins choose not to allow the connection. In a new instance, the option is disabled by default. The admin has to actively decide to allow it.

2025-03-04 06:02:11

Scott M. Stolz

scott@loves.tech

@od Can you give specific version numbers and check that Feeds are enabled by the administrator?

Because as long as the administrator enabled feeds in the site admin area, you should be able to follow RSS feeds from Bluesky or anyone else.

2025-03-15 20:59:03

od@zotum.net