The hottest Open Source Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Technology Topics

Issue #59

Infra Weekly Newsletter • 9 implied HN points • 21 Aug 23
🕹 Technology Open Source
  1. OpenTF Manifesto aims to challenge HashiCorp's recent license change.
  2. Monti Ransomware resurfaces with new Linux variant and evasion tactics.
  3. OpenMandriva Lx 23.08 released featuring Linux Kernel 6.4 and Mesa 23.2.

Issue #58

Infra Weekly Newsletter • 9 implied HN points • 14 Aug 23
🕹 Technology Open Source
  1. HashiCorp's new license restricts usage and may impact product dependencies.
  2. DevSecOps conferences like ChefConf are upcoming events to look out for.
  3. Concerns about vulnerabilities in data centers highlight the importance of security measures.

The technologies of all dead generations

Metal Machine Music by Ben Tarnoff • 2 HN points • 09 Apr 23
🕹 Technology Open Source
  1. The third wave of algorithmic accountability focuses on building new technologies, not just critiquing existing ones.
  2. Taking a dialectical approach to technology means acknowledging the contradictions in our technological inheritance and using them as points of subversion.
  3. Critique is essential for understanding the difficulties that condition our technological activities and for navigating the contradictory terrain of creating a better technological future.
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Issue #54

Infra Weekly Newsletter • 9 implied HN points • 11 Jul 23
🕹 Technology Open Source
  1. PostgreSQL 16 Beta 2 and New Heroku Postgres Plans announced.
  2. S3 is not a backup solution but can be used to create one.
  3. Importance of protecting confidential virtual machines and understanding confidential computing.

Issue #53

Infra Weekly Newsletter • 9 implied HN points • 03 Jul 23
🕹 Technology Open Source
  1. Red Hat put their source code behind a paywall, affecting users like Jeff Geerling.
  2. DevPod is an open-source tool for managing development environments.
  3. Kubernetes 1.27 introduces KMS V2 in beta for encryption at rest.

First Mile Observability and the Rise of Observability Pipelines

Bit by Bit • 8 implied HN points • 14 Aug 23
🕹 Technology Open Source
  1. Observability extends beyond just backend systems to include the 'first mile' of data collection and processing.
  2. First-mile observability involves components like receivers, processors, and exporters to create observability pipelines.
  3. Various open-source and commercial solutions exist for implementing first-mile observability pipelines, with options like Vector, Fluent Bit, OTEL Collector, Cribl, Calyptia, Datadog, and Mezmo.

Episode 7: Burkhard on Qt Embedded Systems

burkhardstubert • 19 implied HN points • 30 Jun 20
🕹 Technology Open Source
  1. Cross-building Qt applications can be efficiently done using Docker containers in QtCreator, allowing work on multiple projects with different setups easily.
  2. Building a Qt SDK with Yocto can present challenges, especially in getting QtCreator to work smoothly with CMake, but it's manageable with the right adjustments.
  3. CMake resources are important for developers, and collecting helpful materials can make future projects easier and more efficient.

Hyperscaling, Computational Humanness, and Paid Sick Leave

Gradient Flow • 19 implied HN points • 13 Mar 20
🕹 Technology Open Source
  1. Access to paid sick leave is crucial, as it has been shown to reduce flu cases by about 10% or more.
  2. Distributed computing is becoming increasingly important, especially in the context of machine learning models that require extensive training.
  3. There are new tools and databases available for data enrichment and time series management in the tech industry.

Once a Maintainer: Ralf Gommers

Once a Maintainer • 5 implied HN points • 15 Mar 24
🕹 Technology Open Source
  1. NumPy released its first major version upgrade in 16 years - NumPy 2.0.
  2. Open source maintainers often start as volunteers and gradually get more involved over time.
  3. Maintaining a widely-used open source project involves balancing stability with evolving the project for user needs like GPU support.

Open Models, Smarter Math, and Negotiation LLMs

ppdispatch • 2 implied HN points • 03 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Open Source
  1. Yi is a new set of open foundation models that can handle many tasks involving text and images. They have been carefully designed to improve performance through better training.
  2. Researchers found that some AI models think too much for simple math problems. A new method can help these models solve problems faster and more efficiently.
  3. AgreeMate is a smart AI tool that teaches models how to negotiate prices like humans. It helps them use strategies to get better deals.

Issue #46

Infra Weekly Newsletter • 9 implied HN points • 15 May 23
🕹 Technology Open Source
  1. New Linux kernel NetFilter flaw can give attackers root privileges.
  2. Alpine Linux 3.18 released with Linux 6.1 LTS and Musl Libc 1.2.4.
  3. Scaleway offers Serverless Functions API for affordable hosting.

🎅🏻 Konfig’s Open-Sources Gift, GitHub Copilot Free Plan, Fake Stars on GitHub, & More

HackerPulse Dispatch • 2 implied HN points • 24 Dec 24
🕹 Technology Open Source
  1. Konfig has shared its entire codebase for developers to learn from, even though the startup didn't succeed. It's a chance for others to see what works and what doesn't.
  2. GitHub Copilot now offers a free plan, making coding easier for everyone. You can get up to 2000 code completions a month, which can really help you with your projects.
  3. Fake stars on GitHub are becoming a problem, as they can mislead developers about the popularity of projects. This issue can even lead to security risks, so always check the authenticity of repositories.

💥 The Slow Software Paradox, Reimagining SQLite, Dev’s Viral 2K-Star Plugin, & More

ppdispatch • 2 implied HN points • 17 Dec 24
🕹 Technology Open Source
  1. Modern software is performing worse than ever, not because computers are slow, but because developers prioritize new features over efficiency and understanding. This leads to apps taking longer to do simple tasks.
  2. A new project called Limbo is completely rewriting SQLite in Rust to be faster and more reliable. It's designed for today's tech needs and can run faster than old SQLite versions.
  3. A developer has gained huge success with a Neovim plugin made on a basic device, showing that consistent work and community engagement can lead to great results, even with low-cost tools.

Apple's Pkl New Coding Language for Configuration

Machine Economy Press • 5 implied HN points • 08 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Open Source
  1. Apple released an open-source configuration coding language called Pkl to enhance safety and scalability of configurations.
  2. Pkl combines static and general-purpose language features for simplicity, expressiveness, and modularity in configuration coding.
  3. Apple's release of Pkl reflects their increasing involvement in open-source software and aims to provide a versatile solution for configuring infrastructure, applications, and environments.

Burkhard on Qt Embedded Systems: No. 4

burkhardstubert • 19 implied HN points • 31 Mar 20
🕹 Technology Open Source
  1. Using CPack makes it easier to create installers and manage packages for Qt applications. You can create various formats like RPM and DEB without much hassle.
  2. The Qt Company raised their revenue cap for the small business license to $250,000, making it more accessible for smaller companies to use their software. This change aims to support small businesses better.
  3. Receiving user feedback early and often in software development saves time and helps in fixing problems quickly. It's important to test and get feedback on real devices as soon as possible.

Once a Maintainer: Stephen Ierodiaconou

Once a Maintainer • 5 implied HN points • 02 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Open Source
  1. Stephen Ierodiaconou's journey into programming began with an interest in electronics and evolved into software development through hands-on exploration and community involvement.
  2. Open source played a significant role in Stephen's growth as a software developer, providing a platform for learning, contributing, and connecting with like-minded individuals.
  3. Stephen's experience highlights the value of community engagement, continuous learning, and sharing knowledge in open source projects for personal and professional growth.

Once a Maintainer: Robert Mosolgo

Once a Maintainer • 5 implied HN points • 26 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Open Source
  1. Robert Mosolgo transitioned from a background in linguistics to becoming a prolific open source maintainer and creator of the graphql-ruby gem.
  2. He got involved in open source by taking over the React-Rails gem, contributing, and eventually becoming the maintainer, showcasing the accessibility and impact of open source contributions.
  3. His journey into writing parsers for the gem led him to explore his linguistics background, bridging the gap between human language and programming language parsing.

Burkhard on Qt Embedded Systems: No. 3

burkhardstubert • 19 implied HN points • 29 Feb 20
🕹 Technology Open Source
  1. The Qt Company should offer different pricing options for their software to accommodate various project needs. This would help developers find a pricing plan that fits their budget and offer varying levels of support.
  2. Making Qt relocatable can simplify the installation process for different development environments. This flexibility allows teams to build their own versions more easily and adapt to their specific needs.
  3. Integrating multiple electronic control units into a single super ECU, like Tesla does, can improve efficiency in agricultural and construction machinery. It can reduce costs and streamline software updates, which is crucial for modern technology.

Issue #35

Infra Weekly Newsletter • 9 implied HN points • 13 Feb 23
🕹 Technology Open Source
  1. Rust Linux 6.3 brings better performance, security, and stability
  2. GCC 13's Rust Language Front-End is not fully useful yet for most Rust developers
  3. Intel's DOIT project focuses on Open-Source technology for IoT devices

End-to-End Retrieval, Web Agents, and Scene Generation

HackerPulse Dispatch • 2 implied HN points • 08 Nov 24
🕹 Technology Open Source
  1. Self-retrieval is a new technique that lets one large language model handle all information retrieval tasks better than older systems. This makes it easier to access and generate relevant information.
  2. WebRL helps language models learn how to interact with web environments more effectively. It uses a special method to improve performance without relying on any proprietary models.
  3. GenXD is a new framework for creating detailed 3D and 4D scenes. It uses a large dataset to improve how these scenes are generated, making them more realistic for real-world applications.

Once a Maintainer: Michael Grosser

Once a Maintainer • 5 implied HN points • 20 Jun 23
🕹 Technology Open Source
  1. Michael Grosser started with programming by experimenting and modifying scripts, which led him to become a programmer.
  2. He transitioned from media informatics to software engineering due to a preference for programming over animation.
  3. Open source contributions like single_cov and parallel were born out of frustrations with existing tools and workflows.

Viva la Revolución Of...Open Source Large Language Models?

I'll Keep This Short • 5 implied HN points • 08 May 23
🕹 Technology Open Source
  1. Open source Large Language Models are challenging centralized models like GPT-4, offering comparable quality at a lower cost.
  2. Companies like OpenAI face financial challenges in developing and maintaining cutting-edge AI technology.
  3. Google acknowledges the threat of open source LLMs, highlighting the need for collaboration and reevaluation of value propositions in the AI market.

Once a Maintainer: Benji Nguyen

Once a Maintainer • 5 implied HN points • 28 Apr 23
🕹 Technology Open Source
  1. Benji Nguyen started programming after leaving medical school and discovering a passion for it.
  2. Erdtree, a multi-threaded filesystem tool in Rust, was born out of boredom and the desire to create a modern alternative to an old program.
  3. Getting more people into open source involves educating them on engagement etiquette and encouraging empathy for fellow programmers.

Once a Maintainer: David Wobrock

Once a Maintainer • 2 HN points • 20 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Open Source
  1. David Wobrock got into programming due to his parents being involved in meteorology and him tinkering with terminal commands from an early age.
  2. Wobrock's journey into open source started during his studies, with his first major contribution being a Python plugin for Visual Studio.
  3. In the Django community, the maintenance work involves a core team, the Django Software Foundation, technical boards, and security boards, showcasing a structured and collaborative approach.

Building the Digital Abacus, an Open-Source Mathematical Modeling App

Human Programming • 3 HN points • 24 Jul 23
🕹 Technology Open Source
  1. The Digital Abacus tool allows users to visually understand complex math equations by interactively manipulating values on a flowchart and seeing real-time updates in a plot.
  2. The tool uses a graph data structure called RelGraph to store values and constraints, allowing for easy representation of equations and composite operations.
  3. The system solves for dependent values by updating values iteratively in the graph until equilibrium is reached, showing the math solving process in real-time.

Open sourced AI is the worst thing imaginable

Theology • 3 implied HN points • 04 Apr 23
🕹 Technology Open Source
  1. Open-sourced AI can be dangerous when unregulated and in the hands of individuals who may use it for harmful purposes.
  2. The proliferation of open-source AI projects without proper ethical boundaries makes it challenging for regulators to monitor and control its potential risks.
  3. There is a significant concern over the unintended consequences of developers creating and sharing homebrew versions of AI models, leading to a lack of understanding and control over the technology's impact.

What is Dolly 2.0 by Databricks?

Machine Economy Press • 3 implied HN points • 13 Apr 23
🕹 Technology Open Source
  1. Dolly 2.0 by Databricks is a text-generating AI model licensed for commercial use.
  2. Databricks is open-sourcing Dolly 2.0, including training code, dataset, and model weights.
  3. The release of Dolly 2.0 highlights the ongoing debate between closed and open large language models.