LibreOffice, marking its 40th year with version 25.2, introduces browser-based capabilities through ZetaOffice and real-time collaboration features using CRDT technology. The new developments allow for browser-embedded document handling and JavaScript integration, potentially revolutionizing how users interact with office suite applications without relying on cloud services.
A developer reflects on the significant improvements in the Wayland ecosystem over the past three years, highlighting advancements in explicit sync support, commit-timing protocols, and Mesa implementations. The post acknowledges substantial progress in Wayland's functionality and development speed, while noting some remaining challenges in areas like foreign surface embedding and window management.
Jujutsu is a modern version control system that offers Git compatibility while introducing innovative features like working-copy-as-a-commit, automatic conflict resolution, and safe concurrent replication. The system combines design elements from Git, Mercurial, and Darcs, providing a powerful yet user-friendly experience for both individual developers and large teams.
A comparative analysis between Ada and Rust programming languages in safety-critical applications highlights Ada's 40-year dominance and Rust's recent emergence in this space. The presentation focuses on Ada's distinctive features for bug prevention, particularly its subtype declarations, and evaluates Rust's current capabilities in comparison.
A modern revival of Hotline, a 1997 Mac OS community platform, is being rebuilt in Swift and SwiftUI for contemporary Apple systems. The project aims to recreate the client-side functionality of the original software, which enabled chat, file sharing, and community features without central servers. Currently supporting macOS and iOS, the implementation maintains the core features while modernizing the experience.
Memory-safety vulnerabilities have constituted approximately two-thirds of critical security vulnerabilities in major software systems for over two decades, enabling widespread malware and targeted attacks. Strong memory-safety technologies have matured sufficiently for deployment, but lack standardized terminology and frameworks for implementation and procurement. Market failure and misaligned incentives have hindered adoption of memory-safe solutions, despite their potential to prevent catastrophic security breaches.
A major rewrite of asdf from Bash to Go has been released as version 0.16.1, delivering 2x-7x performance improvements and enhanced maintainability. The tool is now distributed as a single binary instead of Bash scripts, maintaining backward compatibility while requiring users to follow specific upgrade procedures based on their installation method.
Game developer Jonathan Blow argues that software abstraction and loss of low-level programming knowledge threatens civilization's stability, while the author presents extensive counterarguments showing historical inaccuracies and misconceptions in Blow's claims, particularly regarding software robustness and programmer productivity over time.
Modern software development practices are deteriorating due to overcomplication, excessive dependencies, and disregard for fundamental principles. The industry's focus on rapid development, constant rewrites, and complex frameworks is undermining software quality and sustainability. This approach diminishes the learning experience for new programmers and threatens the joy of programming.
Engineers collaborate across Europe to develop a web application for monitoring power grid frequency data from the Baltic region, using Sympower's tech stack and AWS infrastructure. The initiative, sparked by the Baltic Desynchronisation Event, evolves from a quick experiment into a structured project with front-end and back-end development, data storage, and potential expansion to include voltage monitoring.
An extension to regular expressions called 'transductive regular expressions' (trre) introduces a new ':' symbol for pattern matching and text modification, offering a more natural approach to text editing than traditional regex. The implementation includes a command-line tool that supports various operations like replacement, deletion, and insertion, utilizing Finite State Transducers for processing.
A balanced approach to software development, called 'Best Simple System for Now' (BSSN), advocates building the simplest possible solution that meets current needs while maintaining high code quality. The philosophy emphasizes writing code that is neither over-engineered nor under-developed, focusing on immediate requirements rather than speculative future needs. BSSN promotes evolutionary design through disciplined habits, courage, and humility, enabling faster delivery while maintaining code quality.
Zig is an unstable general-purpose programming language designed for creating maintainable and efficient software, with version 0.13.0 being the latest release. The language requires basic programming experience and understanding of low-level concepts, making it accessible to developers familiar with C, C++, Rust, or similar languages.
F-Droid received a $396,044 grant from Open Technology Fund to address sustainability challenges and enhance its infrastructure. The funding will support code refactoring, legal strategies, localization improvements, and infrastructure enhancements to ensure the platform's long-term viability in delivering FOSS-based, privacy-focused apps globally.
An experienced software developer shares evolving perspectives on industry practices, highlighting shifts in views about simplicity, technology choices, and team dynamics over a decade. The insights cover technical aspects like database selection and programming paradigms, while emphasizing the importance of communication and mentorship in engineering.