1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:03,380
Welcome back to the Deep Dive. Before we jump in, we want to give a massive thank

2
00:00:03,380 --> 00:00:06,000
you to the supporter of this Deep Dive, SafeServer.

3
00:00:06,000 --> 00:00:10,020
If you're looking for robust solutions for hosting software, or maybe you need a

4
00:00:10,020 --> 00:00:15,000
partner to support your digital transformation, SafeServer is there for you.

5
00:00:15,000 --> 00:00:20,000
You can find out more at www.safeserver.de.

6
00:00:20,000 --> 00:00:24,260
Alright, today we are tackling a topic that really, it affects every single person

7
00:00:24,260 --> 00:00:29,000
listening. How we manage our time, our tasks, our lives.

8
00:00:29,000 --> 00:00:30,000
It really does.

9
00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:34,390
We're diving into an open source project with a, let's say a memorable name. It's

10
00:00:34,390 --> 00:00:37,000
called Manage My Damn Life, or MMDL for short.

11
00:00:37,000 --> 00:00:38,000
Right.

12
00:00:38,000 --> 00:00:42,170
And our mission today is to give you a really clear, not overwhelming idea of what

13
00:00:42,170 --> 00:00:46,290
this tool is, how it works, and why it's part of this bigger shift in controlling

14
00:00:46,290 --> 00:00:47,000
your own data.

15
00:00:47,000 --> 00:00:50,150
It's a perfect example of this whole self-hosting movement. For years we've just

16
00:00:50,150 --> 00:00:54,380
handed over our most critical data, our meetings, our deadlines to these big

17
00:00:54,380 --> 00:00:56,000
proprietary platforms.

18
00:00:56,000 --> 00:00:57,000
Just handed it over without a thought?

19
00:00:57,000 --> 00:01:02,630
Exactly. And MMDL is part of a movement to reclaim that. But to really get it, we

20
00:01:02,630 --> 00:01:08,730
need to unpack three key ideas. What a front end is, what self-hosted actually

21
00:01:08,730 --> 00:01:12,000
means, and this crucial protocol, CallDave.

22
00:01:12,000 --> 00:01:16,530
Okay, let's start there. The official definition in our sources says, MMDL is a

23
00:01:16,530 --> 00:01:21,670
self-hosted front end for managing CallDave tasks and calendars. So let's break

24
00:01:21,670 --> 00:01:24,000
that down. First up, self-hosted.

25
00:01:24,000 --> 00:01:27,430
Self-hosted basically means you are in charge. You run the software on your own

26
00:01:27,430 --> 00:01:28,000
server.

27
00:01:28,000 --> 00:01:30,000
So not in someone else's cloud.

28
00:01:30,000 --> 00:01:33,000
Precisely. It could be a little computer in your house, a virtual server you ran,

29
00:01:33,000 --> 00:01:37,850
or an infrastructure solution from a partner like SafeServer. The point is, no

30
00:01:37,850 --> 00:01:41,000
third-party company is holding your to-do list hostage.

31
00:01:41,000 --> 00:01:44,000
So the security, the availability, it's all in your hands.

32
00:01:44,000 --> 00:01:45,000
It is.

33
00:01:45,000 --> 00:01:47,520
But you mentioned it's a front end. That makes it sound like it's only half of the

34
00:01:47,520 --> 00:01:48,000
puzzle.

35
00:01:48,000 --> 00:01:51,200
That's a great way to put it. MMDL is the user interface. It's the part you see and

36
00:01:51,200 --> 00:01:52,000
interact with.

37
00:01:52,000 --> 00:01:53,000
The pretty part.

38
00:01:53,000 --> 00:01:57,000
The pretty part, yeah. But the data itself, your actual appointments and tasks,

39
00:01:57,000 --> 00:02:01,660
that lives on a separate server, which we call the backend. MMDL just connects to

40
00:02:01,660 --> 00:02:02,000
it.

41
00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:06,000
And that connection, that's where CallDAVU comes in. It's the language that lets

42
00:02:06,000 --> 00:02:08,000
the front end talk to any backend,

43
00:02:08,000 --> 00:02:10,000
whether it's NextCloud, ByCall, whatever.

44
00:02:10,000 --> 00:02:15,000
Yes, exactly. CallDAVU is this open, standardized internet protocol.

45
00:02:15,000 --> 00:02:19,000
And it's so important for two reasons. First, because it's open, anyone can build

46
00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:21,000
software that speaks this language.

47
00:02:21,000 --> 00:02:23,000
It creates a level playing field.

48
00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:24,000
You know, operability.

49
00:02:24,000 --> 00:02:28,440
Right. And second, it uses these standardized formats. You'll see them called VTOD

50
00:02:28,440 --> 00:02:32,000
for tasks and VVENT for calendar events.

51
00:02:32,000 --> 00:02:37,330
Okay, hold on. VTOD event. Why should the average person listening care about those

52
00:02:37,330 --> 00:02:38,000
acronyms?

53
00:02:38,000 --> 00:02:41,500
Well, think of them as standardized digital envelopes. If you send your task in a

54
00:02:41,500 --> 00:02:44,000
proprietary format, it's locked in.

55
00:02:44,000 --> 00:02:49,330
But VTODO, that envelope has everything. The due date, the status, the recurrence

56
00:02:49,330 --> 00:02:53,000
rules, all in a format that everyone on the planet agrees on.

57
00:02:53,000 --> 00:02:56,000
So if you ever want to move your data, you just pick up your envelopes and go.

58
00:02:56,000 --> 00:02:57,000
Nothing gets lost.

59
00:02:57,000 --> 00:03:02,000
You got it. It guarantees portability. And that is the ultimate form of control.

60
00:03:02,000 --> 00:03:09,060
Which brings us back to the MMDL project itself. It's open source, GPL 3.0 license.

61
00:03:09,060 --> 00:03:10,000
What's actually under the hood?

62
00:03:10,000 --> 00:03:14,860
It's built on a pretty modern stack, React and Next.js. But my favorite detail from

63
00:03:14,860 --> 00:03:20,500
the sources is that the developers cheerfully admit some of it is pure spaghetti

64
00:03:20,500 --> 00:03:21,000
code.

65
00:03:21,000 --> 00:03:26,330
Huh. Okay, I love the honesty. But if we're trying to be well informed here, what

66
00:03:26,330 --> 00:03:30,000
does calling your own project spaghetti code really imply for a user?

67
00:03:30,000 --> 00:03:34,000
It implies it's a work in progress. It's a big friendly warning sign that says beta.

68
00:03:34,000 --> 00:03:35,000
Right.

69
00:03:35,000 --> 00:03:39,080
In open source, that usually means the code might be a bit disorganized, maybe hard

70
00:03:39,080 --> 00:03:43,000
for new people to jump in and fix things without breaking something else.

71
00:03:43,000 --> 00:03:45,640
It's a signal to be careful if you're using it for, you know, mission critical

72
00:03:45,640 --> 00:03:46,000
stuff.

73
00:03:46,000 --> 00:03:49,050
That's a really important insight. It's not just a funny line. It's a statement

74
00:03:49,050 --> 00:03:50,000
about risk.

75
00:03:50,000 --> 00:03:53,990
Okay, let's get to the features. What can MMDL do right now to actually manage a

76
00:03:53,990 --> 00:03:55,000
complex life?

77
00:03:55,000 --> 00:03:59,220
Its real strength is in how well it supports VTODL. It handles all the key things

78
00:03:59,220 --> 00:04:03,000
you'd expect. Due dates, status, descriptions, recurrence.

79
00:04:03,000 --> 00:04:08,330
But the killer features are really two things. It's support for subtasks, and it's

80
00:04:08,330 --> 00:04:10,000
different ways of looking at your data.

81
00:04:10,000 --> 00:04:14,000
Let's talk about subtasks. Why is that such a game changer? A lot of simple apps

82
00:04:14,000 --> 00:04:15,000
just skip that.

83
00:04:15,000 --> 00:04:21,730
Because real projects aren't just one item. A task like plan vacation isn't a task.

84
00:04:21,730 --> 00:04:23,000
It's a project.

85
00:04:23,000 --> 00:04:26,000
Sure, you've got a book flights, reserve a hotel.

86
00:04:26,000 --> 00:04:31,330
Exactly. You need to break it down. Book flights, reserve hotel, create itinerary.

87
00:04:31,330 --> 00:04:35,710
MMDL support for that kind of hierarchy means it's not just a to-do list, it's a

88
00:04:35,710 --> 00:04:38,000
proper project management tool.

89
00:04:38,000 --> 00:04:40,600
And it's designed to handle that complexity across different parts of your life,

90
00:04:40,600 --> 00:04:41,000
right?

91
00:04:41,000 --> 00:04:45,530
It is. It supports multiple CalDAV accounts. So you can have your work calendar on

92
00:04:45,530 --> 00:04:48,610
one server and your personal family task is on another and see them all in one

93
00:04:48,610 --> 00:04:49,000
place.

94
00:04:49,000 --> 00:04:50,000
Without mixing them up.

95
00:04:50,000 --> 00:04:54,150
Right. And it also supports multiple user accounts on the same installation. So a

96
00:04:54,150 --> 00:04:57,000
small team or a family could all use it from one server.

97
00:04:57,000 --> 00:05:01,880
Okay. Now the viewing options. Our sources say you can see tasks as a list, on a

98
00:05:01,880 --> 00:05:06,790
calendar, or in a Gantt view. That Gantt view seems like a huge feature for an open

99
00:05:06,790 --> 00:05:08,000
source project like this.

100
00:05:08,000 --> 00:05:13,330
It absolutely is. A Gantt chart is a staple of professional project management. It's

101
00:05:13,330 --> 00:05:17,000
that horizontal bar chart that shows you a project schedule over time.

102
00:05:17,000 --> 00:05:21,340
So you can actually see how your tasks overlap. Yes. You can instantly visualize

103
00:05:21,340 --> 00:05:25,530
your timeline, see where the bottlenecks are, and understand which tasks depend on

104
00:05:25,530 --> 00:05:26,000
others.

105
00:05:26,000 --> 00:05:30,880
For planning anything complex, it's a massive productivity boost. That sounds like

106
00:05:30,880 --> 00:05:36,000
it's aimed squarely at project managers, consultants, people juggling a lot.

107
00:05:36,000 --> 00:05:41,230
But the developers also say the interface is, and I quote, responsive-ish, and it's

108
00:05:41,230 --> 00:05:46,000
a desktop-first project. Isn't that a big limitation in a mobile-first world?

109
00:05:46,000 --> 00:05:49,000
It's a trade-off. I think it's probably a smart one for a small team. How so?

110
00:05:49,000 --> 00:05:54,520
Well, trying to manage a complex con chart or nested subtasks on a tiny phone

111
00:05:54,520 --> 00:05:57,000
screen is difficult to do well.

112
00:05:57,000 --> 00:06:00,470
By focusing on the desktop, they're perfecting the power user experience where

113
00:06:00,470 --> 00:06:02,000
these features really matter.

114
00:06:02,000 --> 00:06:06,450
And they know other mobile apps already exist for Cal Day. Exactly. There are

115
00:06:06,450 --> 00:06:08,000
already good mobile clients.

116
00:06:08,000 --> 00:06:12,620
MMDL is filling a gap in the ecosystem for a really robust desktop-centric hub.

117
00:06:12,620 --> 00:06:16,000
They're choosing depth over being everywhere at once.

118
00:06:16,000 --> 00:06:19,000
That makes a lot of sense. Okay, let's talk about connecting to it.

119
00:06:19,000 --> 00:06:22,810
We know it works with Nextcloud and Bycall, but there's a big authentication issue

120
00:06:22,810 --> 00:06:24,000
we have to talk about.

121
00:06:24,000 --> 00:06:28,530
That's right. This is critical for users to understand. Currently, MMDL only

122
00:06:28,530 --> 00:06:31,000
supports basic authentication.

123
00:06:31,000 --> 00:06:36,360
Whoa, hold on. Basic Auth. Isn't that just sending your username and password with,

124
00:06:36,360 --> 00:06:38,000
like, every request?

125
00:06:38,000 --> 00:06:42,000
For calendars and tasks, that seems like a pretty significant security risk.

126
00:06:42,000 --> 00:06:45,380
It is. You've just put your finger on the biggest challenge for an early-stage

127
00:06:45,380 --> 00:06:46,000
project.

128
00:06:46,000 --> 00:06:49,000
So why not prioritize something more modern, like OA Youth?

129
00:06:49,000 --> 00:06:53,000
Because OA Youth is really, really complex to implement correctly.

130
00:06:53,000 --> 00:06:57,620
Basic Auth is much simpler, and it let them get the core functionality of the task

131
00:06:57,620 --> 00:07:00,000
management up and running much faster.

132
00:07:00,000 --> 00:07:02,000
It's probably the clearest sign of its beta status.

133
00:07:02,000 --> 00:07:06,000
The features are there, but the security hardening is still on the to-do list.

134
00:07:06,000 --> 00:07:10,190
So the user is trading top-tier security for early access to these advanced

135
00:07:10,190 --> 00:07:11,000
features.

136
00:07:11,000 --> 00:07:14,000
That is the reality of using beta open-source software, yes.

137
00:07:14,000 --> 00:07:17,000
Which is why the official status is still beta.

138
00:07:17,000 --> 00:07:20,640
We've strongly advised anyone using it with real data to be cautious, keep good

139
00:07:20,640 --> 00:07:23,000
backups, and understand that it's still evolving.

140
00:07:23,000 --> 00:07:26,000
But the community interest is there. The numbers are pretty good.

141
00:07:26,000 --> 00:07:32,000
Over 452 stars on GitHub, 28 forks, a core group of eight contributors.

142
00:07:32,000 --> 00:07:35,000
It shows a healthy, active project that's moving forward.

143
00:07:35,000 --> 00:07:40,000
The last release mentioned was v.8.1 in September of 2025.

144
00:07:40,000 --> 00:07:41,000
So let's look at where it's going.

145
00:07:41,000 --> 00:07:45,390
The roadmap seems to focus on usability and, maybe more importantly, really

146
00:07:45,390 --> 00:07:47,000
sticking to open standards.

147
00:07:47,000 --> 00:07:49,000
And that commitment to standards is absolutely key.

148
00:07:49,000 --> 00:07:53,820
The first big item on their roadmap is full support for all the fields for VTODO

149
00:07:53,820 --> 00:07:57,000
and Vient, as described in RFC 5545.

150
00:07:57,000 --> 00:08:01,620
OK, RFC 5545. In practical terms, what does full support for a standard like that

151
00:08:01,620 --> 00:08:03,000
actually give a user?

152
00:08:03,000 --> 00:08:07,000
It means reliability. RFC 5545 is the Bible for calendar data.

153
00:08:07,000 --> 00:08:11,000
Full support means it can handle all the tricky edge cases, like complex time zones

154
00:08:11,000 --> 00:08:12,000
or weird recurring events.

155
00:08:12,000 --> 00:08:14,000
You mean like the third Tuesday of every other month?

156
00:08:14,000 --> 00:08:19,320
Exactly. A system that only partially supports the RFC will probably mess that up,

157
00:08:19,320 --> 00:08:22,000
especially if you cross a daylight saving boundary.

158
00:08:22,000 --> 00:08:25,380
Full compliance means your data will be bulletproof and work with any other

159
00:08:25,380 --> 00:08:27,000
compliance server on the planet.

160
00:08:27,000 --> 00:08:32,000
So that's long-term reliability. What about more immediate user experience fixes?

161
00:08:32,000 --> 00:08:36,390
They're focusing there, too. They're planning more flexible ways to view and filter

162
00:08:36,390 --> 00:08:40,000
tasks. And a big one, drag and drop capability.

163
00:08:40,000 --> 00:08:41,000
That's essential.

164
00:08:41,000 --> 00:08:45,000
It really is. And finally, the ability to create external plug-ins.

165
00:08:45,000 --> 00:08:48,480
That opens the door for the community to build all sorts of integrations with other

166
00:08:48,480 --> 00:08:49,000
tools.

167
00:08:49,000 --> 00:08:53,990
So if you connect all those dots, it really looks like MMDL is aiming to be a true

168
00:08:53,990 --> 00:08:57,000
alternative to the big commercial products.

169
00:08:57,000 --> 00:09:01,000
But with that core advantage of you, the user, keeping control of the data.

170
00:09:01,000 --> 00:09:05,450
That's it exactly. MMDL is a bridge. It's using a modern framework to give you a

171
00:09:05,450 --> 00:09:07,000
great desktop experience,

172
00:09:07,000 --> 00:09:11,000
connecting to established backends like Nextcloud and offering power user features

173
00:09:11,000 --> 00:09:14,000
like GotCharts, all while keeping your data sovereign.

174
00:09:14,000 --> 00:09:20,060
And that leads us to our final thought for you. MMDL wants to manage your damn life,

175
00:09:20,060 --> 00:09:22,000
the most important time-sensitive data you have.

176
00:09:22,000 --> 00:09:26,530
So given the trade-offs we talked about, the powerful features versus the current

177
00:09:26,530 --> 00:09:29,000
security limitations, think about this.

178
00:09:29,000 --> 00:09:33,460
What level of transparency and what degree of control would you demand from the

179
00:09:33,460 --> 00:09:36,000
software that handles your most important daily tasks?

180
00:09:36,000 --> 00:09:39,640
That's a powerful question. It really gets to the heart of what self-hosting is all

181
00:09:39,640 --> 00:09:40,000
about.

182
00:09:40,000 --> 00:09:44,270
It does. And as always, a huge thanks to you for joining us on this deep dive, and

183
00:09:44,270 --> 00:09:47,000
a final thank you to our supporter, SafeServer.

184
00:09:47,000 --> 00:09:50,150
They're there to help with hosting robust software and supporting your digital

185
00:09:50,150 --> 00:09:51,000
transformation.

186
00:09:51,000 --> 00:09:56,000
You can find more information at www.safeserver.de. We'll see you next time.