* * * * *
It still surprises me what some find difficult to do
There's been ongoing discussions in Gemini [1] about a webmention [2] like
mechanism. So I was intrigued by this statement:
> The problem here is, that this mechanism includes some script that adds
> some complexity to the maintenance of the gemini capsule. As bacardi55
> writes:
>
> > I do know that asking capsule owners to deploy a script will be the
> > biggest concern here, but I guess there is always a "price to pay" … Yes
> > it will require a CGI (Common Gateway Interface) script, but it should be
> > doable even with a small bash script to not add too much complexity in
> > maintaining a capsule.
> >
>
> I agree that some kind of programming and scripting will be necessary to
> get notified. However I think that we can do it at least without a CGI-
> script. Here is the way I think I have found.
>
“Gemlog responses - bacardi55's concept without CGI [3]”
And he goes on to implement a scheme that adds complexity to the
configuration of the server, plus the issues with scheduling a program to
scan the logfiles for Gemini requests. I've done the logfile scanning for
“Project: Wolowizard [4]” and “Project: Lumbergh [5]” and it was not any easy
thing to set up. Okay, in my case, it was checking the logs in real time to
see if messages got logged as part of testing, but that aside, checking the
logs for requests might not be straightforward. In this case, it soulds like
he has easy access to the log files—but that is not always the case. There
have been plenty of systems I've come across where normal users just don't
have access to the logs (and I find it annoying, but that's a rant for
another time). Then there's scheduling a script to run at a regular schedule.
In the past, this would be cron and the bizarre syntax it uses, but I'm not
sure what the new hipster Linux systemd way is these days (which itself is a
whole bag of worms).
And it's not like the CGI script has to be all difficult. Here's a script
that should work (it's somewhat untested—I have the concept tested and
running on my Gemini server, as an an extension [6] to my Gemini server [7]
and the CGI script below is based upon that extension):
-----[ Lua ]-----
#!/usr/bin/env lua
query = os.getenv("QUERY_STRING")
if query == "" then
io.stdout:write("10 URL to send\r\n")
else
query = query:gsub("%%%x%x", -- decode URL encoded data
function(c)
return string.char(tonumber(c:sub(2),16))
end)
mail = io.popen("/usr/sbin/sendmail me") -- send email
if mail then
mail:write(string.fomrmat([[
From: <me> (replace with real email address)
To: <me>
Subject: Mention, sir!
%s
]],query)
io.stdout:write("20 text/plain\r\nIt has been accepted.\r\n")
end
os.exit(0)
-----[ END OF LINE ]-----
Yes, this relies upon the email recipient to check the URI (Uniform Resource
Indicator) has the proper link, but it's simple and to the point. The only
issue here is getting the Gemini server to run this script when /.well-
known/mention is requested, and I feel that is easier than dealing with
scanning logfiles and running cron jobs, but that's me.
As far as the actual proposal itself [8], I don't have much to comment about
it, except to say I don't like the mandated text it uses in the link. I think
just finding the link should be good enough. Even better in my mind would be
two links, much like webmention uses, but that doesn't seem to be a popular
opinion.
[1]
https://gemini.circumlunar.space/
[2]
https://www.w3.org/TR/webmention/
[3] gemini://gmi.derschwarzestrahler.at/en/gemlog/gemlog-responses.gmi
[4]
gopher://gopher.conman.org/0Phlog:2010/10/11.1
[5]
gopher://gopher.conman.org/0Phlog:2018/09/11.2
[6] gemini://gemini.conman.org/extensions/GLV-1/handlers/mention.lua
[7]
https://github.com/spc476/GLV-1.12556
[8]
https://codeberg.org/bacardi55/gemini-mentions-rfc
---
Discussions about this page
The Gemini Mention amusing coincidence
gemini://gmi.bacardi55.io/gemlog/2023/01/03/gemini-mention-coincidence/
Gemlog responses - 1st update (after response from Sean Conner)
gemini://gmi.derschwarzestrahler.at/en/gemlog/gemlog-responses/update1.gmi
Email author at
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