The Federated Code Forge

For the past two decades, code forges have been the central hub for projects, providing a platform for code hosting, review, and collaboration. Centralized forges offered convenience but came at the cost of relying on a single entity for uptime, features, and stewardship. However, the reliance on a centralized forge has proven problematic, with email emerging as the most reliable communication protocol to discuss code.

Tangled aims to bridge the gap between the longevity of open protocols and the convenience of a traditional forge. Tangled is the first truly federated code forge, allowing users to host their code on their own servers while still collaborating seamlessly with others. Users can self-host specific components, such as Git hosting or CI runners, or opt for a complete solution including the API server and UI. Regardless of the chosen setup, Tangled ensures compatibility with other forges.

Tangled is built on the AT Protocol, enabling the development of custom extensions, subscriptions to real-time updates, or even entirely custom solutions. The platform emphasizes hackability, allowing users to create personalized software tailored to their needs. With Tangled's agent-friendly design, developers can easily extend and customize their forge.

The new UI for Tangled is built on top of the AT Protocol and features a modern, visually consistent, and improved design. The UI has been rewritten in Svelte, resulting in faster performance and a more polished look. Additionally, Tangled has switched from Inter to Timeless Sans for its typography, enhancing the overall visual experience.

Under the hood, Tangled has undergone a significant architectural shift. The original Go monolith, called appview, has been replaced with a standalone frontend app written in Svelte, deployed at the edge. This new architecture is powered by a diskless, entirely in-memory indexer service written in Rust called bobbin. Bobbins are deployed globally across 11+ regions, ensuring optimal performance for users worldwide.

Tangled's data model has been updated, with new lexicons and all records now residing under the org.tangled.* namespace. The knot server, renamed to Knot2, has been rewritten in Rust and includes a fully custom Git server and SSH server within a single binary. Knot2 also introduces the concept of collaborative objects (COBs), where issues, pull requests, comments, reactions, and labels are stored alongside the code as part of the repository.

To ensure maximum portability, issues, pull requests, comments, and reactions are now stored alongside the code within the knot. This integration provides a consistent and unified experience for all project-related data. Each record on the knot is accompanied by an attestation, ensuring the integrity and correctness of the stored information. Self-hosters are required to upgrade their knots to version 1.20.0, following the provided upgrade guide.

Tangled is introducing organization accounts, which are AT Protocol accounts with their own DID and handle hosted on a Tranquil PDS instance. These organization accounts are passwordless and delegated, allowing organization owners to invite members and act on their behalf when creating or forking repositories. Organization handles can be customized to match a domain owned by the organization.

The pull request (PR) workflow has been revamped to accommodate stacked PRs, enabling users to submit and review multiple changes simultaneously. Git users can now interdiff between versions, while JJ users can interdiff between individual changes. This enhancement streamlines the PR process and improves collaboration within teams.

The launch of Tangled's new features is being rolled out gradually over the coming weeks. Upcoming features include private repositories, a command-line interface (CLI), SDKs for various programming languages, and additional skills for agents. While the full set of features is introduced incrementally, users can still enjoy the current release and its improvements.

With Tangled, users have full control over their code and network, fostering collaboration and enabling personalized software development. The future of software engineering lies in embracing open protocols and empowering developers with agency. Tangled is poised to be your code forge for the next decade, providing a platform that adapts to the evolving needs of the developer community.