tinmop/doc/man.org

#+TITLE: tinmop

* Name
  tinmop - a client for mastodon or pleroma social network

* Synopsis
  tinmop [OPTION]...

* Description

  This document assumes basic knowledge of how fediverse works. More
  information about this topic can be found on the
  official website ([[https://docs.joinmastodon.org/]]).

  Tinmop proposes a terminal interface to connect with Pleroma
  social network

* Options

  Without options the program will start a terminal interface and will
  try to connect to your instance (see [[Configuration]]) + -o, --open-gemini-url ARG        :: Open gemini url
  + -m, --notify-mentions ARG        :: Notify messages that mentions the user + -R, --reset-timeline-pagination  ::
    Reset the timeline pagination. By default the new toots are fetched
    starting from the last one downloaded from the instance, this switch
    will force the program to fetch the last message posted by users
  + -c, --check-follows-requests     :: Checks for follow request at start + -e, --execute-script SCRIPT-FILE :: Execute a script file
  + -f, --folder FOLDER-NAME         :: Start on that folder + -h, --help                       :: print program help and exit
  + -t, --timeline TIMELINE-NAME     :: Start using this timeline + -u, --update-timeline            :: Update the selected timeline
  + -v, --version                    :: Print program version and exit

* Usage

  Users of Tinmop supposed to interact with the social network
  using a terminal interface (TUI), The terminal screen layout is
  sketched below:

  #+NAME: screen-layout
  #+BEGIN_SRC text
     +---------------+---------------------------+
     |               |                           |
     | tags window   |      thread windows       |
     |               |                           |
     |               |  modeline                 |
     +---------------+---------------------------+
     |               |                           |
     | conversations |      message window       |
     |    window     |                           |
     |               |                           |
     |               |                           |
     +---------------+---------------------------+
     |              command window               |
     +-------------------------------------------+

  #+END_SRC

  The screen is subdivided in five window:

  - tag window :: shows the tag users subscribed for and available
  messages for each tag;

  - threads window :: for a given timeline and folder (see
  [[Folders]]) show the discussions saved in user's local database;

  - conversations window :: show the /private/ conversations the user is having with others;

  - message window :: show the body of the message selected in the tag window

  - command window :: the window where the user instruct the software to perform commands

  The main way to interact with the program is using the keyboard.
  There is a contextual help that appears when the user input data
  that provide hints about commands and a quick help window that can
  be shown by hitting ~?~ (if this keybinding has not been
  customized).

** Folders

   A folder is an object to groups messages for each timeline an
   arbitrary number of folders can be created, when the last message of
   a folder is deleted the folder is deleted as well.

* Configuration

  The configuration of tinmop is based on text files but there are
  available two different kind with different syntax and scope.

  - a key-value text files used to configure the access credential to
  server and visual theme of the program (simple configuration);

  - common lisp source code. Used to write module (AKA plugin) and to
  configure keybindings to interact with the software.

  The distribution of this software comes with a bunch of pre-backed
  configuration files but user is expected to write a simple file with
  their credential to log into the server.

** Simple configuration

   This is a simple file with each entry in a single line that look like this:

   #+NAME: simple file example
   #+BEGIN_SRC text

   # a line starting with a '#' is a comment

   # a file can be included in another with this directive:
   # use "shared.conf"

   # The server instance name
   server = server address

   # your username
   username = username

   #+END_SRC

   Not incidentally the information in the example above are the
   absolute minimum the user has to provide before starts the program:
   the name you chose when you made the account on the server and the
   address of the server.

   As you can see a line starting with a *#* is considered comment and
   skipped by the program

   The file with this credential are confidential and must be put into
   user's home directory under the path ~$HOME/.local/share/tinmop/main.conf~. Probably the directory ~tinmop~ does not exists on user system, if it does not exists must
   be created manually.

   If the program was installed correctly two other files with simple
   semantics are located in your system wide configuration directory
   (usually ~/etc/tinmop/~), please check these files for more
   information, as they are extensively commented.

** Lisp program

   These files contains Common lisp (see [[https://common-lisp.net/]])
   source code. And are used both as a way to configure the program
   and to write module for tinmop itself.

   These files are the only way to configure program's keybindings:
   sequence of pressing button to fire command commands (do not worry
   it is not too difficult!).

   These files must be a valid Common Lisp program to allow the
   program to even starts. Again this is actual source code that is
   loaded end executed by the main program; be careful, do not copy
   and paste code from untrusted sources as this could results in a *severe* security damage.

   Again in the configuration directory there is a (commented) file
   named ~init.lisp~ that user can use as their starting point to
   write their files. A custom init file, or other module files, must
   be located into the directory ~$HOME/.local/share/tinmop/~ or ~$HOME/.config/tinmop/~ (because, you know, data is code and code
   is data) to be successfully loaded.

   However there is no need to write their own init file if user is
   happy with the provided one by the package maintainers.

* First time start

  After the configuration the program can be started but we are not
  ready to join the network yet because tinmop need to be /trusted/ by
  the server. Just follows the instruction on screen to register the
  application with your instance. This procedure should be followed
  once: when the program starts for the first time (but please note
  that there must be a file with valid credentials available).

* How to get more help

  For help with mastodon visit the mastodon website.

  The program has an inline help (default binding for help is "?")

  Moreover you can have some useful hint at the program web page:

  [https://www.autistici.org/interzona/tinmop/]

* BUGS
  There are many, totally unknown, hiding in the code! Please help the
  programmer to nail them using the
  [[https://notabug.org/cage/tinmop/issues/][issue tracker]].

* Contributing

  There is always need for help, you can join the developer, sending
  patches or translating the UI to your favourite language.

  Just point your browser to the
  [[https://notabug.org/cage/tinmop/][code repository]].

  See also the file CONTRIBUTE.org

** Debug mode

   If you decomment the line:

   #+BEGIN_SRC lisp
   ;;(push :debug-mode *features*)
   #+END_SRC

   The program will be compiled in ~debug-mode~ this means that a lot
   of diagnostic output will be appended to a file named ~tinmop.log~
   in the directory ~$HOME/.local/share/tinmop/~.

* Files

  - ~$HOME/.local/share/tinmop/db.sqlite3~: the program database
  - ~$HOME/.local/share/tinmop/client~: the program credentials to connect with the instance *keep private!*
  - ~$HOME/.local/share/tinmop/tinmop.log~: this file is created only for debugging and should not be enabled in binary package distribution (see [[Contributing]]).
  - ~/etc/tinmop/default-theme.conf~: default visual style
  - ~/etc/tinmop/shared.conf~: some default configuration not related to themes
  - ~/etc/tinmop/init.lisp~: system wide configuration
  - ~$HOME/.config/tinmop/init.lisp~: user configuration
  - ~$HOME/.config/tinmop/main.conf~: user configuration (simple format)

* Privacy

  The author of  this software collects no user  data information with
  this software.

  But this software is a client to connect and interact to one or more
  remote computer.  So potentially it could share a lot of information
  with other actors but just after the user allowed it to do so.

  It is the user responsibility to checks the privacy conditions of the
  instance this software connect to.

  By default, pressing "!" will contact the remote service located at:
  "gemini://houston.coder.town/search".

  Moreover    launching     ~quick_quicklisp.sh~     will     contact
  [[https://www.quicklisp.org/]],               check              the
  [[https://beta.quicklisp.org/quicklisp.lisp][quicklisp sources]] for
  details.

* Acknowledgment

  My deep thanks to the folks that provided us with wonderful SBCL and
  Common lisp libraries.

  In particular i want to thanks the authors of the libraries Croatoan and Tooter
  for their help when I started to develop this program.

  There are more people i borrowed code and data from, they are mentioned
  in the file LINCENSES.org

  This program is was born also with the help of CCCP: "Collettivo Computer
  Club Palermo".

  Also thanks to "barbar" for testing of the installation scripts.