From Community Need to Solution: The Story of Open Forms

Open Forms is a Linux application designed to provide a native, accessible, and offline-first form experience on Linux systems.

Across Ubuntu communities, LoCos, and open-source events, form-based workflows still rely heavily on proprietary web platforms. These solutions often fall short in areas critical to our ecosystem - offline usability, data ownership, accessibility in low-connectivity environments, and seamless integration with the Linux desktop.

Open Forms emerged from real-world needs within the Ubuntu community. It aims to provide a simple, reliable alternative that aligns with open-source values and Ubuntu’s vision of accessibility for everyone. And did I mention? It is available in a Snap!

Open Forms:

• Enables offline-first data collection for booths, registrations, and surveys.
• Integrates naturally with the Ubuntu desktop experience
• Supports LoCos, community events, and grassroots initiatives
• Runs efficiently on Linux mobile devices without requiring constant connectivity

In this talk, we will cover:

• Why GTK4 + libadwaita were chosen for building a modern Ubuntu-native experience Key challenges and lessons learned while developing Open
• Forms Real-world usage in Ubuntu booths and community events
• How tools like Open Forms can strengthen Ubuntu communities across regions

More info: https://events.canonical.com/event/146/contributions/936/