Become a Solid-Pod-Provider

Become a Pod Provider Server Administration
1

Hey Guys

How could my company become an official Solid-Pod-Provider like Inrupt or Solid-Community?
Do you know any Persons we could contact to discuss more Informations?

Greets
Jerome

2

Hi,

There’s some documentation here on how to setup and run a Solid Pod Server: https://solid.inrupt.com/docs/installing-running-nss

To use that tutorial you’d need a server to run it on, there’s lots of places online to get a Linux server but some I’d recommend are DigitalOcean, Hetzner, Amazon Web Services or Google Cloud Platform.

As for talking to someone I guess you could contact Inrupt on their website.

1 Like
3

Alright Thanks :slight_smile:

4

Not sure this is correct. The solid Pod server IS a server, and it serves POD’s so I do not believe there is a requirement to have another server on which to run it.

Most users will of course be installing a Solid Pod server on top of an existing server because they may want to serve websites (using a LAMP or WAMP server) and serve Solid Pod’s (using a Solid Pod server), but I don’t think it is a requirement.

I’m sure someone will correct me if I’m wrong, but I have installed a Solid Pod Server on a computer running Linux Mint on which I have not installed a LAMP server and the Solid Pod Server appears to be running correctly.

5

Sorry I probably didn’t make it clear enough in my answer. I meant a server as in a computer to run it on (Virtual Private Server or Dedicated Server), but you would need it to be accessable from the Internet or nobody would be able to use it, so you’d need to rent one online.

6

I kinda knew what you meant:-) Who owns the data in pods located on DigitalOcean, Hetzner, Amazon Web Services or Google Cloud Platform?

7

Sorry, but I think you are wrong. The whole point is that you do not need a Virtual Private Server or a Dedicated Server, and you definitely do not HAVE to rent one online. You can simply download Solid Pod Server software onto your own computer at home (completely free) and leave it running.

You do have to change the settings on your router so that your home computer has a static ip, and you do need to change the settings on your router to allow port forwarding to the Solid Pod Server. Once you have done that, you can access the Solid Pod Server (that is on your own computer at home) from another computer anywhere in the world. You access it in a browser just as you are used to doing when accessing the internet, but you need to insert your Solid Pod server’s address (which only you would know unless you make it public).

Most people who install Solid Pod Server software will of course often already be running a Virtual Private Server or a Dedicated Server, but the whole point is that Solid Pod Server software can also be run from home on a computer without any other server software installed, and without any cost other than the cost of the electricity used.

8

I agree with the general philosophy behind your statement @richard, however in order to become an “official” multi-user solid pod provider it seems reasonable to assume that additional commercial grade hardware would be required, rather than relying on a home PC.

Agreed, however, that no external hardware is required to follow the tutorial alone.

9

There is no need emphasize Official when talking about being a Solid-Pod-Provider. Inrupt Inc., is a company, and one of the things they do is, provide Solid Pods. Denoting your company as a Official Solid Pod Provider could appear ambiguous to others. I would think that, if your a member of the W3C Solid Working Group, and your actively participating on GItter and Solid/Forum as a developer, then that should be what you stand on.