Shipping software is easy.
Shipping software people trust is not.
This post is about Parallax, a small but deliberate utility I recently released on the OpenStore for Ubuntu Touch. Parallax doesn’t scan apps, block behavior, or run in the background. Instead, it focuses on one simple question:
“Can users understand the trust characteristics of the apps on their device?”
👉 App website: https://parallax.polluxstudio.in/
👉 OpenStore listing: https://next.open-store.io/app/parallax.pollux/
The Problem I Wanted to Solve
Ubuntu Touch has a strong security model by design: confinement, permissions, and sandboxing are already there.
What’s missing is visibility.
As a user, you can install apps — but it’s not always obvious:
- which apps use network access,
- which haven’t been updated in a long time,
- or how confinement affects trust.
The information exists, but it’s fragmented and technical.
Parallax exists to explain, not to enforce.
What Parallax Is (and Is Not)
Parallax is a read-only, on-device trust transparency tool.
It is:
- A calm system utility
- Fully offline
- Deterministic and explainable
- Native to Ubuntu Touch (QML / Lomiri)
It is not:
- A security scanner
- An antivirus
- A monitoring tool
- A background service
There is no network access, no analytics, and no hidden processes. Everything happens locally, using metadata already available on the device.
Design Philosophy: Transparency Over Fear
One of the hardest parts of building Parallax was UX restraint.
Security-related tools often default to:
- red warnings,
- aggressive language,
- or fear-driven messaging.
I intentionally avoided that.
Parallax:
- never labels apps as “dangerous”,
- never blocks anything,
- never tells the user what to do.
Instead, it explains why an app has a certain trust score using simple, human-readable sentences.
The goal is understanding, not alarm.
How It Works (High Level)
Parallax uses a small, deterministic pipeline:
- Read installed app metadata (permissions, update info, confinement)
- Normalize that data safely
- Derive clear trust signals
- Apply a transparent scoring model
- Present explanations in plain language
No heuristics.
No machine learning.
Same input always produces the same result.
This makes the system easy to reason about — for both users and reviewers.
Screens & UX
Parallax is intentionally minimal and has only three screens:
- System Trust Overview – a calm summary of the app ecosystem
- App List – apps sorted by trust level
- App Detail View – clear explanations of why an app has its score
The UI is designed to feel like it belongs to the operating system, not like a third-party security tool.
Privacy by Default
Privacy wasn’t an afterthought — it was the starting point.
Parallax guarantees:
- No internet access
- No analytics
- No telemetry
- No background monitoring
- 100% on-device processing
If Parallax ever needed more access to function, I would consider that a design failure.
OpenStore Release
Parallax is now live on the OpenStore:
👉 https://next.open-store.io/app/parallax.pollux/
It was published without manual review, which validates that the app respects confinement, user privacy, and platform guidelines.
What’s Next
For now, I’m focusing on:
- observing how users interpret trust information,
- improving clarity where explanations can be better,
- and keeping the app small, calm, and predictable.
Parallax will remain:
- open source,
- privacy-first,
- and transparent by design.
Final Thoughts
Parallax isn’t a big app — and it’s not meant to be.
It’s a reminder that sometimes the most valuable tools don’t do more —
they help users understand what already exists.
If you’re interested in Ubuntu Touch, system utilities, or privacy-respecting design, I’d love to hear your thoughts.
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