ZeroNet

[robi]

@timconsidine it's missing an expected directory structure where all sites go to /app/data/data/

The first zite it loads is it's ZeroHello site: something like 1GnACK...../content.json

The TOR ports need opening up.
It can't seem to reach trackers either.
it needs to be able to edit it's own config file for it's own autodetections as well as when adjusting things from the webUI.

Pull down log shows some of what I mentioned:

Displaying 243 of 243 lines found in the last 32kB of the log file. (71kB total)
[2026-02-13 15:24:29,933] WARNING PeerPortchecker checkIpv6scanner check error: URLError: <urlopen error timed out> in PeerPortchecker.py line 49 > 144 > 28 > <urllib>/request.py line 215 > 515 > 532 > 492 > 1373 > 1347 in 20.105s
[2026-02-13 15:24:29,934] INFO ConnServer Server port opened ipv4: False, ipv6: False
[2026-02-13 15:24:29,938] DEBUG ConnServer External ip found on interfaces: fd00:c107:d509::57
[2026-02-13 15:24:29,938] DEBUG TorManager Start onions
[2026-02-13 15:24:29,940] DEBUG TorManager > ADD_ONION NEW:ED25519-V3 port=15441
[2026-02-13 15:24:30,219] DEBUG TorManager < 250-ServiceID=svwuljx6fxdadufrsxgudnvsatf5tepvr3xqien2lettldygoilu5xad
250-PrivateKey=ED25519-V3:0MxDGrbMTtSd4IN8UiuFls8NPmBL4jRJw4erms8xJ1nIUgG/JwLjmOF1YXsd2tHczYeINPo+A/sQbbeR7zZJLw==
250 OK
[2026-02-13 15:24:30,220] DEBUG TorManager Created new hidden service for global: svwuljx6fxdadufrsxgudnvsatf5tepvr3xqien2lettldygoilu5xad
[2026-02-13 15:24:30,220] DEBUG ConnServer Checksites done in 21.818s
[2026-02-13 15:24:30,254] DEBUG Ui.UiServer 172.18.0.1 - - [2026-02-13 15:24:30] "GET / HTTP/1.1" 200 1699 0.000542
[2026-02-13 15:24:31,390] DEBUG Site:1GnACK..PDnF Recent peers 0 of 0 (need: 20)
[2026-02-13 15:24:31,391] DEBUG Site:1GnACK..PDnF Pex result: from 0 peers got 0 new peers.
[2026-02-13 15:24:33,413] DEBUG Site:1GnACK..PDnF Tracker http://tracker.opentrackr.org:1337/announce announce failed: URLError: <urlopen error timed out> in SiteAnnouncer.py line 201 > AnnounceBitTorrentPlugin.py line 129 > 94 > <urllib>/request.py line 215 > 515 > 532 > 492 > 1373 > 1347 in mode start
[2026-02-13 15:24:38,185] DEBUG Ui.UiServer 172.18.0.1 - - [2026-02-13 15:24:38] "GET /191CazMVNaAcT9Y1zhkxd9ixMBPs59g2um/ HTTP/1.1" 200 1699 0.000810
[2026-02-13 15:24:39,360] DEBUG Ui.UiServer 172.18.0.1 - - [2026-02-13 15:24:39] "GET /favicon.ico HTTP/1.1" 200 270651 0.012992
[2026-02-13 15:24:40,503] DEBUG Ui.UiServer 172.18.0.1 - - [2026-02-13 15:24:40] "GET / HTTP/1.1" 200 1699 0.000644
...
[2026-02-13 15:29:09,406] DEBUG Site:1GnACK..PDnF Content.json not exist: ./data/1GnACKctkJrGWHTqxk9T9zXo2bLQc2PDnF/content.json
[2026-02-13 15:29:12,773] DEBUG Site:1GnACK..PDnF Tracker failed, skipping to next one...
[2026-02-13 15:29:14,408] DEBUG Site:1GnACK..PDnF CheckModifications: Waiting for peers...

There's no need to package the separate admin pw, since it's in the config file.

If you do a local install on your computer, you'll see what I mean in terms of dir structure and how it works when you watch the log.
It downloads it's homepage from peers it connects to from trackers who have a list of peers.

More on the ZeroNet Docs website:
https://demo.zeronet.io/docs/

Online proxyies still functioning:
https://0net-preview.com/
https://zero.acelewis.com/

This proxy is really what we're setting up here since it's self-hosted in Cloudron. Here's an example set of instructions to install it as a proxy: https://bondarenko.xyz/zeroproxy.html

[timconsidine]

@robi investigating ....

[timconsidine]

released v1.0.76

• 'data' folder was not missing - just mapped directly to (i.e. included in /app/data) - but changed to /app/data/data - "clumsy" but more conventional for zeronet maybe

• Tor enabled in / out

I dislike the conventional 0net approach of hosting a default standard home page from another site - confusing to new users in my view - so I made my own home page which is clearer (but can be fleshed out or adapted further if needed), with links to the standard sites included for conventionality.

Highly recommend a new install in new container for testing (and live use) as many small changes. 1 line install :

curl -fsSL https://customappgateway.appx.uk/install.sh | bash -s -- --install-app "zeronet"

[robi]

@timconsidine said in ZeroNet:

released v1.0.76

Thank you!

• 'data' folder was not missing - just mapped directly to (i.e. included in /app/data) - but changed to /app/data/data - "clumsy" but more conventional for zeronet maybe

Alright, that data/ dir is the expected place by the code. It has very specific reasons for that structure, just like public_html/ does. Some things do not go in there, like the config file, as it is then writable from the web. But the Geolite DB is expected there, or the right menu breaks (drag the 0 menu left) the world.

• Tor enabled in / out

You set the Tor option to Always, instead of Enabled, so it will funnel ALL requests through tor, not just the Tor connections. This is going to make things very slow.

I dislike the conventional 0net approach of hosting a default standard home page from another site - confusing to new users in my view - so I made my own home page which is clearer (but can be fleshed out or adapted further if needed), with links to the standard sites included for conventionality.

Oh, that totally defeats the purpose as the magic of Zeronet is it's default homepage. It's not static as it keeps track of the sites you visit and let's you know of new posts in forums, blogs, etc. It's the lifeblood of the Zeronet experience. Changing it removes that magic.

Each fork has it's own default page since there are specifics linked to it like new versions of old zites that no longer work or new ID sites, etc. Important to keep it.

One should be able to change and update the UI password as well. Doesn't seem possible at the moment, hardcoded?

The plugins dir is also missing or not linked to /app/data/, which is how features get turned on and off in Zeronet, by renaming of these plugin dirs.

Right now I can't seem to browse to anywhere and it keeps asking for the UI pw for every zite. Missing plugins.

Getting closer to functional!

Please restore the vanilla install experience.

[timconsidine]

Right now I can't seem to browse to anywhere and it keeps asking for the UI pw for every zite. Missing plugins.

• Strange
  I have been clicking away randomly without any real issues - just sites that seems to have no new content for 5+ years

• ZeroBlog (on original home page) : no new content since December 31, 2019

• I haven't been asked for the password once after initial login

Changing it removes that magic.

My homepage keeps track of where I visited
Not sure of new blog posts as I haven't joined any yet

It's the lifeblood of the Zeronet experience.

But it is so darned ugly !

Will do some more investigating, but back on trying to make Dify work in Cloudron

The original home page is still available as link from my home page - maybe that will provide the blog post stuff ? Will try to check

[robi]

Yup, ideally the entire zip extraction is available in /app/data

While it was more actively developed, that is how the self-update mechanism worked as well, updating it's own source files.

It's also interesting the File Manager can't open the zeronet.conf -> link file.
Not that it should be a link.

I tried all the links from your page, they just asked for the pw on and on.

Since for me it's misconfigured on install, I go through and change a bunch of settings including the password, but that seems to reset on restart, so I keep getting stuck.

[timconsidine]

Weird
I don’t have any of that.

[timconsidine]

@robi / others interested

I have revisited the Zeronet repo / build.
Should now be a working vanilla Zeronet Conservancy deployment.

v2.0.0
repo : https://git.cloudron.io/timconsidine/cloudron-zeronet

docker image : tcmbp132021/cloudron-zeronet:v2.0.0

Not 100% sure it's done, because I still don't get Zeronet - excellent idea, but mostly old/stale sites, does anyone actually use Zeronet , maybe it's a "time to sync" issue, which I don't have enough patience for.

But check it out

[robi]

@timconsidine it installs fine thru CCAI-P but it seems still very broken.

Once entering the password, it doesn't even load the default home site (site dirs all empty, fails to dl/write anything? unusual), finds plenty of peers but otherwise errors.

Config page is configured better now, but plugins dir is not in /app/data/, good that it's not in /app/data/data though.

no bueno
thanks for trying

[timconsidine]

@robi with respect, I think your system or network or Tor is “fsck-ed”.
Could something, another ZeroNet installed/running, be conflicting ?

Fresh install, new container.
The home page, now back to standard ZNC, loads in <5 seconds.
0name archive loads in <5 seconds.
AllnightBookstire loads in <5 seconds. (Longer for full sync)
Ditto for 0list.
Ditto for ZeroTalk and ZeroTalk Tech.
Ditto for ZeroSites.
Ditto for ZeroMail.

Others like Syncronite take longer due to the nature of P2P
Within 20 minutes the only site not yet loaded is 1Hello (ironic but other Zites are pulling a lot of content, don't know if that is relevant).

If you want to suggest some Zites to check, happy to do this.
I hate saying this, but evidence is your experience is not an app issue.

Latest entry <9 hours ago :

[timconsidine]

Pushed some tweaks in v2.0.1 to git repo and docker hub

Multiple rebuilds and reinstalls done
What can I say : for me, it works out the box, no issues except delays entirely due to P2P/Tor. I can't control those.

If there is anything specific to fix, let me know.
Otherwise I have to mark this as done.

Zeronet seems to me a brilliant concept, rendered fringe/prone to outdated content by apathy of devs and users.
Sorry, that's just how it seems to a newbie.

[timconsidine]

What are the Four of Us Still Doing Here on Zeronet?

I am visiting a dead network every couple of weeks just to see if anyone is still using it and post a couple of posts to ZeroTalk Tech and The All-Night Bookstore and Cafe. Despite the fact that ZeroNet still works beautifully and governments around the world are cracking down on free speech with new "child protection" laws that don't protect children in any way, no one is using ZeroNet. Zite owners can't protect their zites from spam or even keep them up consistently, even when spam is not a factor. We are told ZeroNet is insecure. And no developer is willing to fix these problems. I know of no other decentralized network that I can actually put a website on it and have it perform half as well as ZeroNet, so I really have no better option right now than the Web.

I am currently running a small social media site on the Web, and I recently had to announce that I would be blocking several US states due to their new child safety laws. I am afraid the situation will only be getting worse from here on, but there is no network to move to. None! The future looks bleak for free speech, social media, and peer-to-peer networks. How did we allow ourselves to get here?

[robi]

@timconsidine thank you for the updates and feedback. I will try it on a different server and perhaps even the demo server to see what happens.

I hope the configured fileserver port is added to the app so external connections can proxy through.

[timconsidine]

I've come to the conclusion that, (my bad) out of ignorance of the history and status of Zeronet, packaging 'Zeronet Conservancy' was a huge mistake. I thought 'Conservancy' was a good concept. Seems it should have been called "preserve in aspic and never update it". Too much old history, broken/dead sites, embedded dependencies on defunct ZeroID (unless you're an old timer lucky to have one). So I am abandoning it, but work to date will be preserved in a separate folder in the git repo.

Instead, I will have a time-limited bash at packaging ZeroNetX ZNX.

Zeronet is a great concept, but it needs to work viably and realistically in 2026 and onwards.