We are pleased to announce the official release of CasaOS v0.4.4! This new version brings exciting updates, including a brand new application store and a more convenient format for developers to showcase their apps using Docker Compose. With native Docker support and enhanced customization features, developers are encouraged to actively participate in the CasaOS ecosystem. In just one month after release of v0.4.4 alpha, our developers have contributed a wealth of new applications, alongside an impressive third-party contributor store.

We interviewed a contributor to the third-party app store, Cp0204, who shared his experience and thoughts on CasaOS. Let us his journey in CasaOS v0.4.4 together.

Q:Personal Introduction and Contribution to the Third-Party Store

A:I'm Cp0204, a non-professional individual with a strong interest in knowledge. My third-party store, CasaOS-AppStore-Play, is a collection of not only well-known applications but also niche, fun, and interesting ones. Two of my personal favorites are ChatGPT-Next-Web, an excellent GPT application, and Alist, which allows you to manage your cloud storage in one place.

Q:Experience with CasaOS v0.4.4

A:What attracted me the most about CasaOS v0.4.4 is its support for Compose orchestration, which allows for a richer combination of Docker applications. During my experience with the new version, I encountered some user interface issues, which I promptly reported to the CasaOS team. The biggest challenge was compatibility issues with old applications, but with the help of the CasaOS team, I successfully overcame this hurdle.

Q:Motivation and Process of Creating a Third-Party Store

A:The primary reason for creating a third-party store was to facilitate my own application installation, especially for niche applications or those involving policy issues. By studying CasaOS's app store contribution documentation, examining examples of new store applications, and summarizing my own experiences, I successfully completed the store.

Q:Views and Suggestions on CasaOS Ecosystem

A:I believe that the success of CasaOS depends on whether people use it. Therefore, I suggest that the CasaOS team provide a feature to add store sources on the user interface, introduce an application installation file editing tool, and actively listen to user opinions, promptly handling bugs and Pull Requests. I also hope that the CasaOS team can promote and expand CasaOS's influence through various platforms to attract more contributions.

For developers interested in contributing to CasaOS, my advice is to read more documentation, understand more details, explore and analyze user needs, find valuable application directions, maintain contact and cooperation with the CasaOS community and other developers, share experiences and solve problems together, focus on the quality and user experience of applications, and regularly update and maintain applications.

Q:Contribute for Our Community

A:The release of CasaOS v0.4.4 not only provides more features but also offers more possibilities for third-party developers. We look forward to seeing more developers like Cp0204 contribute to the CasaOS ecosystem in the future, jointly creating OUR CasaOS!

How to Contribute to CasaOS Community?

• Add Apps/appstore to CasaOS App store
• Writing Documentation
• Performing Alpha Testing
• Helping with Translations

WisdomSky: A Pioneering Contributor to CasaOS

WisdomSky is an enthusiastic web developer and a lover of both movies and music who has recently made a considerable contribution to the CasaOS community. His innovation - a third-party app store for CasaOS - infuses the platform with a new dynamism. Available on GitHub at WisdomSky's CasaOS-Appstore.It brings a fresh element to the CasaOS ecosystem.

In the CasaOS v0.4.4 Alpha release, the entire CasaOS AppStore and application management underwent significant redevelopment. The team implemented a novel CasaOS AppStore based on Git repositories and introduced native Docker feature support underpinned by an application format that leverages Docker Compose. These innovative features provide enhanced convenience for both developers and users alike, laying the groundwork for the development of WisdomSky's third-party app store.

About this 3rd party App store

WisdomSky's innovative mind recently gave birth to the LinuxServer Appstore, an extraordinary third-party appstore for CasaOS. Housing a rich collection of over 150 applications maintained by the LinuxServer.io community, this store ensures automatic updates are provided daily. With the likes of Plex, Radar, Transmission, and Tautulli gracing the platform, movie enthusiasts will find a haven in this store.

Building the App Store: Motivation and Challenges

CasaOS v0.4.4 Alpha presents users with impressive features and improvements compared to its predecessors, not least of which is the ability to create and add a third-party Appstore. According to WisdomSky, the platform is a joy to use, with minor challenges like limited access to the settings of previously installed apps, easily solved by reinstalling them without any data loss.

WisdomSky's inspiration to create the third-party appstore sprung from a desire to personalise the list of apps and eliminate the waiting time for their addition to the official appstore. After overcoming an installation error through the guidance of a CasaOS team developer, Tiger, WisdomSky managed to launch the third-party appstore within a day. His development process involved creating a tool to automatically generate a third-party CasaOS appstore based on an existing list, making it a breeze to add over 150 apps to the platform.

Envisioning the Future

This enables contributed new app store functions undoubtedly enhances the CasaOS ecosystem, its extensibility and customizability, serving as a significant factor in its popularity and growth. WisdomSky believes that this feature will attract more developers and, in turn, increase the range of apps available for CasaOS.

His love for CasaOS, fuelled by its aesthetic appeal and versatility, motivated him to contribute to the CasaOS community by launching the third-party AppStore. He saw an opportunity to enrich the Appstore, given the limited number of apps available initially.

A Call for Contributors

To those interested in developing CasaOS, WisdomSky's message is clear: "CasaOS is the future of dashboards for home servers. Let's help make CasaOS gain more popularity by contributing in any way we can." As such, we invite developers and tech enthusiasts alike to join us in making CasaOS a more versatile and user-friendly platform.

In his vision for the future, WisdomSky suggests that the CasaOS team should focus on creating the ability for third-party widgets. He said he already has a couple ideas of custom widgets to write and add into his CasaOS, and will make it true.

Join us on this exciting journey to shape the future of CasaOS. Every contribution, big or small, brings us closer to creating a more user-friendly and personalised platform for everyone. Together, let's make CasaOS even better!

How to Contribute to CasaOS Community?

• Add Apps/appstore to CasaOS App store
• Writing Documentation
• Performing Alpha Testing
• Helping with Translations