MSC (spec) updates
r0, the first stable release of the Server-Server (Federation) Specification is extremely close! We of course will make a big splash and let you know when this comes!
Even apart from that, let's take a look at the MSCs (Matrix Spec Changes) that are currently in progress.
Approved MSCs
- [MSC 1339]: Proposal to add a GET method to read account data
- [MSC 1229]: Mitigating abuse of the event depth parameter over federation
- [MSC 1779]: MSC1779: Proposal for Open Governance for Matrix.org (v2)
- [MSC 1354]: Widget API extension: Always-on-screen
Final Comment Period
- [MSC 1831]: MSC1831: Change the order of .well-known and SRV discovery techniques
- [MSC 1819]: MSC:1819 Remove Presence Lists
In Progress MSCs
- [MSC 1538]: MSC1219: storing megolm keys serverside
- [MSC 1796]: MSC1796: improved e2e notifications
- [MSC 1797]: MSC1797: Proposal for more granular profile error codes
- [MSC 1544]: [WIP] MSC1543: Key verification using QR codes
- [MSC 1768]: [WIP] MSC1768: Proposal to authenticate with public keys
- [MSC 1769]: WIPish: MSC1769: Extensible profiles as rooms
- [MSC 1802]: MSC1802: Standardised federation response formats
- [MSC 1767]: MSC1767: Extensible event types & fallback in Matrix (v2)
- [MSC 1772]: WIPish: MSC1772: Groups as rooms (v2)
- [MSC 1776]: [WIPish] MSC1776: Implementing peeking via /sync
- [MSC 1777]: [WIPish] MSC1777: peeking over federation
- [MSC 1780]: [WIP] MSC1780: Add DIDs and DID names as admin accounts to HS
- [MSC 1781]: [WIP] MSC1781: Proposal for associations for DIDs and DID names
- [MSC 1607]: MSC1608: Proposal for room alias grammar
Synapse
Neil and the team have been working frantically on getting a new Synapse release out this week:
This week has been all about gearing up for v0.99.0 and if you would like to help us test it, our latest release candidate lives here
We've taken the decision to bump up to v0.99.0 because it is very much a precursor to v1.0. When v1.0 lands it will contain a breaking change that means all homeservers will need a valid certificate for their server to server endpoint, self signing will no longer be possible.
v0.99.0 contains support to help you do this, but once it lands all admins will need to upgrade, failure to do so will mean losing the ability to federate with > v1.0 servers.
We'll have detailed docs ready to go alongside the full v0.99.0 release, and we plan to leave at least 1 month between v0.99.0 and v1.0, but for now please be aware that the change is coming.
Huge thanks to Rich, Erik, Hawkowl and Anoa for all their work in getting us to rc stage.
nheko_reborn
If you haven't already heard, then I envy that you get to learn about it now: there is a credible new project which forks nheko and seeks to maintain and continue the project.
Nheko-Reborn is a new project headed by red_sky, who told me:
I think I'm getting pretty close to having another release ready. Need to clean up some things here and there and get the CI packages uploading correctly
It'd be good to have more community engagement
Come chat about the project in #nheko-reborn:matrix.org.
Riot iOS
- New app icons
- Most of e2ee keys backup screens are done. We are only missing the sign out warning which invited the user to back up their keys before logging out
- A Beta release is on its way to TestFlight
Riot Android
- Finishing e2ee keys backup screen
- Integrate new app icons, and splash
- Release in Beta
- Riotx: improvement in room list, read marker management
journal
lukebarnard has continued work on journal, a matrix-backed blog engine:
I've posted another blog on journal about the next steps for the project, including my thoughts on verifying blog content.
https://journal.lukebarnard.co.uk/journal/26-jan-2019
I'm planning to start work on the component that will scrape blog content from a matrix room. This will most likely involve a dedicated bot that syncs new journal blog events, verifies the blog signature and then writes the blog content to a file on the blog server.
I'll probably ramble about the details of that at some point.
matrix-docker-ansible-deploy
Slavi had two big updates for matrix-docker-ansible-deploy this week, improved security and IRC bridging:
matrix-docker-ansible-deploy now has much-improved security. All services now run in containers with a non-root user from the very beginning, without capabilities and with a read-only filesystem. To learn more, see the relevant changelog entry.
Thanks to a contribution by Devon Maloney (@Plailect), matrix-docker-ansible-deploy now has IRC bridging support via matrix-appservice-irc. To learn more, see the Setting up Appservice IRC documentation page.
neo
f0x again, now with an update on neo:
Not too much work on Neo this week, but there's some smooth animations for the roomlist now video, with music, which is surprisingly complicated in css
https://git.lain.haus/f0x/iris
libaqueous - Matrix SDK in Dart
Black Hat is working on a Matrix SDK in Dart:
libaqueous (the Matrix SDK in Dart) is progressing nicely. A reference implementation is also planned.
The repo is at https://gitlab.com/b0/libaqueous, and I also set up a room at #libaqueous:encom.eu.org
ma1uta's Matrix projects: Jeon, JMSDK, matrix-jabber-java-bridge
ma1uta has been working on his ecosystem of Matrix tooling:
Not much changes in jeon, jmsdk and matrix-jabber-java-bridge (mjjb).
- Jeon: improved mxid with a new validation, support of the 11 java. And preparing the new release.
- Jmsdk: fixed few bugs.
matrix-jabber-java-bridge
The bridge is being re-written. I excluded the jabber server (still need to setup SRV records) and implementing the xmpp s2s api in the bridge. Done:
Remaining:
- rfc6120 in s2s part;
- almost server dialback (XEP-0220);
New version will allow:
- MUC (XEP-0045);
- stabilize.
Also I started breaking the bridge to modules. And the next module will be ActivityPub S2S module which allows communicate matrix servers with other fedivers.
- 1:1 conversations between matrix and jabber users;
- group chats by double-puppet mapping rooms to conferences;
- additionally xmpp users can join directly to rooms via double-puppet bots.
mxisd
Max reports that:
mxisd v1.3.0-alpha.3 is out! This one works further towards protecting your privacy and we strongly recommend it if you already are using an alpha release. We have written our stance on privacy with how it affects mxisd here.
We also consider this release to be as stable as v1.2.2. Feel free to upgrade following the Upgrade notes and benefits from all the v1.3.0 work so far, especially the massive improvements on resources usage.
Purism working on Fractal integration
update on @gnome @matrixdotorg client for #PureOS: "I am pleased to announce that over the next week I will be working to make Fractal's UI adaptive for the Librem 5's launch. This contract began last week, and I already have some results to show off." https://t.co/iX47u1Bdb1 pic.twitter.com/Hnr7ZVpYd1
— Purism (@Puri_sm) January 30, 2019
Definitely take a look at the linked blog post for more.
What else is there?
What there mainly is is FOSDEM. A lot of Matrix-folk are currently near me as I write this, sat in a hotel bar in sunny Brussels. Matrix live is not available today, but will incorporate some of the event, which kicks of tomorrow.
If you will be attending, come /join
us at the Matrix table, where there will be stickers and t-shirts and merriment, and definitely come and attend the talks:
- Matrix in the French State 14:00 Saturday in Janson (Communications Track)
- Breaking the 100 bits per second barrier with Matrix 10:40 Sunday in H.1309 (Van Rijn) (Real Time Communications (RTC) devroom)
The Foundation needs you
The Matrix.org Foundation is a non-profit and only relies on donations to operate. Its core mission is to maintain the Matrix Specification, but it does much more than that.
It maintains the matrix.org homeserver and hosts several bridges for free. It fights for our collective rights to digital privacy and dignity.
Support us