Welcome to Firn Labs

Firn Labs is a small studio building native software that solves real world problems and making the solutions OpenSource for everybody to enjoy. Our first project is Unkai Mail — a desktop mail client that treats Nextcloud the way Outlook treats Teams and OneDrive: not as an integration, but as a first-class part of the inbox.

Why “Firn”?

“Firn” is the dense, granular snow that lies between fresh powder and glacier ice — old enough to have settled, but on its way to becoming something more solid. We liked the metaphor for the way we are working: we don’t wait for the snow to settle, we release before we feel ready, to ensure that the code becomes solid through the feedback we receive.

What’s coming

Over the next several months, expect:

• Build logs from Unkai Mail — protocol work, architecture decisions, and the occasional yak-shave.
• Notes on Rust, Tauri, and what vibe coding makes faster or doesn’t.
• The occasional aside on the tools and conventions we’re picking up along the way.

We’re building in public where we can. If any of this sounds interesting, the RSS feed is the best way to follow along — no algorithm, no notifications, just posts when they land. Oh and if you are interested in helping out, we’re always happy to have new contributors on board.

— Nick, Firn Labs