Backstage v1.53.0

This release marks a significant step in the UI evolution toward the dedicated Backstage UI (BUI) system, specifically within the Catalog. It introduces highly requested features like database-persisted user settings and flexible configuration stacking, while tightening security around OAuth redirects and configuration schema validation.

Persistent Database-Backed User Settings — User preferences like theme and language will now follow users across browsers and devices, providing a consistent experience whether they are at their desk or on the go.

Catalog Entity Page Migration to Backstage UI (BUI) — The New Frontend System continues its evolution with catalog entity pages now utilizing BUI components. Platform engineers must migrate custom entity headers to the new extension points to avoid layout breakage.

Integrated Navigation Breadcrumbs in Plugin Headers — Standardizing navigation across the portal becomes easier with built-in breadcrumb support in headers, reducing the custom boilerplate code needed for deep-link navigation.

Stricter OAuth Security and Redirect URI Matching — Auth configurations are now stricter. You may need to update your OAuth redirect URIs to include explicit protocols and more precise wildcard patterns for localhost environments.

Config Stacking with Multi-Value BACKSTAGE_ENV — Simplified management for complex environments by allowing you to stack multiple environment-specific config files using a single comma-separated variable.