Dockerfile

@@ -10,16 +10,17 @@ RUN nimble install -y --depsOnly
 COPY . .
 RUN nimble build -d:danger -d:lto -d:strip
 RUN nimble scss
+RUN nimble md
 
-FROM debian:unstable-slim
+FROM alpine:latest
 
 RUN apk --no-cache add pcre ca-certificates
 RUN useradd -d /src -u 1001 nitter
 
 WORKDIR /srv
 
-COPY --from=build /src/nitter ./
-COPY --from=build /src/public ./public
+COPY --from=build /srv/nitter ./
+COPY --from=build /srv/public ./public
 
 USER nitter
 CMD ./nitter

nitter.nimble

@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ requires "jester#baca3f"
 requires "karax#5cf360c"
 requires "sass#7dfdd03"
 requires "nimcrypto#a079df9"
+requires "markdown#158efe3"
 requires "packedjson#9e6fbb6"
 requires "supersnappy#6c94198"
 requires "redpool#8b7c1db"
@@ -28,3 +29,6 @@ requires "oauth#b8c163b"
 
 task scss, "Generate css":
   exec "nimble c --hint[Processing]:off -d:danger -r tools/gencss"
+
+task md, "Render md":
+  exec "nimble c --hint[Processing]:off -d:danger -r tools/rendermd"

public/md/about.md

@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+# About
+
+Nitter is a free and open source alternative Twitter front-end focused on
+privacy and performance. The source is available on GitHub at
+<https://github.com/zedeus/nitter>
+
+* No JavaScript or ads
+* All requests go through the backend, client never talks to Twitter
+* Prevents Twitter from tracking your IP or JavaScript fingerprint
+* Uses Twitter's unofficial API (no rate limits or developer account required)
+* Lightweight (for [@nim_lang](/nim_lang), 60KB vs 784KB from twitter.com)
+* RSS feeds
+* Themes
+* Mobile support (responsive design)
+* AGPLv3 licensed, no proprietary instances permitted
+
+Nitter's GitHub wiki contains
+[instances](https://github.com/zedeus/nitter/wiki/Instances) and
+[browser extensions](https://github.com/zedeus/nitter/wiki/Extensions)
+maintained by the community.
+
+## Why use Nitter?
+
+It's impossible to use Twitter without JavaScript enabled. For privacy-minded
+folks, preventing JavaScript analytics and IP-based tracking is important, but
+apart from using a VPN and uBlock/uMatrix, it's impossible. Despite being behind
+a VPN and using heavy-duty adblockers, you can get accurately tracked with your
+[browser's fingerprint](https://restoreprivacy.com/browser-fingerprinting/),
+[no JavaScript required](https://noscriptfingerprint.com/). This all became
+particularly important after Twitter [removed the
+ability](https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2020/04/twitter-removes-privacy-option-and-shows-why-we-need-strong-privacy-laws)
+for users to control whether their data gets sent to advertisers.
+
+Using an instance of Nitter (hosted on a VPS for example), you can browse
+Twitter without JavaScript while retaining your privacy. In addition to
+respecting your privacy, Nitter is on average around 15 times lighter than
+Twitter, and in most cases serves pages faster (eg. timelines load 2-4x faster).
+
+In the future a simple account system will be added that lets you follow Twitter
+users, allowing you to have a clean chronological timeline without needing a
+Twitter account.
+
+## Donating
+
+Liberapay: <https://liberapay.com/zedeus> \
+Patreon: <https://patreon.com/nitter> \
+BTC: bc1qp7q4qz0fgfvftm5hwz3vy284nue6jedt44kxya \
+ETH: 0x66d84bc3fd031b62857ad18c62f1ba072b011925 \
+LTC: ltc1qhsz5nxw6jw9rdtw9qssjeq2h8hqk2f85rdgpkr \
+XMR: 42hKayRoEAw4D6G6t8mQHPJHQcXqofjFuVfavqKeNMNUZfeJLJAcNU19i1bGdDvcdN6romiSscWGWJCczFLe9RFhM3d1zpL
+
+## Contact
+
+Feel free to join our [Matrix channel](https://matrix.to/#/#nitter:matrix.org).

src/formatters.nim

@@ -82,8 +82,6 @@ proc proxifyVideo*(manifest: string; proxy: bool): string =
   for line in manifest.splitLines:
     let url =
       if line.startsWith("#EXT-X-MAP:URI"): line[16 .. ^2]
-      elif line.startsWith("#EXT-X-MEDIA") and "URI=" in line:
-        line[line.find("URI=") + 5 .. -1 + line.find("\"", start= 5 + line.find("URI="))]
       else: line
     if url.startsWith('/'):
       let path = "https://video.twimg.com" & url

src/nitter.nim

@@ -8,11 +8,14 @@ from os import getEnv
 import jester
 
 import types, config, prefs, formatters, redis_cache, http_pool, auth
-import views/[general]
+import views/[general, about]
 import routes/[
   preferences, timeline, status, media, search, rss, list, debug,
   unsupported, embed, resolver, router_utils]
 
+const instancesUrl = "https://github.com/zedeus/nitter/wiki/Instances"
+const issuesUrl = "https://github.com/zedeus/nitter/issues"
+
 initAccountPool(cfg)
 
 if not cfg.enableDebug:
@@ -29,6 +32,7 @@ setHmacKey(cfg.hmacKey)
 setProxyEncoding(cfg.base64Media)
 setMaxHttpConns(cfg.httpMaxConns)
 setHttpProxy(cfg.proxy, cfg.proxyAuth)
+initAboutPage(cfg.staticDir)
 
 waitFor initRedisPool(cfg)
 stdout.write &"Connected to Redis at {cfg.redisHost}:{cfg.redisPort}\n"
@@ -56,6 +60,15 @@ routes:
   get "/":
     resp renderMain(renderSearch(), request, cfg, themePrefs())
 
+  get "/about":
+    resp renderMain(renderAbout(), request, cfg, themePrefs())
+
+  get "/explore":
+    redirect("/about")
+
+  get "/help":
+    redirect("/about")
+
   get "/i/redirect":
     let url = decodeUrl(@"url")
     if url.len == 0: resp Http404
@@ -66,17 +79,18 @@ routes:
 
   error InternalError:
     echo error.exc.name, ": ", error.exc.msg
-    const link = a("https://git.ngn.tf/ngn/nitter", href = "https://git.ngn.tf/ngn/nitter")
+    const link = a("open a GitHub issue", href = issuesUrl)
     resp Http500, showError(
-      &"An error occurred, please report to {link}", cfg)
+      &"An error occurred, please {link} with the URL you tried to visit.", cfg)
 
   error BadClientError:
     echo error.exc.name, ": ", error.exc.msg
     resp Http500, showError("Network error occurred, please try again.", cfg)
 
   error RateLimitError:
+    const link = a("another instance", href = instancesUrl)
     resp Http429, showError(
-      &"Instance has been rate limited.", cfg)
+      &"Instance has been rate limited.<br>Use {link} or try again later.", cfg)
 
   extend rss, ""
   extend status, ""

src/routes/unsupported.nim

@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ proc createUnsupportedRouter*(cfg: Config) =
     template feature {.dirty.} =
       resp renderMain(renderFeature(), request, cfg, themePrefs())
 
+    get "/about/feature": feature()
     get "/login/?@i?": feature()
     get "/@name/lists/?": feature()
 

src/views/about.nim

@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: AGPL-3.0-only
+import os, strformat
+import karax/[karaxdsl, vdom]
+
+const
+  date = staticExec("git show -s --format=\"%cd\" --date=format:\"%Y.%m.%d\"")
+  hash = staticExec("git show -s --format=\"%h\"")
+  link = "https://github.com/zedeus/nitter/commit/" & hash
+  version = &"{date}-{hash}"
+
+var aboutHtml: string
+
+proc initAboutPage*(dir: string) =
+  try:
+    aboutHtml = readFile(dir/"md/about.html")
+  except IOError:
+    stderr.write (dir/"md/about.html") & " not found, please run `nimble md`\n"
+    aboutHtml = "<h1>About page is missing</h1><br><br>"
+
+proc renderAbout*(): VNode =
+  buildHtml(tdiv(class="overlay-panel")):
+    verbatim aboutHtml
+    h2: text "Instance info"
+    p:
+      text "Version "
+      a(href=link): text version

src/views/feature.nim

@@ -6,3 +6,9 @@ proc renderFeature*(): VNode =
     h1: text "Unsupported feature"
     p:
       text "Nitter doesn't support this feature yet, but it might in the future. "
+      text "You can check for an issue and open one if needed here: "
+      a(href="https://github.com/zedeus/nitter/issues"):
+        text "https://github.com/zedeus/nitter/issues"
+    p:
+      text "To find out more about the Nitter project, see the "
+      a(href="/about"): text "About page"

src/views/general.nim

@@ -31,7 +31,9 @@ proc renderNavbar(cfg: Config; req: Request; rss, canonical: string): VNode =
         icon "search", title="Search", href="/search"
         if cfg.enableRss and rss.len > 0:
           icon "rss-feed", title="RSS Feed", href=rss
+        icon "bird", title="Open in Twitter", href=canonical
         a(href="https://liberapay.com/zedeus"): verbatim lp
+        icon "info", title="About", href="/about"
         icon "cog", title="Preferences", href=("/settings?referer=" & encodeUrl(path))
 
 proc renderHead*(prefs: Prefs; cfg: Config; req: Request; titleText=""; desc="";
@@ -71,7 +73,7 @@ proc renderHead*(prefs: Prefs; cfg: Config; req: Request; titleText=""; desc="";
       link(rel="alternate", type="application/rss+xml", href=rss, title="RSS feed")
 
     if prefs.hlsPlayback:
-      script(src="/js/hls.min.js", `defer`="")
+      script(src="/js/hls.light.min.js", `defer`="")
       script(src="/js/hlsPlayback.js", `defer`="")
 
     if prefs.infiniteScroll: