Frequently Asked Questions

General

What is Roster? A native GNOME HTTP client for testing APIs, built with GTK 4 and libadwaita.

What platforms does it support? Linux with GNOME 40+. Not available for Windows or macOS.

Is it free? Yes, GPL-3.0-or-later.

Installation

How do I install Roster? From Flathub (recommended): flatpak install flathub cz.bugsy.roster Or see Installation to build from source.

Is Roster on Flathub? Yes. Install with flatpak install flathub cz.bugsy.roster or find it in GNOME Software.

Variables

What's the difference between regular and sensitive variables? Regular variables are stored in plain-text JSON. Sensitive variables are encrypted in GNOME Keyring. Use sensitive variables for API keys, tokens, and passwords — see Sensitive-Variables.

Can I use variables in the request body? Yes — {{variable_name}} works in URL, headers, and body.

Can variables be shared between projects? No, variables are scoped to their project.

Security

Is it safe to store API keys? Yes, if you mark them as sensitive (lock icon). Regular variables are plain text.

Where are secrets stored? In GNOME Keyring (~/.local/share/keyrings/), same as browser passwords and WiFi credentials. Visible in Seahorse under "Login" keyring.

Scripts

What language? JavaScript (ES5+) via GJS.

Can I use npm packages / async / file system? No — scripts are sandboxed and synchronous. See Scripts for full limitations.

Troubleshooting

Roster won't start Check dependencies: pkg-config --modversion gtk4 libadwaita-1

Keyring not accessible Ensure GNOME Keyring is unlocked. For Flatpak, verify --talk-name=org.freedesktop.secrets permission.

Variables not substituting Check: environment is selected, variable name matches exactly (case-sensitive), syntax is {{name}}.

How do I reset Roster? Delete ~/.local/share/cz.bugsy.roster/ (native) or ~/.var/app/cz.bugsy.roster/data/cz.bugsy.roster/ (Flatpak). Keyring entries must be removed separately via Seahorse.

Contributing

Report bugs and request features: https://git.bugsy.cz/beval/roster/issues See Contributing for contribution guidelines.