diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 2a7b3a1dd..23e9c4033 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 # local ansible configuration
 ansible/inventory
-ansible/inventory_dev
 ansible/passwords/
 
 # docker build files
diff --git a/ansible/lemmy.yml b/ansible/lemmy.yml
index 91bda5715..831efaafb 100644
--- a/ansible/lemmy.yml
+++ b/ansible/lemmy.yml
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
   tasks:
   - name: install dependencies
     apt:
+      update_cache: yes
       pkg:
         - 'nginx'
         - 'docker-compose'
@@ -77,9 +78,8 @@
         lemmy_docker_ui_image: "dessalines/lemmy-ui:{{ lookup('file', 'VERSION') }}"
         lemmy_port: "8536"
         lemmy_ui_port: "1235"
-        pictshare_port: "8537"
 
-    - name:  add config file (only during initial setup)
+    - name: add minimal config file (only during initial setup)
       template:
         src: 'templates/config.hjson'
         dest: '{{lemmy_base_dir}}/lemmy.hjson'
diff --git a/ansible/lemmy_dev.yml b/ansible/lemmy_dev.yml
deleted file mode 100644
index a685cbe3e..000000000
--- a/ansible/lemmy_dev.yml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,145 +0,0 @@
----
-- hosts: all
-  vars:
-    lemmy_docker_image: 'lemmy:dev'
-
-  # Install python if required
-  # https://www.josharcher.uk/code/ansible-python-connection-failure-ubuntu-server-1604/
-  gather_facts: False
-  pre_tasks:
-    - name: check lemmy_base_dir
-      fail:
-        msg: "`lemmy_base_dir` is unset. if you are upgrading from an older version, add `lemmy_base_dir=/lemmy` to your inventory file."
-      when: lemmy_base_dir is not defined
-
-    - name: install python for Ansible
-      raw: test -e /usr/bin/python || (apt -y update && apt install -y python-minimal python-setuptools)
-      args:
-        executable: /bin/bash
-      register: output
-      changed_when: output.stdout != ''
-    - setup: # gather facts
-
-  tasks:
-  - name: install dependencies
-    apt:
-      pkg:
-        - 'nginx'
-        - 'docker-compose'
-        - 'docker.io'
-        - 'certbot'
-        - 'python-certbot-nginx'
-
-  - name: request initial letsencrypt certificate
-    command: certbot certonly --nginx --agree-tos --cert-name '{{ domain }}' -d '{{ domain }}' -m '{{ letsencrypt_contact_email }}'
-    args:
-      creates: '/etc/letsencrypt/live/{{domain}}/privkey.pem'
-
-  - name: create lemmy folder
-    file:
-      path: '{{item.path}}'
-      owner: '{{item.owner}}'
-      state: directory
-    with_items:
-      - path: '{{lemmy_base_dir}}/lemmy/'
-        owner: 'root'
-      - path: '{{lemmy_base_dir}}/volumes/'
-        owner: 'root'
-      - path: '{{lemmy_base_dir}}/volumes/pictrs/'
-        owner: '991'
-
-  - block:
-    - name:  add template files
-      template:
-        src: '{{item.src}}'
-        dest: '{{item.dest}}'
-        mode: '{{item.mode}}'
-      with_items:
-        - src: 'templates/docker-compose.yml'
-          dest: '{{lemmy_base_dir}}/docker-compose.yml'
-          mode: '0600'
-        - src: 'templates/nginx.conf'
-          dest: '/etc/nginx/sites-enabled/lemmy.conf'
-          mode: '0644'
-      vars:
-        lemmy_docker_image: "dessalines/lemmy:dev"
-        lemmy_docker_ui_image: "dessalines/lemmy-ui:{{ lookup('file', 'VERSION') }}"
-        lemmy_port: "8536"
-        lemmy_ui_port: "1235"
-        pictshare_port: "8537"
-        postgres_password: "{{ lookup('password', 'passwords/{{ inventory_hostname }}/postgres chars=ascii_letters,digits') }}"
-
-    - name:  add config file (only during initial setup)
-      template:
-        src: 'templates/config.hjson'
-        dest: '{{lemmy_base_dir}}/lemmy.hjson'
-        mode: '0600'
-        force: false
-        owner: '1000'
-        group: '1000'
-      vars:
-        postgres_password: "{{ lookup('password', 'passwords/{{ inventory_hostname }}/postgres chars=ascii_letters,digits') }}"
-        jwt_password: "{{ lookup('password', 'passwords/{{ inventory_hostname }}/jwt chars=ascii_letters,digits') }}"
-
-  - name: build the dev docker image
-    local_action: shell cd .. && sudo docker build . -f docker/dev/Dockerfile -t lemmy:dev
-    register: image_build
-
-  - name: find hash of the new docker image
-    set_fact:
-      image_hash: "{{ image_build.stdout | regex_search('(?<=Successfully built )[0-9a-f]{12}') }}"
-
-  # this does not use become so that the output file is written as non-root user and is easy to delete later
-  - name: save dev docker image to file
-    local_action: shell sudo docker save lemmy:dev > lemmy-dev.tar
-
-  - name: copy dev docker image to server
-    copy:
-      src: lemmy-dev.tar
-      dest: '{{lemmy_base_dir}}/lemmy-dev.tar'
-
-  - name: import docker image
-    docker_image:
-      name: lemmy
-      tag: dev
-      load_path: '{{lemmy_base_dir}}/lemmy-dev.tar'
-      source: load
-      force_source: yes
-    register: image_import
-
-  - name: delete remote image file
-    file:
-      path: '{{lemmy_base_dir}}/lemmy-dev.tar'
-      state: absent
-
-  - name: delete local image file
-    local_action:
-      module: file
-      path: lemmy-dev.tar
-      state: absent
-
-  - name: enable and start docker service
-    systemd:
-      name: docker
-      enabled: yes
-      state: started
-
-  # cant pull here because that fails due to lemmy:dev (without dessalines/) not being on docker hub, but that shouldnt
-  # be a problem for testing
-  - name: start docker-compose
-    docker_compose:
-      project_src: '{{lemmy_base_dir}}'
-      state: present
-      recreate: always
-      remove_orphans: yes
-    ignore_errors: yes
-
-  - name: reload nginx with new config
-    shell: nginx -s reload
-
-  - name: certbot renewal cronjob
-    cron:
-      special_time: daily
-      name: certbot-renew-lemmy
-      user: root
-      job: "certbot certonly --nginx --cert-name '{{ domain }}' -d '{{ domain }}' --deploy-hook 'nginx -s reload'"
diff --git a/ansible/templates/config.hjson b/ansible/templates/config.hjson
index fd7c3176e..b71cb3fac 100644
--- a/ansible/templates/config.hjson
+++ b/ansible/templates/config.hjson
@@ -2,43 +2,14 @@
   # for more info about the config, check out the documentation
   # https://join-lemmy.org/docs/en/administration/configuration.html
 
-  # settings related to the postgresql database
   database: {
-    database: lemmy
-    user: lemmy
-    host: postgres
-    port: 5432
-    pool_size: 5
-    # password to connect to postgres
     password: "{{ postgres_password }}"
   }
-  # the domain name of your instance (eg "lemmy.ml")
   hostname: "{{ domain }}"
-  # the port where lemmy should listen for incoming requests
-  port: 8536
-  # whether tls is required for activitypub. only disable this for debugging, never for producion.
-  tls_enabled: true
-  # address where pictrs is available
   pictrs_url: "http://pictrs:8080"
-  # email sending configuration
   email: {
-    # hostname of the smtp server
     smtp_server: "postfix:25"
-    # address to send emails from, eg "noreply@your-instance.com"
     smtp_from_address: "noreply@{{ domain }}"
     use_tls: false
   }
-  # settings related to activitypub federation
-  federation: {
-    # whether to enable activitypub federation. 
-    enabled: false
-    # Allows and blocks are described here:
-    # https://join-lemmy.org/docs/en/federation/administration.html#instance-allowlist-and-blocklist
-    #
-    # comma separated list of instances with which federation is allowed
-    # Only one of these blocks should be uncommented
-    # allowed_instances: ["instance1.tld","instance2.tld"]
-    # comma separated list of instances which are blocked from federating
-    # blocked_instances: []
-  }
 }
diff --git a/ansible/templates/nginx.conf b/ansible/templates/nginx.conf
index 132821c76..64cf4afe9 100644
--- a/ansible/templates/nginx.conf
+++ b/ansible/templates/nginx.conf
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ limit_req_zone $binary_remote_addr zone=lemmy_ratelimit:10m rate=1r/s;
 server {
     listen 80;
     listen [::]:80;
-    server_name {{ domain }};
+    server_name {{domain}};
     location /.well-known/acme-challenge/ {
         root /var/www/certbot;
     }
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ server {
 server {
     listen 443 ssl http2;
     listen [::]:443 ssl http2;
-    server_name {{ domain }};
+    server_name {{domain}};
 
     ssl_certificate /etc/letsencrypt/live/{{domain}}/fullchain.pem;
     ssl_certificate_key /etc/letsencrypt/live/{{domain}}/privkey.pem;
@@ -59,15 +59,15 @@ server {
       # lemmy_ui_port: 1235
       # lemmy_port: 8536
 
-      set $proxpass "http://0.0.0.0:{{ lemmy_ui_port }}";
+      set $proxpass "http://0.0.0.0:{{lemmy_ui_port}}";
       if ($http_accept = "application/activity+json") {
-        set $proxpass "http://0.0.0.0:{{ lemmy_port }}";
+        set $proxpass "http://0.0.0.0:{{lemmy_port}}";
       }
       if ($http_accept = "application/ld+json; profile=\"https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams\"") {
-        set $proxpass "http://0.0.0.0:{{ lemmy_port }}";
+        set $proxpass "http://0.0.0.0:{{lemmy_port}}";
       }
       if ($request_method = POST) {
-        set $proxpass "http://0.0.0.0:{{ lemmy_port }}";
+        set $proxpass "http://0.0.0.0:{{lemmy_port}}";
       }
       proxy_pass $proxpass;
 
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ server {
 
     # backend
     location ~ ^/(api|pictrs|feeds|nodeinfo|.well-known) {
-      proxy_pass http://0.0.0.0:{{ lemmy_port }};
+      proxy_pass http://0.0.0.0:{{lemmy_port}};
       proxy_http_version 1.1;
       proxy_set_header Upgrade $http_upgrade;
       proxy_set_header Connection "upgrade";
diff --git a/ansible/uninstall.yml b/ansible/uninstall.yml
deleted file mode 100644
index 34c24d2ed..000000000
--- a/ansible/uninstall.yml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,54 +0,0 @@
----
-- hosts: all
-
-  vars_prompt:
-
-    - name: confirm_uninstall
-      prompt: "Do you really want to uninstall Lemmy? This will delete all data and can not be reverted [yes/no]"
-      private: no
-
-    - name: delete_certs
-      prompt: "Delete certificates? Select 'no' if you want to reinstall Lemmy [yes/no]"
-      private: no
-
-  tasks:
-  - name: end play if no confirmation was given
-    debug:
-      msg: "Uninstall cancelled, doing nothing"
-    when: not confirm_uninstall|bool
-
-  - meta: end_play
-    when: not confirm_uninstall|bool
-
-  - name: stop docker-compose
-    docker_compose:
-      project_src: '{{lemmy_base_dir}}'
-      state: absent
-
-  - name: delete data
-    file:
-      path: '{{item.path}}'
-      state: absent
-    with_items:
-      - path: '{{lemmy_base_dir}}'
-      - path: '/etc/nginx/sites-enabled/lemmy.conf'
-
-  - name: Remove a volume
-    docker_volume:
-      name: '{{item.name}}'
-      state: absent
-    with_items:
-      - name: 'lemmy_lemmy_db'
-      - name: 'lemmy_lemmy_pictshare'
-
-  - name: delete entire ecloud folder
-    file:
-      path: '/mnt/repo-base/'
-      state: absent
-    when: delete_certs|bool
-
-  - name: remove certbot cronjob
-    cron:
-      name: certbot-renew-lemmy
-      state: absent
-
diff --git a/crates/utils/src/settings/mod.rs b/crates/utils/src/settings/mod.rs
index d47cc5b4b..7e320701d 100644
--- a/crates/utils/src/settings/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/utils/src/settings/mod.rs
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ use std::{env, fs, io::Error, sync::RwLock};
 
 pub mod structs;
 
-static CONFIG_FILE: &str = "config/config.hjson";
+static DEFAULT_CONFIG_FILE: &str = "config/config.hjson";
 
 lazy_static! {
   static ref SETTINGS: RwLock<Settings> =
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ impl Settings {
   }
 
   pub fn get_config_location() -> String {
-    env::var("LEMMY_CONFIG_LOCATION").unwrap_or_else(|_| CONFIG_FILE.to_string())
+    env::var("LEMMY_CONFIG_LOCATION").unwrap_or_else(|_| DEFAULT_CONFIG_FILE.to_string())
   }
 
   pub fn read_config_file() -> Result<String, Error> {
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ impl Settings {
   }
 
   pub fn save_config_file(data: &str) -> Result<String, LemmyError> {
-    fs::write(CONFIG_FILE, data)?;
+    fs::write(Settings::get_config_location(), data)?;
 
     // Reload the new settings
     // From https://stackoverflow.com/questions/29654927/how-do-i-assign-a-string-to-a-mutable-static-variable/47181804#47181804