Comment by 🍀 knshow
Re: "caracal is a Nostr client with a Gemini interface. Current…"
Subject: Seeking help with running caracal on Debian 13 / LXQt
Hi! Thank you for creating caracal. I'm very excited to try it out, but I've run into some trouble getting it to work.
I am a Linux beginner and not an engineer, so I am struggling to identify the cause. I would appreciate any hints or advice you could provide!
gemini://knshow.srht.site/images/caracal-incomplete-header.jpg
[Issue]
I granted execution permissions to the AppImage and started it, but it doesn't seem to stay running as a process. When I access gemini://localhost:1985 in Lagrange, I get a connection error.
[Environment]
Kernel: Linux 6.12.74+deb13+1-amd64
Architecture: x86-64
OS: Debian GNU/Linux 13 (trixie)
DE: LXQt 2.1.0 (liblxqt 2.1.0)
Qt: 6.7.2
Browser: Lagrange v1.20.4 (AppImage)
caracal: caracal-x86_64.AppImage
(Please see the attached screenshot for the error message.)
Thank you in advance for your help!
May 03 · 4 days ago
29 Later Comments ↓
🚀 cipres [OP/mod] · May 03 at 15:37:
@knshow Hello. I've seen the screenshot. First of all, it will help if you start the AppImage from a terminal, that way you will see any potential errors from caracal.
So what i see is that you created an identity with "Organization" set to "nostr". Because of this, caracal will ask you for a Bunker URL, to connect to a remote signer.
What i suggest is that you first try caracal with a regular identity, without setting the "Organization" field.
I've never experienced the "incomplete header" error that you get here, i'll try to reproduce it.
🚀 cipres [OP/mod] · May 03 at 15:46:
@knshow Question: when you start the AppImage, do you land on caracal's homepage, which tells you to create an identity ? If that's the case then the caracal service is running correctly.
The AppImage is based on lagrange 1.18.4 at the moment.
🚀 cipres [OP/mod] · May 03 at 15:54:
@knshow Since you have already have Lagrange installed, i would recommend that you just install the caracal binary and forget about the AppImage.
Then just start caracal:
And browse gemini://localhost from Lagrange.
@cipres
Thank you for your quick reply!
Since I have work tomorrow, I'm going to bed now, so my next response might be delayed.
Answer:
I launched caracal, but the homepage did not appear.
After that, I manually created a new identity (client certificate) in my browser and applied it to localhost:1985. However, I still cannot connect even after reloading or restarting the browser.
I consulted Gemini AI, which suggested that libfuse2 might be missing. I installed it and tried again, but unfortunately, the issue persists.
@cipres
Thank you so much! I will definitely try this tomorrow when I get back from work. I'm looking forward to it!
🚀 cipres [OP/mod] · May 03 at 16:27:
@knshow Yes you need fuse on your system to launch AppImages.
I advise you to run the standalone binary and not the AppImage. And then connect to caracal with Lagrange. Good luck.
🚀 cipres [OP/mod] · May 04 at 14:32:
@knshow You can share your npub (nostr public key) address once you're on nostr with caracal :)
Hi, thanks for reaching out! I'm currently trying to set it up.
First, I tried the binary version. The URL I was initially given resulted in a "Not Found" HTML file, so I went to GitLab and downloaded it directly from here: https://gitlab.com/cipres/caracal/-/releases/continuous-devel/downloads/caracal When I run it in the terminal, Lagrange correctly shows the caracal capsule and the "No certificate You need to use a Gemini certificate to access caracal...etc" page. I've created two types of certificates—a default one and a "nostr" one (for nsec.app)—but neither seems to trigger a response. According to Gemini AI, successful connection should show logs in the terminal, but mine stays silent. I also tried Lagrange v1.18.4 to see if it was a version issue, but the result was the same.
I'll keep troubleshooting. Looking forward to getting on Nostr with your client!
🚀 cipres [OP/mod] · May 04 at 18:44:
@knshow So you've activated your certificate for gemini://localhost (from Lagrange) ? What do you mean by "trigger a response" ? First connection can take some time, maybe 10 seconds maximum. But then when it loads you should see the homepage, with the menu.
caracal doesn't show logs for "anonymous" (without certificate) requests, only requests made when you have a valid certificate. Once you're logged in you'll see logs (in gemtext) for every request.
@knshow I have a feeling that, you've created certificates, but you haven't activated them in Lagrange for the current page (caracal's URL). If you can share a screencast video here, of the actions you're doing in Lagrange, that would be very helpful. Thank you and good luck.
🚀 cipres [OP/mod] · May 04 at 20:48:
@knshow I'll make a screencast to show how to set it up, will post it here a bit later.
@cipres
Sorry for the late reply. This is what the current situation looks like.
gemini://knshow.srht.site/images/caracal-localhost.jpg
...Wait, is it possible that it’s actually working correctly and I’ve just misunderstood something?
🚀 cipres [OP/mod] · May 05 at 16:07:
@knshow You've succeeded, however, the bad news is that you're running a very old version of caracal (it looks like v0.1.6 or something). I don't even know how you managed to get such an old version ^_^ (direct download from gitlab releases page ?)
I repeat the procedude, these commands must be run in a terminal:
To check which version you have:
🚀 cipres [OP/mod] · May 05 at 16:12:
@knshow I'm reading again a message you sent yesterday, in which you say that you've downloaded caracal from "https://gitlab.com/cipres/caracal/-/releases/continuous-devel/downloads/caracal"
This is wrong, this is the URL for the "continuous-devel" tag, instead of being the "continuous-master" tag (look at README.md). The correct URL is:
https://gitlab.com/cipres/caracal/-/releases/continuous-master/downloads/caracal
Use the latest binary and it will all work itself out.
@ciprs
Thanks to your kind guidance, I updated to Caracal 3.0 and it works perfectly now! Thank you so much for your help. I'll take my time to explore how to use it!
gemini://knshow.srht.site/images/caracal-success.jpg
...And just as you suspected, the version I was using was an old one (v1.3), lol. This was a great learning experience for me!
🚀 cipres [OP/mod] · May 05 at 21:48:
@knshow You're welcome, excellent job, congratulations.
So it looks like you're using caracal with a remote signer (bunker). I'll test the bunker mode more in the next few days to check that it works correctly, i've seen your note posted from caracal, so it seems to be working. Enjoy ! And thanks you for testing the software.
@knshow The user interface of caracal will soon be available in the Japanese language. This will make it easier for you to use the software.
@cipres I thought about trying other modes besides Bunker, but I’m using it for now since it’s the one I understand best! I had been wanting to try it anyway, so it’s not a problem at all.
I’m so happy to see my notes successfully reaching the relays! Thank you so much.
After that, I tried looking for your public key to follow you, but I couldn't find it... I tried searching on Caracal's "People" page but had no luck.
If you don't mind, could you please share your npub? I would love to follow you!
🚀 cipres [OP/mod] · May 05 at 22:13:
@knshow My main npub is the following:
npub1r3cnzta52fee26c83cnes8wvzkch3kud2kll67k402x04mttt26q0wfx0c
From the main menu in caracal, select "Follow" and copy-paste this npub in the input prompt.
I have finished the translation of caracal's messages to Japanese, will publish a new version tomorrow.
🚀 cipres [OP/mod] · May 05 at 22:19:
Screenshot of the UI in Japanese. Does it look correct, more or less ?
— https://blossom.primal.net/faaafebe5794e93950b31ac965d7b0ab9bec3bbd56e4e2debdda294b023edb92.webp
@cipres Thank you so much! I’ve followed you right away.
Also, thank you for creating the Japanese translation! I’m really looking forward to the new version!
Sorry for the late reply. This was my first time doing something like this, so I struggled with it a bit.
Since I’m not an engineer, please feel free to consult with others if you need more technical perspectives. :)
The text within brackets [ ] refers to the Japanese terminology used for similar functions in the iOS version of Damus. I've only included the items that I could clearly confirm within the UI. While Damus has similar functions, I didn't include the bracketed [ ] notation for parts where the specifications seemed to differ from caracal.
Nostr Connect (remote signer)
As I am not an engineer, I am unsure of the best technical translation for this.
Configure Relays
リレー [リレー]
While "リレーの構成" (Configure Relays) works, keeping it simply as "リレー" (Relays) like Damus feels more intuitive and familiar for users.
Profile
プロフィール [プロフィール]
This is the standard Japanese phonetic transliteration. It is fine as is.
Contact list
フォロー一覧
"連絡先リスト" (Contact List) implies people you communicate with directly (family/friends). Since this list contains everyone you follow, "フォロー一覧" (Follow List) is more accurate.
People
ユーザー一覧 / 参加者リスト
Since this displays users on the platform, "ユーザー一覧" (User List) is clear. If you want to emphasize the community aspect, "参加者リスト" (Participant List) also works.
Post note
投稿する [投稿する]
Just "投稿" (Post) feels a bit clipped. Adding "する" (to post/do) makes the action clearer, similar to how "note" provides context in English. In Japanese, "note" can be omitted as the context is understood.
Feed
フィード
This is the phonetic transliteration. While I find it slightly unfamiliar (unlike RSS feeds), it is standard. If it includes your own posts, "タイムライン" (Timeline) might be the most natural fit.
Inbox
投稿と返信 [投稿とリプライ]
Damus uses "リプライ" (Reply) likely because of Twitter’s influence in Japan. Either option is widely understood.
Outbox
自分の投稿
Since this displays your own posts, "自分の投稿" (My Posts) is the most straightforward description.
Follow
フォローする
Similar to "Post note," "フォローする" (to follow) is clearer as an action. However, just "フォロー" is acceptable if UI space is limited.
Hashtags
ハッシュタグ
This is the phonetic transliteration. In Japanese, we generally do not pluralize English loanwords, so the "s" is dropped.
Polls
投票一覧 / アンケート
Since it lists various polls, "投票一覧" (Poll List) fits. Since "投票" (Vote) can sound a bit formal/political, "アンケート" (Survey/Questionnaire) is a softer alternative.
Nsites
Nsiteについて
As this section looks like a collection of links and explanations, I suggest "Nsiteについて" (About Nsite). I am still learning about Nsites myself, so there may be a better technical term.
Search notes
投稿検索 / ノート検索
"投稿検索" (Post Search) is better for general users. "ノート検索" (Note Search) is fine for Nostr power users, but for most Japanese people, "ノート" implies a physical notebook.
🚀 cipres [OP/mod] · May 06 at 08:22:
@knshow Thank you very much for your suggestions, this is so helpful !!! I think i will use "Follow List" instead of "Contact List". I don't read Japanese, i've always wanted to learn, now is a good occasion to learn.
🚀 cipres [OP/mod] · May 06 at 13:42:
@knshow caracal v0.3.1 has just been published. You can change the UI language in the settings. Right now only French, Spanish and Japanese languages are supported. Translation is automatically done by a local LibreTranslate instance, and many things are incorrectly translated, i'll fix them later. Added you in the contributors list in the readme. Thank you.
@cipres Not at all! You kindly taught me everything starting from the installation process, so I’m just happy I could be of help. I’m also studying English right now, so let’s both do our best!
Also, I’ve already updated to v0.3.1. I’m truly honored to have my name included—thank you so much!
🚀 cipres [OP/mod] · 22 hours ago:
@knshow Don't be modest, you've helped a lot ^_^
I think that the screenshot of the UI in Japanese i sent you yesterday contained translations made with google translate (which i'd rather not use). The translations of v0.3.1 are done with LibreTranslate. So it's normal if they're different from yesterday. Do you see any major errors in the current Japanese translations ?
Anyway, i love using caracal in Japanese :)
🚀 cipres [OP/mod] · 22 hours ago:
I've been using caracal as my main nostr client for a few days and it's fairly usable and quite stable.
@cipres I was using the auto-translation feature in Lagrange as well, so I figured you might be using something like LibreTranslate. As for major errors, there’s really only one that stands out.
"Polls" is currently translated as "ログイン" (Log in), which is quite different from the original meaning.
Everything else looks like it can be fixed bit by bit later on. For now, users should be able to understand the interface once they actually open it and take a look.
Oh, I just remembered one more thing. Under the "Feed" section, "Reply" is translated as "スタッフ" (Staff/Stuff). This is probably another major error that should be looked at.
Here is an example of Lagrange's auto-translation (sorry, these are images from my own Geminispace):
Auto-translation example:
gemini://knshow.srht.site/images/translation-auto.jpg
What I actually want to convey:
gemini://knshow.srht.site/images/translation-manual.jpg
The UI translations in the app aren't quite as broken as these examples, but the ones I pointed out earlier (like "Polls" and "Reply") carry completely different meanings from the original English. That's why I think they need to be fixed.
🚀 cipres [OP/mod] · 21 hours ago:
@knshow Thank you ! I will fix "Polls" and "Reply" in the next release. For reference, this is the URL of the yaml file which contains the japanese translations:
— https://gitlab.com/cipres/caracal/-/blob/master/locales/ja.yml
The problem is that if we change some of the (wrong) translations manually, then the next time i need to run the autotranslate script, it will overwrite everything we had fixed. A solution would be to consider that the Japanese translation file is maintained manually, and remove that language from the autotranslate script.
Wondering ... do you have a gitlab account, by any chance ?
Also, i created a Matrix room for caracal.
— https://matrix.to/#/#caracal:matrix.org
@cipres I'm looking forward to the next release!
I checked the URL—it's impressive! It must be incredibly difficult to work on this without knowing Japanese, especially since we can input both Japanese and the alphabet without issues, but handling those characters from your side must be a challenge.
I'm not an engineer, just a regular user, so I've never used GitLab or Matrix before. But since you invited me, I'll try to sign up for them sometime soon! :)
Original Post
caracal is a Nostr client with a Gemini interface. Current version is v0.2.6. I'm trying to make a lightweight client focused on readability. [https link] feed screenshot [https link] libertarian's feed screenshot [https link] caracal's git repository [https link] caracal's nsite