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The past few weeks have seen an absolute tsunami of progress. We're thrilled to announce a release for Holo Edge Node and a new and improved HolOS installer.
These updates directly address key areas of ease of use, stability, and hardware compatibility. This is a huge step forward in making it easier for anyone to run their own always-on nodes and add resilience for their Holochain applications.
Let's dive in!
🚀 HolOS v.0.0.7
We have upgraded the installation process so users can easily install HolOS directly from the boot menu. Setting up your HoloPort or other machine with HolOS is now incredibly simple. Flash the ISO to a USB of your choice, enter BIOS, select the option to boot from the USB, and select Install HolOS. On a HoloPort or HoloPort+, the whole process can take less than 60 seconds.
Why it matters: This is a win for user experience. What was once a technical, multi-step process is now automated. Because of how we’re setting up the system volumes, we’re happy to report this is the last breaking change we anticipate that will require a full reinstall process (where the user needs to flash the ISO to a USB and boot from the USB). From here on, updates to HoloOS should be much smoother. Following installation users will have two system volumes and one data volume. In the case of HoloPort+, the data volume should be automatically installed on the SSD.
Key Networking Fix for HolOS (Thanks, Community!) We heard reports that some nodes were having trouble connecting, and we tracked it down to a DHCP client that was timing out too quickly. This has been fixed, leading to much more reliable network connectivity for your node.
⚙️ Edge Node Upgrades: Power, Speed, and Stability
What's new:
- Now on Holochain 0.6.0! The Edge Node container has been updated to run on the latest Holochain 0.6.0 release candidate. This is a massive leap forward, bringing all the stability, performance, and security improvements from Holochain's core development directly to your node.
- Flexibility to run always-on nodes for hApps running Holochain 0.5.0 or 0.6.0 inside separate Edge Node containers on the same machine.
- Support for .webhapp Files This is a huge quality-of-life improvement. You can now easily install hApps (like Rhymez) that are packaged as a .webhapp file, which bundles the web UI and the Holochain application code together.
- Smarter hApp Installation We've updated the hApp installation script to make an initial zome call right after installation. This small change ensures your hApp is properly initialized and ready to go from the moment it's installed. We also fixed a bug to better handle any incorrect hApp URLs provided in the hApp install config.
🛠️ Work in Progress: Laying the Foundation
In the spirit of transparency, this release also includes foundational work for features that are not 100% complete but are well on their way. We decided it was better to get these improvements into your hands now rather than wait.
- Future-Proofing WiFi Support: We've added a whole host of new WLAN drivers, especially for Realtek chipsets. While a full, user-friendly interface for configuring WiFi this is not, this critical background work paves the way for much broader hardware support in the near future.
- Unyt Accounting Partner Integration: We've laid the groundwork for better troubleshooting by adding support for collecting Holochain logs. A full, automated log sender is still in development, but this is the first crucial step toward integration with our partners at Unyt Accounting software.
🌊 Ready to Dive In?
This is a pivotal moment for the entire Holochain ecosystem, with deliveries landing across the board at Holo, Unyt and Holochain. The tools to build your own sovereign, resilient, peer-to-peer spaces are here, and they're getting better every day. Now it's time for you to experience it firsthand.
- Test with Unyt: Want to get involved in testing the latest Unyt developments? Get in touch with Jarod about joining the Circulo testing group!
- Empower Your Own Groups with Edge Node: Ready to take control of your data?
- Start by setting up your own Edge Node today! Follow our comprehensive How To Guide.
- Join the conversation and get support on the Edge Node Support Telegram group.
The future is peer-to-peer, and it's being built right now. Join us!