Isso (nix)

Isso is a self-hosted commenting server written in Python that serves as a lightweight, privacy-respecting alternative to Disqus. It stores all comments in a local SQLite database, giving site owners full control over their data instead of handing it to a third-party service. A small embeddable JavaScript client (around 20kB gzipped) drops comment threads into any static or dynamic website.

Commenters write in Markdown and can edit or delete their own posts within a short time window without registration. Isso includes a moderation queue to keep unapproved comments hidden, email/admin notifications, and importers for migrating existing comments from Disqus or WordPress. The server exposes a simple HTTP API and admin interface for managing threads.

Typical use is to add a comment section to a personal blog, documentation site, or static-site-generator output (Hugo, Jekyll, etc.) while keeping data on your own infrastructure. Its minimal footprint makes it well suited to running alongside other apps on a single small server.

On Hop3

Isso is a comment server, not a website, so its root URL is an API endpoint: opening https://<your-app>/ in a browser correctly answers 400 Bad Request — missing uri query. That is isso working, not a fault.

The two things you actually use:

• /admin/ — the moderation dashboard. Sign in with the password from hop3 app credentials --app <name>.
• /js/embed.min.js — the widget you embed on your own site:

```html

```

Comments live in a SQLite database on a persistent volume, so they survive redeploys and are included in backups.