Modal Collective

Test Center is available on Flathub now 🧪️✨

https://flathub.org/en/apps/cx.modal.TestCenter

Any recent Flatpak artifact from MRs on GNOME Gitlab should already work. Sysexts are still waiting on some CI changes but should also work soon.

If you want to give it a spin, here's a fun merge request by @CleoMenezesJr@floss.social to try, adding interactive screenshot UI to Epiphany: https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/epiphany/-/merge_requests/2129

Some impressions from #BoilingTheOcean 12 last weekend 🌈

Thanks for joining everyone, and see you next time!

Our talk with @tbernard@mastodon.social and @adz@post.lurk.org from Local First Conf 2026 in Berlin is online now!

📺 Watch it here: https://youtube.com/watch?v=uKCwvo7pgXg

#localfirstconf #localfirst

Believe it or not, @allsystemsgo@fosstodon.org is already in 5 weeks 🙀️

And just like last year we're organizing a #BoilingTheOcean event on the weekend after the conference. Join us October 3-4 at the @amutable@mastodon.social offices in Berlin Mitte for hacking and discussions about image-based, mobile, local-first, and more :)

Sign up here: https://pad.gnome.org/RPyp9zD-STue3bo0RZGC-g

#allsystemsgo #systemd #imagebased #gnome #gtk #linuxmobile #localfirst

Local-first workshop at GUADEC is happening now! We're prototyping a migration app to transfer your files to a new device using the p2panda gobject bindings.

#gnome #guadec #gtk #p2panda #localfirst

Our next focus for Test Center is adding "studies", i.e. developer-curated experiments with a custom name, icon, testing instructions, etc. This requires metadata that is not part of the merge request itself, which means more complexity in the developer workflow.

To get your input on this we're having another community call!

Thursday, September 10
13:00 UTC

Sign up here: https://pad.gnome.org/K1MftsinR2-uruO_4KWnLQ

Meeting link: https://meet.gnome.org/rooms/v1m-z3a-d2r-ofh/join

#flatpak #gnome #gtk

#BoilingTheOcean 12 is this weekend 🌈

See you tomorrow and on Sunday from 11:30 onwards at the @amutable@mastodon.social offices in Berlin Mitte (Rudi-Dutschke-Straße 26)!

More details and signup here: https://pad.gnome.org/C6FAHLFkQUSmujkvSGz2tQ

#localfirst #imagebased #linuxmobile #gnome #gtk #p2panda #postmarketos

New blog post! We've started a new project as part of this year's @PrototypeFund@mastodon.social to improve testing and development workflows on image-based OSes like GNOME OS.

As part of this we'll build a new app (tentatively called Test Center), to install and manage experimental versions of apps and system components (think Apple TestFlight, or the old Mozilla Labs), along with a number of other improvements to the system component developer story. Stay tuned ✨️

https://modal.cx/blog/image-based-for-developers

Save the date! The next #BoilingTheOcean will be on August 22 and 23 in Berlin! Join us to hack on local-first, GNOME UX, Linux mobile, and all the other usual topics :)

#localfirst #p2panda #gnome #gtk #postmarketOS #linuxmobile #berlin

Let's talk about Test Center, a new app for installing experimental versions of apps and system components 🧪️

We're having another community call next week to demo the workflows we have in mind, and give everyone a chance to provide feedback :)

Wednesday August 5
13:00 UTC

Sign up: https://pad.gnome.org/K1MftsinR2-uruO_4KWnLQ

#gnome #imagebased #flatpak #systemd #sysext #gnomeOS

New blog post: Why "digital sovereignty" requires a free software alternative to Android and iOS, and how we're building towards that 🏗️

https://modal.cx/blog/sovereign-mobile-stack

Lots of fun stuff at Boiling The Ocean 10 today, including

- Fairphone 5 audio hacking
- Reflection newcomer session
- Fixed document sorting by editing date in Reflection
- Fixed multi-window zooming bug in Reflection
- Reflection on macOS
- GNOME Maps UX
- Bazaar app version pinning UX
- GNOME 50 celebration
- Talk: "Readability, Legibility, Usability" by @frankrausch@typo.social
- and more!

#gnome #linuxmobile #postmarketos #gtk #localfirst #berlin

We have a new blog post on the state of Reflection, our local-first collaborative note taking app 🪴✍️

https://modal.cx/blog/reflection-spring-update

A few highlights 🧵

⚠️ PSA ⚠️

We're releasing a new preview version of Reflection today (0.4), with new versions of p2panda (0.7) and iroh (1.0). Thanks to many fixes in these components, p2p connectivity is much more stable now!

Unfortunately, due to internal breaking changes, old pads won't work anymore after updating. They are not deleted, but there's also no automatic migration currently. It's possible to get to the old data by downgrading the app to 0.3.

Sorry for any inconvenience this might cause!

More details on upcoming #BoilingTheOcean events 📣️

For Boiling The Ocean 12 on August 22/23 we now have a location thanks to @amutable@mastodon.social, who will be hosting us at their brand-new office 💚

Sign up here: https://pad.gnome.org/C6FAHLFkQUSmujkvSGz2tQ

Also: We already decided the dates for Boiling the Ocean 13, so might as well announce them: October 3 and 4, the weekend after All Systems Go. Save the date :)

RE: @modal@mastodon.design

🧪 TODAY 🧪

Join us in 2 hours (13:00 UTC) to talk about Test Center and the future of QA workflows on image-based OSes!

Join here: https://meet.gnome.org/rooms/v1m-z3a-d2r-ofh/join

Agenda: https://pad.gnome.org/K1MftsinR2-uruO_4KWnLQ

We're continuing our community calls on development on image-based OSes, with a session all about Buildstream 🏗️🌊

If you've worked with Buildstream before to e.g. build GNOME OS, this is for you! We want to hear about any blockers, annoyances, and other difficulties you encountered :)

Join us on July 2nd, at 14:00 UTC here: https://meet.gnome.org/rooms/v1m-z3a-d2r-ofh/join

Sign up and program: https://pad.gnome.org/K1MftsinR2-uruO_4KWnLQ

#buildstream #gnome #gnomeOS #imagebased #systemd #sysupdate #sysext

When considering building a local-first app it's important to know which parts of the stack "just work", and which are still experimental.

In this post on the @PrototypeFund@mastodon.social blog we give an overview of the various moving parts, using Reflection as an example: https://www.prototypefund.de/en/blog/the-road-to-a-local-first-app-ecosystem

We're putting together some grant applications, and are wondering what skills and availability exist in our wider community 🧑‍🏭✨

We're particularly looking for people who can do feature work and technical management around things like GNOME, Flatpak, systemd, Freedesktop, Pipewire, ModemManager, etc.

Contact us if you think you'd be a good fit, either DM or email hi@modal.cx

#gnome #gtk #freedesktop #mobile #postmarketOS

We're putting together some grant applications, and are wondering what skills and availability exist in our wider community 🧑‍🏭✨

We're particularly looking for people who can do feature work and technical management around things like GNOME, Flatpak, systemd, Freedesktop, Pipewire, ModemManager, etc.

Contact us if you think you'd be a good fit, either DM or email hi@modal.cx

#gnome #gtk #freedesktop #mobile #postmarketOS

#BoilingTheOcean 11 is happening later this week 🌿️☀️

Join us for hacking and discussions about emancipatory computing on Thursday 14th and Friday 15th at Cultivation Space in Wedding, ahead of #LinuxAppSummit this weekend.

Check the program and sign up here: https://pad.gnome.org/VIf7LYPtSE6Dd0IBTRwzGg

#berlin #localfirst #linuxmobile #gnome #postmarketos #p2panda

Some more details for #BoilingTheOcean 12 on August 22/23 in Berlin!

You can now sign up and register your topics and talks here: https://pad.gnome.org/C6FAHLFkQUSmujkvSGz2tQ

#localfirst #p2panda #gnome #gtk #gobject #p2p #linuxmobile #postmarketOS

The next #BoilingTheOcean is happening on May 14-15, ahead of Linux App Summit in Berlin the following weekend!

More details soon :)

#berlin #gnome #linuxmobile #localfirst #linuxappsummit

If you missed yesterday's #ReflectionDeveloperLabs Session 3, the recording is available here: https://bbb3.gnome.org/playback/presentation/2.3/cd84e4cf96be207333ac00baae24fd0630fa28ac-1776179103462

Notes and recordings for the previous sessions are in the pad: https://pad.gnome.org/4uGYejbVSxO8LUPQRQZW-w#

Thanks so much for joining everyone, it was a lot of fun ❤️

Calling all GTK app developers!

As part of the Reflection project we want to lay the groundwork for an ecosystem of native GTK apps with local-first sync/collaboration features. To do this in the most effective way possible we're asking for your input!

#gtk #gnome #localfirst #p2panda #berlin

Spring is approaching, and so is the next #BoilingTheOcean 🌿

When? Saturday, March 28
Where? Cultivation Space (Berlin)

It will be a single-day hacking event, focused on all the usual topics: mobile, local-first, platform, UX, and more. There will also be lightning talk slots in the evening.

More details and link to signup pad to follow!

#berlin #gnome #linuxmobile #postmarketOS #localfirst #gtk

In case you didn't make it to FOSDEM (or didn't manage to get in the packed room), the recording of our talk is now available!

@adz@post.lurk.org and @tbernard@mastodon.social are talking about our broader goals and the ongoing work on p2panda and Reflection.

https://fosdem.org/2026/schedule/event/MCVBNK-p2panda-modal-reflection

#p2panda #localfirst #gnome #gtk #reflection

There's a schedule for #BoilingTheOcean 10 now 🥳

Join us on March 28 at Cultivation Space to discuss and hack on topics like mobile, local-first, GNOME app development, and more :)

As usual, you can sign up and add your topic and talk ideas on the pad: https://pad.gnome.org/szr80MP4QKuT3tpNHUb1rg

#berlin #localfirst #gnome #postmarketOS #linuxmobile #gtk #flatpak

The third Reflection Developer Labs session is happening ✨ next week ✨

Tuesday April 14
15:00 UTC

This time we'll dive into an actual code example using the p2panda GObject bindings.

Sign up here: https://pad.gnome.org/4uGYejbVSxO8LUPQRQZW-w

#localfirst #gtk #p2panda #gnome #ReflectionDeveloperLabs

RE: @modal@mastodon.design

🌈TODAY🌈

We'll be live-coding an example local-first GNOME app using GJS and the p2panda bindings!

Join here: https://meet.gnome.org/rooms/evd-kyl-x5a-m9i/join

See you in 3 hours :)

Our second Reflection Developer Labs session is next Tuesday, March 17, at 15:00 UTC!

If you're interested in adding local-first sync to your GTK app, this is for you :)

Sign up here: https://pad.gnome.org/4uGYejbVSxO8LUPQRQZW-w

#ReflectionDeveloperLabs #gnome #gtk #p2panda #localfirst

The #ReflectionDeveloperLabs sessions are starting soon! It's a series of online events for GTK app developers to learn more about local-first, and give us feedback on what they need to add local-first sync to their apps 🪴🔃

First session: March 3, 15:00 CET, online

We'll give an introduction to the stack and present the WIP new p2panda node/client APIs and GObject bindings to get early feedback.

You can sign up here: https://pad.gnome.org/4uGYejbVSxO8LUPQRQZW-w

#localfirst #p2panda #gnome #gtk

The first Reflection Developer Labs session is *tomorrow* 🌈

If you have a GTK app idea (or existing app) that would benefit from local-first sync, this is for you!

Join us at 15:00 UTC here: https://meet.gnome.org/rooms/evd-kyl-x5a-m9i/join

Sign up here: https://pad.gnome.org/4uGYejbVSxO8LUPQRQZW-w?both

#ReflectionDeveloperLabs #gnome #gtk #p2panda #localfirst

#BoilingTheOcean 9 is next weekend (Feb 13-15)! This time our main topic is identity in peer-to-peer systems. How can we prevent impersonation? What about large groups? What are defenses against physical attacks?

On Friday night we'll have a talk and discussion on these questions at @offline@autonomous.zone. Over the weekend we're at Cultivation Space to work through some of these questions (and hack on our other usual topics like mobile, GNOME UX, and more!)

Sign up here: https://pad.gnome.org/G2dIYp3-Tl2bVC7Ii1HaCA

Join us 🌈tomorrow🌈 for the second Reflection Developer Labs session! Join us to learn more about how to add local-first sync in your GTK app, and ask any burning questions you might have :)

When? Tomorrow, March 17 at 15:00 UTC

Where? https://meet.gnome.org/rooms/evd-kyl-x5a-m9i/join

Sign up here: https://pad.gnome.org/4uGYejbVSxO8LUPQRQZW-w

#ReflectionDeveloperLabs #gnome #gtk #p2panda #localfirst

If you missed yesterday's Reflection Developer Labs session but are curious how it went, you're in luck!

The recording is available here now: https://bbb3.gnome.org/playback/presentation/2.3/cd84e4cf96be207333ac00baae24fd0630fa28ac-1772549208221

@adz@post.lurk.org is talking about the Walkaway stack!

#fosdem #p2panda #localfirst

Mark your calendars 📆

The third Reflection Developer Labs session will be on April 14, 15:00 UTC!

This time we'll dive into an actual code example using the p2panda GObject bindings.

Sign up here: https://pad.gnome.org/4uGYejbVSxO8LUPQRQZW-w

#localfirst #p2panda #gtk #gnome #gobject #linux #ReflectionDeveloperLabs

#BoilingTheOcean 9 starts tomorrow!

On Friday we‘ll meet at @offline@autonomous.zone at 19:00 to plan the weekend discussions and hacking, starting with a talk about digital identity in P2P systems by @shibacomputer@post.lurk.org.

Saturday we're at Cultivation Space, for hacking and Reflection user testing with @bumbleblue@chaos.social.

Sunday we'll continue hacking at Cultivation Space.

If you want to take part in topic planning for the weekend, make sure to be there on Friday!

https://pad.gnome.org/G2dIYp3-Tl2bVC7Ii1HaCA

#gnome #localfirst #berlin

Thanks everyone for joining the second Reflection Developer Labs session today 💚

And for those who missed it, a recording is available here:

https://bbb3.gnome.org/playback/presentation/2.3/cd84e4cf96be207333ac00baae24fd0630fa28ac-1773758972742

The next session will most likely be in 3 weeks, we'll announce the specific date soon!

#BoilingTheOcean 10 is *today*! Come join us at Cultivation Space from 11:00 onwards for hacking and discussions on mobile Linux, GNOME UX, local-first, and more!

More details here: https://pad.gnome.org/szr80MP4QKuT3tpNHUb1rg

#linuxmobile #localfirst #gnome #berlin

Session 3 kicking off now :)

https://meet.gnome.org/rooms/evd-kyl-x5a-m9i/join

#ReflectionDeveloperLabs

RE: @modal@mastodon.design

It's today 🥳

See you in a few hours (3PM UTC) here: https://meet.gnome.org/rooms/evd-kyl-x5a-m9i/join

RE: @modal@mastodon.design

See you in 1 hour 🪴

https://meet.gnome.org/rooms/evd-kyl-x5a-m9i/join