What Would Eanix Look Like?
Eanix is still very much in its early stages. We haven’t even ironed out all of the design challenges yet alone began work on any development. As we learn about the various open source projects that could contribute to the core of Eanix, we will update you here on our blog. Updates can come in the form of tutorials/guides, based on what we are using for the prototype, or articles such as this one that just discuss the potential behind a particular choice.
Meet Webix
Webix, which has a name similar to Eanix, is a core UI library and framework for speeding up web development. While not set in stone, we took a look at the demos and really like the capabilities that it offers out of the box. A further look into some code snippets shows how easy it is to get up and running.
We would definitely offer a light and dark theme, and thanks to another project that is in development, StackMix.io, we would have icons generated for each open source project (if it doesn’t already have one).
I’m thinking that each app that you install shows up as a desktop icon and can load in as an iframe into a window so that you can interact with the app. You would also be able to clear data or config for the app as well as share additional data with the app. This is where the basic file manager comes in handy, as it will show known locations (including added remote locations), and you will be able to add data into the container.
For example, say we have app ABC. It consists of two containers: a database and a web server. ABC stores it’s config files in the usual location, ./config, and database in ./database. The config files and database can be reset at anytime via the web interface, very much similar to Android when clearing data. In addition, there may be files you interact with within the container, such as a folder with movies in it. You can use the file manager to map a data directory to the container, which defaults to /data within the container but can be specific to the application.
Core Apps
Local/Cloud Backup Management
Basic backup functionality for the hypervisor and all storage.
Firewall / Dynamic DNS Management
Manage the firewall and dynamic DNS so that you can securely reach your device from the outside.
Users / Single Sign On Management
Manage users and Single Sign On so that you can restrict public-facing applications by putting them behind OAuth2 authentication, which can optionally require a FIDO2 key.
App Store / Management
App Store to find and download new apps, as well as management to clear data and remove existing apps.
Subscriptions / Billing Management
Manage your subscription to Eanix as well as any app that may not be free.
System (Hypervisor) Management (Advanced)
Advanced configuration and monitoring of the hypervisor. Set up alerts and notifications when your VM hits a certain threshold of CPU or RAM.
Mail Relay Management (Advanced)
Since it makes no sense to host email on a dynamic IP address, you can use a relay service that allows you to have email forwarded from their service to your service over a secure mail protocol.
What did we miss?
Please contact us with your thoughts either by using the comments below or sending us an email. If we missed something you believe would be vital, let us know!