**10-second pitch:** Redlib is a private front-end like [Invidious](https://github.com/iv-org/invidious) but for Reddit. Browse the coldest takes of [r/unpopularopinion](https://redlib.matthew.science/r/unpopularopinion) without being [tracked](#reddit).
🔗 **Want to automatically redirect Reddit links to Redlib? Use [LibRedirect](https://github.com/libredirect/libredirect) or [Privacy Redirect](https://github.com/SimonBrazell/privacy-redirect)!**
[Follow this link](https://github.com/redlib-org/redlib-instances/blob/main/instances.md) for an up-to-date table of instances in Markdown format. This list is also available as [a machine-readable JSON](https://github.com/redlib-org/redlib-instances/blob/main/instances.json).
Both files are part of the [redlib-instances](https://github.com/redlib-org/redlib-instances) repository. To contribute your [self-hosted instance](#deployment) to the list, see the [redlib-instances README](https://github.com/redlib-org/redlib-instances/blob/main/README.md).
Redlib hopes to provide an easier way to browse Reddit, without the ads, trackers, and bloat. Redlib was inspired by other alternative front-ends to popular services such as [Invidious](https://github.com/iv-org/invidious) for YouTube, [Nitter](https://github.com/zedeus/nitter) for Twitter, and [Bibliogram](https://sr.ht/~cadence/bibliogram/) for Instagram.
Redlib currently implements most of Reddit's (signed-out) functionalities but still lacks [a few features](https://github.com/redlib-org/redlib/issues).
Teddit is another awesome open source project designed to provide an alternative frontend to Reddit. There is no connection between the two, and you're welcome to use whichever one you favor. Competition fosters innovation and Teddit's release has motivated me to build Redlib into an even more polished product.
- Redlib is themed around Reddit's redesign whereas Teddit appears to stick much closer to Reddit's old design. This may suit some users better as design is always subjective.
- Redlib is written in [Rust](https://www.rust-lang.org) for speed and memory safety. It uses [Hyper](https://hyper.rs), a speedy and lightweight HTTP server/client implementation.
Results from Google PageSpeed Insights ([Redlib Report](https://pagespeed.web.dev/report?url=https%3A%2F%2Fredlib.matthew.science%2F), [Reddit Report](https://pagespeed.web.dev/report?url=https://www.reddit.com)).
**Logging:** According to Reddit's [privacy policy](https://www.redditinc.com/policies/privacy-policy), they "may [automatically] log information" including:
* **Logging:** In production (when running the binary, hosting with docker, or using the official instances), Redlib logs nothing. When debugging (running from source without `--release`), Redlib logs post IDs fetched to aid with troubleshooting.
* **Cookies:** Redlib uses optional cookies to store any configured settings in [the settings menu](https://redlib.matthew.science/settings). These are not cross-site cookies and the cookies hold no personal data.
* **Server:** The official instance runs a production binary, and thus logs nothing.
* **DNS:** The domain for the official instance uses Cloudflare as the DNS resolver. However, this site is not proxied through Cloudflare, and thus Cloudflare doesn't have access to user traffic.
* **Hosting:** The official instance is hosted on [Replit](https://replit.com/), which monitors usage to prevent abuse. I can understand if this invalidates certain users' threat models, and therefore, self-hosting, using unofficial instances, and browsing through Tor are welcomed.
[Docker](https://www.docker.com) lets you run containerized applications. Containers are loosely isolated environments that are lightweight and contain everything needed to run the application, so there's no need to rely on what's installed on the host.
Docker images for Redlib are available at [quay.io](https://quay.io/repository/redlib/redlib), with support for `amd64`, `arm64`, and `armv7` platforms.
For configuration options, see the [Deployment section](#Deployment).
If you're using a reverse proxy in front of Redlib, prefix the port numbers with `127.0.0.1` so that Redlib only listens on the host port **locally**. For example, if the host port for Redlib is `8080`, specify `127.0.0.1:8080:8080`.
If you're on Linux and none of these methods work for you, you can grab a Linux binary from [the newest release](https://github.com/redlib-org/redlib/releases/latest).
> These are free hosting options, but they are *not* private and will monitor server usage to prevent abuse. If you need a free and easy setup, this method may work best for you.
You can also configure Redlib with a configuration file named `redlib.toml`. For example:
```toml
REDLIB_DEFAULT_WIDE = "on"
REDLIB_DEFAULT_USE_HLS = "on"
```
### For Docker deployments
If you're deploying Redlib using the **Docker CLI or Docker Compose**, environment variables can be defined in a [`.env` file](https://docs.docker.com/compose/environment-variables/set-environment-variables/), allowing you to centralize and manage configuration in one place.
To configure Redlib using a `.env` file, copy the `.env.example` file to `.env` and edit it accordingly.
If using the Docker CLI, add ` --env-file .env` to the command that runs Redlib. For example:
```bash
docker run -d --name redlib -p 8080:8080 --env-file .env quay.io/redlib/redlib:latest
```
If using Docker Compose, no change is needed as the `.env` file is already referenced in `compose.yaml` via the `env_file: .env` line.
Assign a default value for each instance-specific setting by passing environment variables to Redlib in the format `REDLIB_{X}`. Replace `{X}` with the setting name (see list below) in capital letters.
Assign a default value for each user-modifiable setting by passing environment variables to Redlib in the format `REDLIB_DEFAULT_{Y}`. Replace `{Y}` with the setting name (see list below) in capital letters.
