Activitypub Server: Content negotiation inevitable?

ActivityPub
1

When having e.g. an id of a post at hand (take https://pirati.ca/display/ec054ce7-1362-c9b5-3e7b-23f463322864), how would one go about to send a like?

It needs the inbox url - how to get that?

First send a GET to the id – which yields html (targeting the lesser tech savvy still preferring html over json).

How would one do that on a with static posts on a webserver like lighttpd, althttpd or thttpd?

2

You will need to send a json GET, obtain the attributedTo actor and then create a like with the ‘to’ field to that actor.

1 Like
3

thanks, that’s how I do but wanted ideas how to distinguish html and json connoisseurs.

I just found lighttpd can do such

  # https://stackoverflow.com/a/55632646
  $REQUEST_HEADER["Accept"] == "application/activity+json" {
    index-file.names = ( "index.json" )
  }

and return json to those who want it easily. Hope the other webservers may likewise.

4

We typically switch formats in the controller, but that doesn’t align with some architectures. Do whatever works.

Incidentally please do not trigger on ‘application/activity+json’ alone. ActivityPub uses ‘application/ld+json;profile=“\https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams”’ (without the backslash - which I needed to prevent a link preview) and using this is a MUST if I recall.

If you’re not supporting multiple protocols the ActivityPub definition is the gold standard.

We match on a few variations because new projects get it wrong about 50% of the time - and our own protocol is also based on ActivityStreams and that specification actually does use ‘application/activity+json’.

2 Likes
5

so maybe more appropriate may be

$REQUEST_HEADER["Accept"] =~ "[^/]+/.*json.*" {
    index-file.names = ( "index.json" )
}
6

If this works for your project - sure.