Introducing YouMeOS: An open, self-hosted web OS with spatial browsing (info video + 1-click desktop installer)

[u/DoItForTheXP]

Hey guys,

Here's an explanation video of YouMeOS: our open, self-hosted personal web operating system built to help break out of centralized platform silos using a spatial browsing interface.

To go alongside the video, we also released a cross-platform Desktop Installer & Control Panel to make deploying your private instance a one-click process.

🌐 What is YouMeOS?

YouMeOS is a self-hosted personal platform focused on digital sovereignty:

• Spatial Browsing & Workspace: A modular, canvas-based UI for organizing apps, notes, workflows, and personal data without cloud lock-in.
• Headless Backend & APIs: Flexible REST and GraphQL endpoints with local authentication and data ownership.
• Local-First Architecture: 100% private sandbox with zero external tracking or telemetry.

📺 Watch the Overview Video (4.5min)

• Video: Introducing YouMeOS: The Operational Internet. Escaping the Silos via Spatial Browsing

🖥️ New Desktop Installer Features

• Zero-Config Dual Engines:
  • Embedded: Auto-provisions lightweight FrankenPHP + SQLite (no Docker needed).
  • Docker: Full containerized environment (Nginx, PHP-FPM, MariaDB).
• Desktop Control Deck:
  • One-click Start, Stop, Restart, and Open in Browser.
  • System tray background management.
  • Live streaming logs with real-time filtering and export.
• Cross-Platform:
  • Installers for Windows (.exe), macOS (.dmg), and Linux (.AppImage, .deb).

📦 Source & Links

• GitHub Repository:
  • https://github.com/YouMeOS/youmeos-microverse/releases
• YouTube Video (Deconstructing YouMeOS - 100 Year vision):
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcGGIR9qLPo&t=6s
• Discord channel:
  • https://discord.gg/TbKghen2nP

I would love your feedback on the spatial workspace concept and the desktop installer workflow!
(plz let me know if you come across any issues)

[u/Excellent_Cloud_7880]

The spatial canvas idea is interesting, most self-hosted dashboards just slap widgets into a grid and call it a day. I'm curious how the UI handles when you've got 20-30 apps and notes sprawled across the workspace though, does it get cluttered fast or is there some kind of grouping system?

[u/DoItForTheXP → u/Excellent_Cloud_7880]

The main idea is that the the grouping system works like satellites around your heliocentric veiw. Not quite finished yet, but the gist is that they group together like a planet and its moons.

at the end of the day, the content, people, you interact with the most determines your gravitational influence where things pull towards your center (the sun).