Community Scale Cloud Infrastructure 26 Workshop
Community Scale Cloud Infrastructure: Deploying and Managing Autonomous Services with Co-op Cloud workshop
Abstract
Co-op Cloud is an open-source software stack that lubricates the process of protecting against digital surveillance through self-hosting and realizing data autonomy on a community scale. This workshop will cover the essentials of hosting software using Co-op Cloud - installing Abra (the flagship CLI client) and using Abra to deploy and configure services such as Nextcloud. Participants will also learn why data autonomy is important, how it prevents government repression and corporate surveillance, and how to take concrete steps to protect and secure their data through self-hosting. Experience with the Linux command line recommended, but not required.
Day / Time / Location
Day 3, Sunday, 16-August-2026, 10:00am - 1:00pm
Workshop B (Sutton Place, third floor)
Full Description
The U.S. is entering an era of ubiquitous data collection and aggregation powered by AI, with corporations in the tech oligopoly (such as Google and Meta) partnering with the defense sector to accelerate ICE/CBP terror and the repression of political dissidents. To resist this surveillance state, some technologists have championed self-hosting - giving users autonomy over their data. But the complexities around service configuration and maintenance, the lack of widespread technical knowledge, and the realities of limited time and labor, mean that for the majority of individuals and small groups, self-hosting cloud infrastructure is unrealistic.
Co-op Cloud is an attempt to resolve these struggles, enabling simple and reproducible deployments of services designed for the community scale. Often, this software is of interest to small tech-cooperatives or community groups, enabling them to reap the benefits of self-hosted infrastructure without technical expertise and a substantially diminished time investment.
This workshop will cover the essentials of hosting software using Co-op Cloud - installing Abra (the flagship CLI client), deploying and configuring services using Abra, and how to backup, upgrade, and generally maintain services. By the end, participants will be fully equipped to host services using Co-op Cloud. Participants are also encouraged to ask further questions during the workshop based on their interests. These questions could involve maintaining Co-op Cloud recipes, deciding on a hosting provider, or discussing alternatives.
Registration -- NOT required
NOTE: You do NOT need to register to take this workshop
-- This is a drop-in workshop, you may come any time there is space available at the WORKSHOP B room (in Sutton Place, on the third floor).
Presenter(s)
Marlon Kautz
Silk
Brooke
Required Software / What to bring
To participate in using the Co-op Cloud software and deploying your own application through Co-op Cloud, you'll need a machine with MacOS or Linux (or something like WSL on windows).
