Drew DeVault’s blog features sharp commentary on open source, software engineering, programming languages, ethics in tech, and the social impact of technology.
372 articles from this blog
A developer's personal evolution from preferring the permissive MIT license to embracing the protective GPL license for open source software.
Announcing aerc 0.1.0, a terminal-based email client with vim-like keybindings, embedded terminal, and developer-focused features.
Explores how GitHub redefined the concept of a 'fork' in git, contrasting it with traditional distributed version control workflows.
Developer updates on email-based tools for software development, including web patch review for sourcehut and new email composition in aerc2 terminal client.
A webcast demonstrating an email-based workflow for reviewing patches in git and Mercurial, focusing on the maintainer's perspective.
Introducing Wio, a Wayland compositor inspired by Plan 9's Rio desktop, featuring per-application nested compositors.
A humorous take on coding style guides, arguing to follow the project's existing conventions rather than debating personal preferences.
A technical guide on using the Cage Wayland compositor with wlroots' RDP backend to create a seamless remote desktop session.
A critical analysis of VPN services, highlighting privacy risks and the importance of researching providers before use.
Sourcehut now offers full, first-class support for Mercurial version control, matching its Git features, including CI and email-driven collaboration.
Developer updates on aerc2 email client progress, git-send-email.io tutorial, lists.sr.ht improvements, and Wayland work for Sway and Godot.
NewPipe is a free, open-source Android app for YouTube that offers ad-free viewing, background play, downloads, and more, prioritizing user privacy and control.
Argues Rust is a poor replacement for C due to its rapid feature growth and complexity, contrasting it with C's stability and portability.
Developer's March 2019 update on FOSS projects: Sway 1.0 release, Librem 5 touch support, wlroots work, and aerc2 progress.
Announcing the stable release of sway 1.0, an i3-compatible Wayland desktop for Linux and FreeBSD, representing a major overhaul.
Explores the minimalist, engineering-focused design philosophy behind Sourcehut's web interface, contrasting it with platforms like GitHub.
A guide to disciplined Git workflows, covering commit message best practices, atomic commits, and tools for productive version control.
An opinion piece arguing that Go's conservative design and lack of generics is a strength, not a missing feature, and that innovation should come from first principles.
A wlroots maintainer debunks common misconceptions about Wayland, addressing security concerns and screenshot/capture functionality.
A developer's personal recap of attending and volunteering at FOSDEM 2019, covering meetings, technical talks, and community experiences.
