About foss.family
Introduction
foss.family is a self-hosted platform for family and invited members. We run the software on hardware we control so that accounts, messages, and files stay on infrastructure we operate rather than on commercial cloud services.
This page explains what data we keep, why authentication works the way it does, and which services you can use once you have an account. For step-by-step setup, see the member portal.
Data we store
Different services need different data to function. Pocket ID holds your account and profile. Our Matrix homeserver stores chat history and room metadata when you use Element. Pingvin Share X keeps file-sharing metadata. Stirling PDF may retain PDF processing sessions while a job runs. If webmail becomes available, email messages would be stored for mailboxes on our Mailcow instance.
We keep data only as long as needed to run the service. We do not sell it or share it with third parties.
Authentication
Member services use single sign-on through Pocket ID at id.foss.family. You sign in once with a passkey; each connected app trusts Pocket ID instead of maintaining its own password database.
New accounts require an invitation token, usually issued after payment at join.foss.family. Public sites are also protected by a proof-of-work captcha and automated threat filtering at the network edge, which raises the cost of automated abuse without tracking every visitor.
Communications and email
Email was designed for store-and-forward delivery, not modern privacy. Messages are often stored in plaintext on several servers, pass through hops you do not control, can be spoofed easily, and are not end-to-end encrypted by default. Do not use email for anything sensitive. Passwords, financial details, personal secrets, and confidential documents do not belong in an inbox.
For private communication, use Element / Matrix at element.foss.family. Matrix supports end-to-end encrypted rooms, authenticates through Pocket ID, and keeps messages on infrastructure we operate. The stack is open source: Element, Synapse, and MAS.
Member services
Element / Matrix. Our primary secure communication channel. Federated chat at element.foss.family. Sign in with Pocket ID through the Matrix Authentication Service.
Pingvin Share X. Self-hosted file sharing at files.foss.family. If you have a Pocket ID account, SSO grants access when you sign in. (source)
Stirling PDF. Browser-based PDF tools at pdf.foss.family, protected by Pocket ID SSO. Files are processed on our servers; avoid uploading highly sensitive documents unless you accept that trade-off. (source)
Webmail / Mailcow TBD. When available, webmail at mail.foss.family is for convenience only: notifications and mailing lists, not sensitive communication. (source)
Payments
You can obtain an SSO account by paying with Monero through our self-hosted checkout at join.foss.family (MoneroPay). Each checkout receives a unique subaddress; MoneroPay watches the chain and confirms payment automatically through our merchant wallet and Monero node.
We store only the metadata needed to verify payment. There is no KYC, no card processing, and no third-party payment gateways.
Contact
For general, non-sensitive inquiries: hello@foss.family. For private communication, use Element/Matrix or our PGP key.