Aesthetic Computer PDS (Personal Data Server)#

This directory contains everything needed to deploy, manage, and maintain Aesthetic Computer's own ATProto Personal Data Server.

Overview#

Running our own PDS gives us:

• Full Control: Own our data and infrastructure
• Custom Handles: *.aesthetic.computer handles for all users
• Custom Lexicons: Build AC-specific schemas and features
• Privacy: No third-party data hosting
• Federation: Still interoperate with Bluesky and other ATProto networks

Current Status#

🔴 Not Deployed - Planning and preparation phase

Currently using: https://bsky.social (Bluesky's official PDS)

Architecture#

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                  Aesthetic Computer                  │
│                   pds.aesthetic.computer             │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
                          │
         ┌────────────────┼────────────────┐
         │                │                │
    ┌────▼────┐     ┌────▼────┐     ┌────▼────┐
    │  PDS    │     │ Blob    │     │  SMTP   │
    │ Server  │     │ Storage │     │ Service │
    └─────────┘     └─────────┘     └─────────┘
         │                │
    ┌────▼────┐     ┌────▼────────────┐
    │ SQLite  │     │ DigitalOcean    │
    │ Database│     │ Spaces or GCS   │
    └─────────┘     └─────────────────┘

Directory Structure#

pds/
├── README.md              # This file
├── INFRASTRUCTURE.md      # Detailed infrastructure guide
├── DEPLOYMENT.md          # Step-by-step deployment guide
├── STORAGE.md            # Blob storage configuration
├── MAINTENANCE.md        # Ongoing maintenance guide
├── deployment/           # Deployment automation
│   ├── digitalocean/    # DO-specific scripts
│   ├── gcp/             # Google Cloud scripts
│   └── terraform/       # Infrastructure as code
├── config/              # Configuration templates
│   ├── pds.env.example  # PDS environment vars
│   ├── caddy/           # Caddy config
│   └── docker/          # Docker compose files
├── scripts/             # Admin and utility scripts
│   ├── deploy.sh        # Main deployment script
│   ├── backup.sh        # Backup automation
│   ├── health-check.sh  # Health monitoring
│   └── migrate.sh       # Account migration
└── monitoring/          # Monitoring and alerting
    ├── metrics.mjs      # Metrics collection
    └── alerts.mjs       # Alert configuration

Quick Decision Guide#

Cloud Provider Choice#

DigitalOcean ✅ Recommended

• Simpler pricing
• Spaces (S3-compatible) for blob storage
• Good for 1-100 users
• $6/month droplet + $5/month Spaces
• Already have account and keys

Google Cloud Platform

• More complex but scalable
• Better for 100+ users
• Cloud Storage for blobs
• More expensive at small scale
• Overkill for initial deployment

Recommendation: Start with DigitalOcean, migrate to GCP if needed later.

Blob Storage#

DigitalOcean Spaces ✅ Recommended

• S3-compatible API
• Simple pricing: $5/month for 250GB
• Easy to set up
• Integrated with DO droplets
• CDN included

Google Cloud Storage

• More complex pricing
• Better for large scale
• More features (lifecycle, versioning)
• Requires GCP account

Server Specs#

For 1-20 Users ✅ Start Here

• 1 CPU core
• 1 GB RAM
• 20 GB SSD
• ~$6/month on DigitalOcean

For 20-100 Users

• 2 CPU cores
• 2 GB RAM
• 40 GB SSD
• ~$12/month on DigitalOcean

Prerequisites#

Before deploying your PDS:

Required#

• Domain name (aesthetic.computer)
• DNS access (configure A records)
• DigitalOcean account
• DigitalOcean API token (in vault ✓)
• DigitalOcean Spaces keys (in vault ✓)
• SMTP service (Gmail configured ✓)

Dev Container Tools#

The following tools are included in the dev container for PDS deployment:

• ✅ doctl - DigitalOcean CLI (v1.109.0)
• ✅ s3cmd - S3-compatible storage management
• ✅ Fish shell - Deployment scripts
• ✅ Node.js with @atproto packages

Note: If you're not using the dev container, install doctl manually:

# Linux/macOS
wget https://github.com/digitalocean/doctl/releases/download/v1.109.0/doctl-1.109.0-linux-amd64.tar.gz
tar xf doctl-*.tar.gz
sudo mv doctl /usr/local/bin

Optional but Recommended#

• Monitoring service (Datadog, Grafana Cloud)
• Backup storage (separate from main server)
• CDN for blob storage (included with DO Spaces)

Next Steps#

1. Review Documentation

   • Read INFRASTRUCTURE.md for technical details
   • Read DEPLOYMENT.md for deployment guide
   • Read STORAGE.md for storage configuration

2. Prepare Infrastructure

   • Set up DNS records
   • Create DigitalOcean droplet
   • Configure Spaces bucket
   • Set up SMTP service

3. Deploy PDS

   • Run deployment scripts
   • Configure environment
   • Create first account
   • Test federation

4. Migrate @aesthetic.computer

   • Export data from bsky.social
   • Import to self-hosted PDS
   • Update DID document
   • Verify federation

Cost Estimate#

DigitalOcean Setup (Recommended)#

Additional Costs#

Support and Resources#

• Official PDS Docs
• AT Protocol Docs
• PDS Admins Discord
• Bluesky API Docs

Status Updates#

Track progress in the todo list and update this section as deployment proceeds.

Last Updated: October 9, 2025 Status: Planning Phase Target Deployment: TBD