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FedBox

A generic ActivityPub server written in Go. Reference implementation for the GoActivityPub library suite.

Overview​

FedBox provides core ActivityPub infrastructure without opinionated application logic. It's designed as a foundation — build your own federated application on top, or use it as a reference for implementing ActivityPub.

Architecture​

FedBox is part of the GoActivityPub ecosystem:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│              Your Application                    │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                   FedBox                         │
│  ┌───────────┬───────────┬───────────────────┐  │
│  │  Handlers │  Storage  │  Activity Process │  │
│  └───────────┴───────────┴───────────────────┘  │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│              GoActivityPub Libraries             │
│  ┌─────────┬──────────┬──────────┬──────────┐  │
│  │ go-ap/  │ go-ap/   │ go-ap/   │ go-ap/   │  │
│  │ activ.. │ client   │ storage  │ process  │  │
│  └─────────┴──────────┴──────────┴──────────┘  │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Key Features​

HTTP Handlers​

Built-in handlers for ActivityPub endpoints:

  • HandleActivity — POST to inbox/outbox
  • HandleCollection — GET collections (following, followers, etc.)
  • HandleItem — GET individual objects

Multiple Storage Backends​

Choose your persistence layer:

BackendUse Case
BoltDBEmbedded, simple deployments
BadgerHigh-performance embedded
SQLiteSQL with single-file simplicity
FilesystemDebug-friendly, human-readable

Client-to-Server API​

Full C2S support for local clients:

  • Create activities
  • Read collections
  • Update objects
  • Delete content

Server-to-Server Federation​

Complete S2S implementation:

  • Inbox delivery
  • HTTP Signatures
  • Actor discovery
  • WebFinger support

Quick Start​

Installation​

# Clone
git clone https://github.com/go-ap/fedbox.git
cd fedbox

# Build
go build

# Initialize
./fedbox init

# Run
./fedbox run

Docker​

docker run -p 4000:4000 ghcr.io/go-ap/fedbox

Configuration​

# Server settings
LISTEN=:4000
HOSTNAME=fedbox.example.com

# Storage backend
STORAGE=boltdb
STORAGE_PATH=/var/lib/fedbox

# Security
OAUTH2_SECRET=your-secret-here

API Examples​

Create an Actor​

curl -X POST https://fedbox.example/actors \
  -H "Content-Type: application/activity+json" \
  -d '{
    "@context": "https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams",
    "type": "Person",
    "preferredUsername": "alice",
    "name": "Alice"
  }'

Post an Activity​

curl -X POST https://fedbox.example/actors/alice/outbox \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer <token>" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/activity+json" \
  -d '{
    "@context": "https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams",
    "type": "Create",
    "object": {
      "type": "Note",
      "content": "Hello, Fediverse!"
    }
  }'

Fetch an Actor​

curl https://fedbox.example/actors/alice \
  -H "Accept: application/activity+json"

The GoActivityPub ecosystem includes:

ProjectDescription
FedBoxMulti-actor reference server
ONISingle-user minimal server
BrutaLinksFederated link aggregator
go-ap/activitypubVocabulary types
go-ap/clientHTTP client with auth
go-ap/processingActivity side-effects

GoActivityPub Philosophy​

"GoActivityPub provides a batteries included suite of modules for making the creation of ActivityPub applications easier for Go developers. It was designed to offer a middle ground between the highly dynamic nature of the Activity-Vocabulary and the constraints of the Go programming language, with emphasis on strong typing, minimal resource footprint and very little 'magic'."

Use Cases​

Build a Custom Social Network​

Use FedBox as the foundation, add your own UI and business logic.

Federation Gateway​

Connect your existing application to the Fediverse.

Testing and Development​

Run a local ActivityPub server for app development.

Reference Implementation​

Learn how ActivityPub servers work by studying the code.

See Also​