#linkchanbot

A Telegram Bot which sanitises and substitutes share links with lightweight, privacy respecting proxy frontend alternatives.

• Main instance: @linkchanbot
• User updates: @linkchan_updates

Supported services (configurable):

• twitter.com => Nitter
• youtube.com => Inividious, CloudTube
• instagram.com => Bibliogram
• reddit.com => Teddit, Libreddit, Old Reddit

#Installation

#Prerequisites

• A Telegram bot token (visit @botfather).

#Dependencies

• scdoc (build dep.)
• Python >= 3.9
• PyPI: python-telegram-bot >= 13

#Install

$ git clone https://git.sr.ht/~torresjrjr/linkchanbot
$ cd linkchanbot
$ python -m pip install -r requirements.txt
# make install

To start serving, linkchanbot needs further configuration.

#Configuration

#Telegram

• Visit @botfather.
• Create a new bot (or select an existing one).
• Save the bot API token.
• Disable "Group Privacy mode".
• Enable "Inline mode".
• Set the "inline placeholder" to "Paste link...".
• Optionally set "inline feedback" to "100%" for logging.
• Set the bot commands: /start, /help, and /about.

#Server

Add the required bot token (and optionally an admin username) either in bot.cfg in the linkchan config directory ($XDG_CONFIG_HOME/linkchan or $HOME/.config/linkchan):

[auth]
# required
token = 123:ABC...
# optional, provides /restart and /shutdown
admin = username

Or by environment variable:

$ export LINKCHAN_TOKEN='123:ABC...'
$ export LINKCHAN_ADMIN='admin_username'

Your bot should now be ready.

#Advanced configuration

See linkchanbot(1)

#Updating

linkchanbot comes with a preconfigured list of 'alts' (proxies) and other configuration data. This data is updated with new commits. On start-up, linkchanbot copies this data in the absence of locally configured data to XDG_CONFIG_HOME/linkchan (bot.cfg is untouched).

To fully update linkchanbot and its configuration data, perform a normal installtion with the latest commit, then remove (and backup) the local configuration files and restart linkchanbot.

shell:
	$ rm ~/.config/linkchan/alts.json
	$ rm ~/.config/linkchan/services.json
Telegram:
	/restart  (or manaully in the shell)

#Usage

See linkchanbot(1) or linkchanbot --help.

#Resources

• License: GNU Affero General Public License
• Project page: https://sr.ht/~torresjrjr/linkchanbot
• Mailing list: ~torresjrjr/linkchanbot@lists.sr.ht (patches & discussion)