SAFE Network Alpha Release
After 5 months of testing and 8 test nets it is our pleasure to announce the immediate availability of the alpha release of the SAFE Network. This represents another significant milestone on the way to creating a new, decentralised Internet.
Launcher and demo app
The release is available Windows, Mac and Linux, and comes with 2 components, the Launcher and the Demo App, each with their own installer. You can download both from the alpha page of our website.
The Launcher enables users to create their own account and access the network without providing their credentials (comprised of an account secret and account password) or giving third party applications access to them. This secure gateway enables users to stay in control of their details.
The Demo App must be run alongside Launcher and enables users to create their own SAFE webpage and public ID, store and retrieve private data and share public content. Users can also upload and host existing websites on the SAFE Network without charge.
This alpha release is focused on use of the client software. In a couple of weeks we will provide Vault installers to enable users to contribute their own computing resources. Running 2 parallel networks will enable us to provide a more stable network for end users and app developers, while also enabling ongoing development of the vault, which has a much more active code base at present. Once we are happy with performance, we will revert back to having one network.
As with any alpha software caveats apply to this release and users should be aware that data on the network will be wiped from time to time and there is a possibility that your data will be lost.
Not just for end users
The demo app is the first of several apps currently under development and with an updated release of SAFE Launcher APIs we anticipate that this list will increase in the coming weeks and months. We encourage any developers thinking about creating an app on the network to get in touch and we will help in anyway we can. In this vein a new developer focused SAFE Network forum will be launched next week, more details to follow…
Onward and upward
This is the first of several alpha releases that MaidSafe will make. Future versions will improve performance and increase stability, combine the Client and Vault networks, as well as adding features such as; contact management, messaging, test safecoin and safecoin wallets. More information on our rollout strategy is available here.
This is an incredibly exciting time for MaidSafe and the SAFE Network community. There is a growing movement to return to the original principles of the open web and decentralise the Internet. We believe our technology can contribute to this initiative and that is why we standby our vision to open source the technology so that all users and developers can benefit from it. We believe this is essential to fulfil our commitment to develop a decentralised network that gives users back control and offers far greater protections than today’s Worldwide Web.
Of course, we could not have got this far without the support of all our shareholders and community members. Thanks for all your help, we hope you enjoy the alpha and we look forward to hearing all your feedback! With your input we will iterate the network as quickly as possible to improve it and bring new innovations.
