We've shipped two releases since our last post, so here's a quick roundup of what's new across 1.0.4 and 1.0.5. As always, the full, detailed list lives in the changelog.
1.0.5: Archipelago mode #
The headline feature is Archipelago mode. The usual way to federate is "open": you connect with the entire fediverse by default and block bad actors as they show up, a never-ending game of whack-a-mole since anyone can spin up a new account or server. Archipelago mode flips this around: you can choose to federate only with a hand-picked allow-list of trusted people, groups and servers, and keep everything else out by default.
Trusted communities can in turn agree to federate with each other, forming an "archipelago" of like-minded "islands" with common rules and safety expectations. It's a great fit for tight-knit communities who only want to connect with their friends and allies, and for groups who federate together by choice (neighbourhoods, towns, assemblies, cooperatives, movements, or not-for-profit organisations) and want to stay connected to one another without necessarily being open to the wider internet. (Credit for the concept goes to Oliphant and Nora Tindall.)
Calm empowerment, applied to your server #
In the 1.0.3 post we described a design pattern we're calling calm empowerment: simple defaults, a middle layer of useful overrides, and a full advanced view behind an explicit gesture. In 1.0.5 we applied it to background-processing throughput, so admins can keep a busy instance responsive by experimenting with different settings without touching config files or restarting the app:
- Layer 1, simple defaults: pick an overall speed preset, such as Eco / Default / Turbo (thank you to the ActivityPub for WordPress plugin for the inspiration)
- Layer 2, useful overrides: prioritise particular kinds of activity
- Layer 3, advanced mode: fine-tune each individual task queue
Also new in 1.0.5 #
- Faster search, now powered by Sonic (existing instances are encouraged to migrate; see the changelog for details)
- Broadcast announcements: admins and moderators can push a message (or boost an activity) to everyone on the instance, delivered as a notification
- Embeddable widgets: drop your instance's pinned posts into any external website
- PGP-encrypted system emails for recipients who support it
- Clearer federation UI: when federation is not fully enabled (eg. archipelago, manual, or disabled) the app now tells you when something can't be done rather than failing silently
- A long list of improvements and fixes across federation, polls, UI, media viewing, accessibility, and mobile UX
1.0.4: Security patches & hardening #
A more under-the-hood release that set the stage for 1.0.5:
- Security: patched a Linked Data Signatures vulnerability and hardened MFM parsing (thanks to ozone and to Oneric of Akkoma)
- CIMD support for OAuth authentication
- Added rate limits on more API surfaces
- Plus a round of bug fixes
Read more #
Full details for both releases are in the changelog.
Get involved #
If you're running a Bonfire instance, now is a good time to upgrade. If you've been curious about Bonfire for your community or organisation, please get in touch.
