pixivfe/doc/Hosting.md

Hosting PixivFE

PixivFE is a privacy-respecting alternative front-end for Pixiv that can be installed using various methods. This guide covers installation using Docker (recommended for production) and using a binary with a Caddy reverse proxy.

Prerequisites

Getting the token

PixivFE requires a Pixiv account token to access the API. Refer to the How to get the cookie (PIXIVFE_TOKEN) guide for detailed instructions.

Installation

Docker

Docker 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.

There are no pre-built Docker images for PixivFE, so you'll need to build your own. PixivFE supports amd64 and arm64 platforms.

Docker Compose

Deploying PixivFE using Docker Compose requires the Compose plugin to be installed. Follow these instructions on the Docker Docs on how to install it.

1. Setting up the repository

Go to the root directory of this repo with cd.

2. Set token

Copy the PHPSESSID cookie value into docker/pixivfe_token.txt. This file will be used as a Docker secret .

3. Configure environment variables

Copy .env.example to .env and configure the variables as needed. Refer to Environment Variables.go for more information.

4. Compose!

Run docker compose up -d to start PixivFE. It will be accessible at localhost:8282.

To view the container logs, run docker logs -f pixivfe.

Docker CLI

Deploying PixivFE using Docker CLI may be easier than Docker Compose, but requires a slightly different setup.

Furthermore, the buildx Docker plugin needs to be installed. Follow these instructions on the Docker buildx repo on how to install it.

1. Setting up the repository

Go to the root directory of this repo with cd.

2. Building the image

For amd64 platforms:

docker buildx build --platform linux/amd64 -t vnpower/pixivfe:latest --load .

For arm64 platforms:

docker buildx build --platform linux/arm64 -t vnpower/pixivfe:latest-arm64 --load .

3. Configure environment variables

Copy .env.example to .env and configure the variables as needed. Refer to Environment Variables.go for more information.

4. Deploying PixivFE

Run the following command to deploy PixivFE:

Note:

If using an arm64 platform, use the vnpower/pixivfe:latest-arm64 image.

docker run -d --name pixivfe -p 8282:8282 --env-file .env vnpower/pixivfe:latest

To use a different host port (e.g., 8080):

docker run -d --name pixivfe -p 8080:8282 --env-file .env vnpower/pixivfe:latest

When using a reverse proxy, prefix the host port with 127.0.0.1 to make PixivFE listen only on the local host port (e.g., 127.0.0.1:8080:8282).

Binary with Caddy reverse proxy

1. Setting up the repository

Go to the root directory of this repo with cd.

2. Configure environment variables

Copy .env.example to .env and configure the variables as needed. Refer to Environment Variables.go for more information.

3. Deploying PixivFE

Run env $(cat .env | xargs) go run main.go to start PixivFE. It will be accessible at localhost:8282.

4. Deploying Caddy

Caddy is a great alternative to NGINX, because it is written in Go but also easy to config.

Install Caddy using your package manager.

In the PixivFE directory, create a Caddyfile with the following content:

example.com {
  reverse_proxy localhost:8282
}

Replace example.com with your domain and 8282 with the PixivFE port if you changed it.

Run caddy run to start Caddy.

Acknowledgement

• Keep Caddy Running