add a circumvent_ssl_requirement option to application.yml.example; sending out a mail to diaspora-dev for more info

config/application.yml.example

@@ -125,6 +125,7 @@ defaults: &defaults
   # Diaspora is only tested against this default pubsub server. You probably don't want to change this.
   pubsub_server: 'https://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com/'
 
+  circumvent_ssl_requirement: false
   # Email
 
   # Setting this to true enables Diaspora's "send email" functionality,

config/environments/production.rb

@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 #   licensed under the Affero General Public License version 3 or later.  See
 #   the COPYRIGHT file.
 
+require File.join(Rails.root, 'lib', 'enviroment_configuration')
+
 Diaspora::Application.configure do
   # Settings specified here will take precedence over those in config/environment.rb
 
@@ -38,7 +40,7 @@ Diaspora::Application.configure do
   config.serve_static_assets = false
 
   #force ssl in production
-  config.middleware.insert_before ActionDispatch::Static, "Rack::SSL"
+  config.middleware.insert_before ActionDispatch::Static, "Rack::SSL" unless EnviromentConfiguration.circumvent_ssl?
 
   # Enable serving of images, stylesheets, and javascripts from an asset server
   # config.action_controller.asset_host = "http://assets.example.com"

lib/enviroment_configuration.rb

@@ -29,6 +29,10 @@ module EnviromentConfiguration
     end
   end
 
+  def self.circumvent_ssl?
+    ENV['NO_SSL'] || AppConfig[:circumvent_ssl_requirement].present?
+  end
+
   def self.ca_cert_file_location
     if self.heroku?
       "/usr/lib/ssl/certs/ca-certificates.crt"