Documentation changelog

Dated changes to the Luma developer documentation that affect what you build, and the platform release each one describes.

Changes to these docs that affect what you build, newest first. Platform API changes name the platform version they apply to.

October 8, 2026: the alpha

Luma alpha was released on October 7, 2026. The docs describe Luma Developer Platform 0.1.0 (preview) as it ships in the alpha.

Changed

Publishing: the developer program, app ID registration, release submission, tester lists and suggesting an app are not open yet, and the publishing pages now say so.
Runtimes and distributions: the Luma remote carries org.projectluma.Platform//44, org.projectluma.Sdk//44, their Locale and GL extensions, the org.projectluma.Platform.Office extension and Luma’s own apps, most of them on beta, for x86_64 only.
The Flatpak manifest luma new writes builds the platform from a source repository that is not publicly reachable. Switch it to the Luma runtime and remove that module, as project layout shows.
The stack: on Luma, Luma’s builds of GTK 4 and libadwaita still add parts of the Luma look to GTK apps that do not use LumaUI. Do not depend on that styling.

Known issues

The SDK’s project template does not use LumaUI’s AppWindow or the Luma runtime.
The Python and C presentation contexts disagree about tablet input. Set LUMA_INPUT_MODE if you depend on it.

Changed

The toolkit is called LumaUI throughout. LumaUI is Luma’s own layer on GTK 4, not a fork of GTK, and it draws the whole visible Luma app: the frame, title row, identity, window controls, islands and every component.
LumaUI’s Python package is still imported as luma_appkit. Its reference is now titled LumaUI Python reference at the same address.
Bringing an existing GTK app describes moving onto LumaUI instead of opt-in style classes.
The signed Luma remote is live, with org.projectluma.Platform//44, org.projectluma.Sdk//44 and Luma’s apps on the beta branch, for x86_64 only. Install commands and per-app .flatpakref addresses were updated.
Languages: Python and C are supported, and C++ apps use LumaUI-1 directly. Other languages work only through GObject introspection.
Menus: Menu(registry, keep_parent=True) is the menu for a Gtk.MenuButton, and the identity menu shows check marks, descriptions and submenus.
Typography points to LumaUI’s type roles. LUMAUI_API_LEVEL is 2.
The dialog, motion and color guidance points to LumaUI parts and tokens instead of libadwaita widgets and colors.

Describes Luma Developer Platform 0.1.0 (preview).

Added

Kit: background agents: the standard badge value for an app’s unread badge on its dock icon, and Agent.set_badge, BADGE_VALUE and BADGE_DOT in luma_appkit.background.

Describes luma-background 0.1.0.

Added

Kit: background agents: autostart entries while the agent is managed (X-Luma-Background-Agent), and org.projectluma.BackgroundWake1 for waking a suspended computer for an alarm.

Describes Luma Developer Platform 0.1.0 (preview) and luma-background 0.1.0.

Added

Kit: background agents, the contract for keeping an app working with its windows closed: the [background] table, categories and defaults, luma_appkit.background, LumaBackgroundAgent, the org.projectluma.Background1 and org.projectluma.BackgroundAgent1 D-Bus interfaces, and how the Background portal reaches the same decisions.
luma-app.toml: the [background] table and its luma lint rules.
Permissions and privacy: background activity.

First publication of the developer documentation, describing Luma Developer Platform 0.1.0 (preview) and Depot publishing.

Added

Overview: building for Luma, Depot tiers and how publishing works.
Getting started: installing the SDK, a first app in Python, a first app in C with LumaUI-1, project layout, the luma-app.toml reference, and bringing an existing GTK app.
Platform: the stack, and runtimes, distributions and architectures.
Kit: overview, Python reference, LumaUI-1 reference, windows and islands, commands and menus, semantics and actions, adaptive layouts, and the luma command.
Design guidelines: principles, windows and islands, typography, color, spacing and sizing, icons, motion, accessibility, and writing style.
Permissions and privacy, including the Depot permission vocabulary.
Publishing: the developer program, app IDs and namespaces, metainfo and screenshots, submitting a release, the Depot Review Guidelines, updates and permission changes, ratings and reviews, Open in Depot links, and suggesting a Listed app.
Knowledge base: FAQ and troubleshooting.