Spectrum is a project to create a computer operating system, based on the principle of security by compartmentalization. It aims to have a lower barrier to entry and to be easier to use and maintain than other such systems.
By isolating each application in a virtual machine, Spectrum prevents untrusted software from accessing what you haven't explicitly allowed or disrupting other applications.
Persistent data will be managed centrally, while preserving boundaries between compartments. This means that the system can still be thought of as a whole, rather than many virtual machines each becoming a system of its own.
Spectrum is an upstream-first project. Wherever possible, we aim to participate in cross-project collaboration to move the entire free desktop ecosystem forward, rather than designing Spectrum-specific solutions. This reduces the amount of software that Spectrum as a small project is solely responsible for maintaining. It also derisks the project — even if Spectrum does not achieve all its goals, our efforts will have resulted in improvements across the board of free desktop systems.
Spectrum is free software, currently under active development. If you are interested in contributing, we'd love to have you.
Spectrum is mostly funded through individual donations on GitHub Sponsors and LiberaPay. Additional funding is provided by NGI Zero, an initiative by the Digital Single Market of the European Commission.