A decentralized photo sharing platform
A Brief Intro to Pixelfed
Getting started with Pixelfed is as easy as it gets. Find the instance you like, create an account, and you're good to go. Sharing photos is not difficult either. Click Create New Post, and you can choose between three options. A regular post can be used to publish one or more photos, a story allows you to create posts that expire in 24 hours, and a collection lets you organize a selection of already published photos into a group.
When creating a regular post, you have the option to add up to 10 photos or videos. After choosing the desired files, Pixelfed immediately prompts you to add a caption, mark a post as sensitive, specify a license, disable commenting, etc. Pixelfed also makes it possible to crop and resize the added files as well as apply filters. Click on the left arrow in the upper-left corner of the dialog window to switch to the editing interface. Pixelfed offers several rather good filters that can spruce up dull-looking photos without much effort (Figure 2).
Grouping published photos into collections can come in especially handy for presenting photographic projects (Figure 3). Creating a collection is not difficult, but the process does have a quirk. When you choose New Collection, you're dropped into the Create Collection interface. Most of the options available here are self-explanatory, but the title of the Add Posts section is slightly misleading. You can add only one post, and that's it (this may be fixed by the time you read this). Once you've specified the available settings and published the collection, you can add as many photos to it as you like.
The My Portfolio feature is the most recent addition to Pixelfed. As the name suggests, you can use this feature to set up a portfolio containing a selection of photos you shared on Pixelfed (Figure 4). The portfolio features a different design, and it has a dedicated URL (https://portfolio.pixelfed.social/username) that separates the portfolio from the rest of your Pixelfed account. This functionality makes it possible to use Pixelfed not only to share casual photos with your followers, but also showcase your best photographic work.
If you want to see photos posted by other Pixelfed users or you're looking for photographers to follow, Pixelfed has you covered. The Local Feed view shows recent posts from users on the Pixelfed instance you're on, while Global Feed pulls posts from other ActivityPub-based services such as Mastodon. Speaking of which, you're not limited to following only Pixelfed users: You can follow anyone on any ActivityPub-based service. This means that if you want to follow someone on mastodon.social, you can easily do it from your Pixelfed account. Simply use the search field to find the desired user by their username (e.g., @username@mastodon.social). The same applies to your Pixelfed account: Anyone can follow you from any other ActivityPub-powered service.
Finally, the Discover section offers several clever features. The Daily Trending section displays the most popular photos (Figure 5), which offers a way to find and follow photographers you like. The My Memories section displays photos taken on this day in previous years, giving you a chance to take a stroll down memory lane. You can view your most popular posts along with other useful stats in the Account Insights section, while Find Friends lists users that match your interests.
Closing Thoughts
Although Pixelfed has been around for quite a while, it still might feel a bit like a work in progress rather than a finished product. The current incarnation has done a lot of things right, and new features are popping up on a regular basis. But the fact that most instances offer only limited storage and are maintained by volunteers is something you need to consider. It still remains to be seen how successful individual Pixelfed instances will be at moderating as they grow in popularity. Opting for Pixelfed is not a zero-sum game, though. Nothing prevents you from using your current service while experimenting with Pixelfed. Even if you're not interested in using Pixelfed for sharing your photos, you might still want to use it to set up a portfolio to showcase your best work. In short, start slow and small, and see what works for you.
Infos
- Pixelfed: https://pixelfed.org/
« Previous 1 2
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
So Long Neofetch and Thanks for the Info
Today is a day that every Linux user who enjoys bragging about their system(s) will mourn, as Neofetch has come to an end.
-
Ubuntu 24.04 Comes with a “Flaw"
If you're thinking you might want to upgrade from your current Ubuntu release to the latest, there's something you might want to consider before doing so.
-
Canonical Releases Ubuntu 24.04
After a brief pause because of the XZ vulnerability, Ubuntu 24.04 is now available for install.
-
Linux Servers Targeted by Akira Ransomware
A group of bad actors who have already extorted $42 million have their sights set on the Linux platform.
-
TUXEDO Computers Unveils Linux Laptop Featuring AMD Ryzen CPU
This latest release is the first laptop to include the new CPU from Ryzen and Linux preinstalled.
-
XZ Gets the All-Clear
The back door xz vulnerability has been officially reverted for Fedora 40 and versions 38 and 39 were never affected.
-
Canonical Collaborates with Qualcomm on New Venture
This new joint effort is geared toward bringing Ubuntu and Ubuntu Core to Qualcomm-powered devices.
-
Kodi 21.0 Open-Source Entertainment Hub Released
After a year of development, the award-winning Kodi cross-platform, media center software is now available with many new additions and improvements.
-
Linux Usage Increases in Two Key Areas
If market share is your thing, you'll be happy to know that Linux is on the rise in two areas that, if they keep climbing, could have serious meaning for Linux's future.
-
Vulnerability Discovered in xz Libraries
An urgent alert for Fedora 40 has been posted and users should pay attention.