tootik

tootik is a federated, text-first social network that presents a minimal, text-based interface over the Gemini protocol while speaking ActivityPub for federation. It is implemented in Go, stores all instance data in a single SQLite database file, and ships as a single static executable for simple deployment.

Key Features

• Gemini-based text UI designed for low-bandwidth and accessibility-focused clients
• Implements a pragmatic subset of ActivityPub for federation with common Fediverse servers
• Three post privacy levels: public, followers-only, and mentions-only
• Support for sharing, quote posts, multi-choice polls, bookmarks and full-text search
• Communities modeled after Lemmy-style groups with follow-to-join and mention-to-thread behavior
• Account portability, follower synchronization, and account migration tools
• TLS client-certificate authentication with support for multiple client certificates and invite-only signup
• Single-file SQLite storage for easy backups and low operational overhead; binary can be built static
• Upload support for posts and avatars via the Titan upload mechanism
• Automatic deletion of old posts and compact, easily inspectable schema for educational/hacking use

Use Cases

• Run a small, privacy-minded Fediverse instance optimized for old devices or low-bandwidth connections
• Provide an accessible, text-first social layer for communities that prefer minimal interfaces and strong anonymity options
• Study or prototype ActivityPub implementations and federation workflows using a compact, readable Go codebase

Limitations and Considerations

• User interface requires a Gemini client; there is no native browser-based web UI or official mobile app
• Intentionally implements a limited subset of ActivityPub and reduces rich media to text/links, so advanced media workflows are not supported
• Single-file SQLite storage is convenient for small instances but may not scale well to very large, high-throughput deployments

tootik is a focused, lightweight alternative for federated social networking where simplicity, accessibility and privacy are primary goals. It is suitable for hobby instances, educational use and communities that prefer a non-graphical, low-bandwidth interface.