Explore Amethyst history
At a glance
- New:
Five public previews: Open 4cd98fc, a33650c, 41c0112, bb14398 and 8969276 directly from Version History.
- New:
The earliest workspace: Try the original unified library and Markdown write/preview editor, before the launch-era live editor.
- Improved:
Historical fidelity: Each snapshot uses its own library markup, navigation, checklist controls and CSS, including square game covers and always-visible Other navigation in the later snapshot.
- Improved:
Separate local samples: Edits and resets stay isolated to each commit in your browser; no account or demo server is required.
- New:
Launch preview: Try the original fixed libraries, early navigation, poster cards, explorer and Markdown/checklist editors from commit 3c27ef5.
- New:
Local sandbox: Edit the sample note and checklist in your browser, then reset the demo without an account or demo server.
- Improved:
Safe sample workspace: Creation, deletion, uploads and account actions are unavailable; the demo never reads or changes your real workspace.
- Fixed:
Historical effects: Restored the original staggered library entrances and unclipped poster hover glow, keeping image zoom, title highlights and scroll-linked fades. Fixed missing artwork styles and hover effects suppressed by touch-capable browser detection.
- Improved:
Public catalog: Browse Version History, search and filter commits, and read linked release notes without signing in.
- New:
Sign-in page link: Open Version History directly from the sign-in page.
- Improved:
Isolated demos: Available demos use temporary visitor workspaces, with reset confirmation on the demo itself.
- New:
The chronometer: A brass and iron time machine wakes up as the page opens: its lamp flickers on, its month, day and commit rings turn to today and it settles beside the heading.
- New:
Time travel: Launching a playable demo turns the rings to the commit's date, dives through the lens and races down a tunnel of the archive's commits, counting the days back until the demo opens.
- Improved:
Version History: Riveted iron and brass throughout the top of the page: the overview counts are pressure gauges and each milestone demo is an archive panel with a status lamp.
New features
The next five usable snapshots, oldest first
The retired catalog-sync prototypes are skipped. The earliest personal-workspace commit 4cd98fc is now playable, followed by a33650c's interaction polish and square game covers, the deployment snapshot 41c0112, the package-registry snapshot bb14398, and 8969276's always-visible Other navigation and New-entry menu option. Previously, Other appeared in navigation only when it contained entries. The two configuration-only commits intentionally share the preceding UI. Each preview has fixed sample content, editable notes and checklist progress, and its own local reset. Creation, deletion, uploads and account actions remain disabled.
The launch-era preview
This limited sandbox uses the launch commit's original interface with a fixed sample entry. Its library filters, file explorer, live Markdown editor and checklist run in the browser. Temporary edits are stored locally for this preview only, and Reset Demo restores the sample. Account management, artwork uploads and structural creation/deletion are unavailable. Other historical milestones retain their existing demo availability.
The chronometer
When you open Version History, the chronometer's lamp flickers on, its gears and steam start up, the month, day and commit rings sweep round and lock onto today, and the machine settles beside the heading as the page appears. Commits with a playable demo glow on its commit ring.
- The full opening plays once per session; later visits get a shorter version.
- Skip intro, any key or a click ends it at once, and it never replays when you filter, search or change pages.
- Subtle motion plays the short version; Motion off and reduced motion go straight to the page.
- Without 3D graphics, a drawn dial takes the machine's place.
Time travel to a demo
Launch on a playable demo now plays a short journey first: the chronometer turns its rings to the commit's date, the camera dives into its lens and races down a tunnel lined with plates for the archive's commits, while a readout counts back to the destination date and shows the commit's short SHA, milestone and title. Then the demo opens exactly as before.
- Arrive now skips ahead; Stay here or Escape cancels and keeps you on the page.
- Ctrl-, Cmd-, Shift- and middle-clicks still open the demo straight away in a new tab or window.
- Subtle motion plays a shorter trip; Motion off and reduced motion open the demo directly.
- Demos still run in their own isolated environment with your separate demo workspace.
Improvements
Public Version History
Version History and its release notes are open to everyone. Launch available historical demos without an Amethyst account; each visitor gets an isolated temporary workspace. Reset confirmation takes place on the demo's own page and affects only that visitor's workspace. Your normal Archive, To Do, Arcade and account pages remain private.
A steampunk Version History
The page now sits on riveted iron plates under a brass heading. The overview counts (cataloged commits, available demos, not prepared and unavailable) are pressure gauges, and each milestone demo is an archive panel with its date, SHA, milestone, a status lamp that is lit when the demo is online and hazard-striped when it is offline, Launch and Reset.
Fixes
The original motion and hover effects
The launch preview keeps the original library's staggered entrances, poster zoom and amethyst hover glow, title and border highlights, and scroll-linked exits. A conflicting modern CSS utility no longer clips the poster glow. Reduced-motion preferences are respected.