cloudhead
@cloudhead.io
Computers, graphics, protocols.
Working on @radiant.computer
Previously @radicle.xyz
Working on @radiant.computer
Previously @radicle.xyz
Pinned
cloudhead
@cloudhead.io
· Nov 4
Radiant Computer
A new kind of personal computer
radiant.computer
I'm working on a new kind of computer. It's called the Radiant.
I've been dissatisfied with the state of personal computing for many years now, so it's time I did something about it.
If you think computers could be so much better than what they are, this is for you.
radiant.computer
I've been dissatisfied with the state of personal computing for many years now, so it's time I did something about it.
If you think computers could be so much better than what they are, this is for you.
radiant.computer
Great talk about hardware/software co-design and why serious software developers should think about hardware. This is one of the core principles of @radiant.computer
h/t @lorenz.leutgeb.xyz
www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0Jj...
h/t @lorenz.leutgeb.xyz
www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0Jj...
Bryan Cantrill: Andreessen’s Folly - The False Dichotomy of Software and Hardware
YouTube video by Jane Street
www.youtube.com
February 6, 2026 at 12:54 PM
Great talk about hardware/software co-design and why serious software developers should think about hardware. This is one of the core principles of @radiant.computer
h/t @lorenz.leutgeb.xyz
www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0Jj...
h/t @lorenz.leutgeb.xyz
www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0Jj...
Reposted by cloudhead
Incompatibility allows true progress.
January 27, 2026 at 10:04 AM
Incompatibility allows true progress.
Reposted by cloudhead
"On Being a Computer Scientist in the Time of Collapse" is a really excellent and thought provoking read. I'm one of those optimists that is heavily criticized in this essay.
web.cs.ucdavis.edu/~rogaway/pap...
web.cs.ucdavis.edu/~rogaway/pap...
web.cs.ucdavis.edu
January 16, 2026 at 2:54 PM
"On Being a Computer Scientist in the Time of Collapse" is a really excellent and thought provoking read. I'm one of those optimists that is heavily criticized in this essay.
web.cs.ucdavis.edu/~rogaway/pap...
web.cs.ucdavis.edu/~rogaway/pap...
‘What Remains of Edith Finch’ puts every other game I played recently to shame. What a crazy experience.
January 15, 2026 at 10:26 PM
‘What Remains of Edith Finch’ puts every other game I played recently to shame. What a crazy experience.
I've been in the deep end on the Radiance AST -> IR lowering pass, but I'm starting to see the light of day. I did things a bit differently this time in terms of code production, and I'm not sure it was worth it:
I had Claude generate this compiler pass from scratch, which resulted in...
I had Claude generate this compiler pass from scratch, which resulted in...
January 13, 2026 at 10:52 AM
I've been in the deep end on the Radiance AST -> IR lowering pass, but I'm starting to see the light of day. I did things a bit differently this time in terms of code production, and I'm not sure it was worth it:
I had Claude generate this compiler pass from scratch, which resulted in...
I had Claude generate this compiler pass from scratch, which resulted in...
One of the greatest skills in software engineering is to know how much code is needed to implement any given feature.
This lets you immediately tell, without reading the code, whether it doesn't account for something (code too short), or it's overcomplicating the solution (code too long).
This lets you immediately tell, without reading the code, whether it doesn't account for something (code too short), or it's overcomplicating the solution (code too long).
January 12, 2026 at 1:06 PM
One of the greatest skills in software engineering is to know how much code is needed to implement any given feature.
This lets you immediately tell, without reading the code, whether it doesn't account for something (code too short), or it's overcomplicating the solution (code too long).
This lets you immediately tell, without reading the code, whether it doesn't account for something (code too short), or it's overcomplicating the solution (code too long).
Writing code has become a lot faster, but understanding code hasn't. What can we do about that?
The biggest problem with vibe coding is understanding the state of the code base at any given time. The reason to write code yourself, or to review all the code written by an agent is to have a clear mental model of the program.
This is still a major bottleneck.
This is still a major bottleneck.
January 8, 2026 at 11:34 AM
Writing code has become a lot faster, but understanding code hasn't. What can we do about that?
The biggest problem with vibe coding is understanding the state of the code base at any given time. The reason to write code yourself, or to review all the code written by an agent is to have a clear mental model of the program.
This is still a major bottleneck.
This is still a major bottleneck.
January 8, 2026 at 11:33 AM
The biggest problem with vibe coding is understanding the state of the code base at any given time. The reason to write code yourself, or to review all the code written by an agent is to have a clear mental model of the program.
This is still a major bottleneck.
This is still a major bottleneck.
Interpreted languages have an edge in multi-agent workflows, because agents can't break the build for other agents.
Compiled languages have an edge because they created more effective agentic loops.
Languages with optional type-checking probably are the best of both worlds in this respect.
Compiled languages have an edge because they created more effective agentic loops.
Languages with optional type-checking probably are the best of both worlds in this respect.
January 8, 2026 at 11:30 AM
Interpreted languages have an edge in multi-agent workflows, because agents can't break the build for other agents.
Compiled languages have an edge because they created more effective agentic loops.
Languages with optional type-checking probably are the best of both worlds in this respect.
Compiled languages have an edge because they created more effective agentic loops.
Languages with optional type-checking probably are the best of both worlds in this respect.
The reason leaving at 5:00 PM sharp rubs people the wrong way (including myself) is that it can imply a bunch of things that are not condusive to doing good work, especially in software development. It has nothing to do with working overtime...
A Dutch worker went viral after explaining to their American boss that they have a life outside work.
January 6, 2026 at 9:48 AM
The reason leaving at 5:00 PM sharp rubs people the wrong way (including myself) is that it can imply a bunch of things that are not condusive to doing good work, especially in software development. It has nothing to do with working overtime...
"Can I finally start using Wayland in 2026" -- that's 18 years after release, and the answer in this case is "no".
This doesn't raise any eyebrows because we've become used to software inertia.
@radiant.computer will change this.
michael.stapelberg.ch/posts/2026-0...
This doesn't raise any eyebrows because we've become used to software inertia.
@radiant.computer will change this.
michael.stapelberg.ch/posts/2026-0...
Can I finally start using Wayland in 2026?
Wayland is the successor to the X server (X11, Xorg) to implement the graphics stack on Linux. The Wayland project was actually started in 2008, a year before I created the i3 tiling window manager fo...
michael.stapelberg.ch
January 4, 2026 at 3:10 PM
"Can I finally start using Wayland in 2026" -- that's 18 years after release, and the answer in this case is "no".
This doesn't raise any eyebrows because we've become used to software inertia.
@radiant.computer will change this.
michael.stapelberg.ch/posts/2026-0...
This doesn't raise any eyebrows because we've become used to software inertia.
@radiant.computer will change this.
michael.stapelberg.ch/posts/2026-0...
"Technical debt is the pollution of the digital world, invisible until it chokes the systems that depend on it"
Great read.
chrisloy.dev/post/2025/12...
Great read.
chrisloy.dev/post/2025/12...
The rise of industrial software | Chris Loy
> _**Industrial**_
>
> _adj. (sense 3a)_
>
> Of or relating to productive work, trade, or manufacture, esp.
chrisloy.dev
December 31, 2025 at 11:06 AM
"Technical debt is the pollution of the digital world, invisible until it chokes the systems that depend on it"
Great read.
chrisloy.dev/post/2025/12...
Great read.
chrisloy.dev/post/2025/12...
Reposted by cloudhead
Radiance IR (RIR) tentative syntax. Below is example code for a simple loop that sums numbers.
December 17, 2025 at 10:20 PM
Radiance IR (RIR) tentative syntax. Below is example code for a simple loop that sums numbers.
Software can afford to be broken because it can be patched over the air, therefore most software is in a permanently broken state. ¯\(ツ)/¯
December 17, 2025 at 8:50 PM
Software can afford to be broken because it can be patched over the air, therefore most software is in a permanently broken state. ¯\(ツ)/¯
Here's a list of things I've saved countless hours on by using an LLM:
1. Writing tests for specific functions or branches
2. Documenting code
3. Finding the bug (regression) that causes a test to fail
4. Refactoring: renaming things, moving code around, changing function signatures, etc.
1. Writing tests for specific functions or branches
2. Documenting code
3. Finding the bug (regression) that causes a test to fail
4. Refactoring: renaming things, moving code around, changing function signatures, etc.
December 16, 2025 at 1:40 PM
Here's a list of things I've saved countless hours on by using an LLM:
1. Writing tests for specific functions or branches
2. Documenting code
3. Finding the bug (regression) that causes a test to fail
4. Refactoring: renaming things, moving code around, changing function signatures, etc.
1. Writing tests for specific functions or branches
2. Documenting code
3. Finding the bug (regression) that causes a test to fail
4. Refactoring: renaming things, moving code around, changing function signatures, etc.
Choosing an intermediate representation (IR) for Radiance is tricky — every language seems to do it differently, and many languages have multiple IRs, especially those that target LLVM.
Rust has MIR, Zig has ZIR, Swift has SIL.. I think I should just start simple and see what design falls out of it
Rust has MIR, Zig has ZIR, Swift has SIL.. I think I should just start simple and see what design falls out of it
December 15, 2025 at 10:40 AM
Choosing an intermediate representation (IR) for Radiance is tricky — every language seems to do it differently, and many languages have multiple IRs, especially those that target LLVM.
Rust has MIR, Zig has ZIR, Swift has SIL.. I think I should just start simple and see what design falls out of it
Rust has MIR, Zig has ZIR, Swift has SIL.. I think I should just start simple and see what design falls out of it
Just discovering Gleam (the programming language) and really like how sensible and minimal the language design is!
For example, there is no distinction between sum types and product types; they make it work by allowing field access without destructuring in simple cases. Very cool.
gleam.run
For example, there is no distinction between sum types and product types; they make it work by allowing field access without destructuring in simple cases. Very cool.
gleam.run
December 13, 2025 at 9:55 PM
Just discovering Gleam (the programming language) and really like how sensible and minimal the language design is!
For example, there is no distinction between sum types and product types; they make it work by allowing field access without destructuring in simple cases. Very cool.
gleam.run
For example, there is no distinction between sum types and product types; they make it work by allowing field access without destructuring in simple cases. Very cool.
gleam.run
What would an OS with built-in version control at the file system level look like?
December 13, 2025 at 1:15 PM
What would an OS with built-in version control at the file system level look like?
"Don't re-invent the wheel" is why our software has shit performance.
December 7, 2025 at 8:33 PM
"Don't re-invent the wheel" is why our software has shit performance.
There is something really freeing about coding LLM agents: they let you change your mind.
Previously, I'd avoid large mechanical code changes that weren't absolutely necessary, due to how much time it would take.
Now, changing my mind about a certain design decision is no big deal.
Previously, I'd avoid large mechanical code changes that weren't absolutely necessary, due to how much time it would take.
Now, changing my mind about a certain design decision is no big deal.
December 5, 2025 at 9:44 PM
There is something really freeing about coding LLM agents: they let you change your mind.
Previously, I'd avoid large mechanical code changes that weren't absolutely necessary, due to how much time it would take.
Now, changing my mind about a certain design decision is no big deal.
Previously, I'd avoid large mechanical code changes that weren't absolutely necessary, due to how much time it would take.
Now, changing my mind about a certain design decision is no big deal.
This was a lot of work, since it exposed several bugs in the C code generator and type checker that I had to fix, all the while ensuring parity between the C and R' code!
Making a compiler self-hosting is hard when the bootstrapping compiler isn't stable yet, but I'm eager to not touch C anymore!
Making a compiler self-hosting is hard when the bootstrapping compiler isn't stable yet, but I'm eager to not touch C anymore!
November 27, 2025 at 11:47 AM
This was a lot of work, since it exposed several bugs in the C code generator and type checker that I had to fix, all the while ensuring parity between the C and R' code!
Making a compiler self-hosting is hard when the bootstrapping compiler isn't stable yet, but I'm eager to not touch C anymore!
Making a compiler self-hosting is hard when the bootstrapping compiler isn't stable yet, but I'm eager to not touch C anymore!
When your BSS section is 17GB because you thought "eh, I'll think about memory allocation later and just use static memory for now" 😵💫
November 26, 2025 at 8:07 PM
When your BSS section is 17GB because you thought "eh, I'll think about memory allocation later and just use static memory for now" 😵💫
Sometimes you have some really serious design problem to solve, but you've got this itch to do something totally distracting and not relevant, like implement a Lisp, or some actor-based concurrency, and you start to convince yourself that this is actually the solution your problem, but it's a trick!
November 22, 2025 at 11:15 PM
Sometimes you have some really serious design problem to solve, but you've got this itch to do something totally distracting and not relevant, like implement a Lisp, or some actor-based concurrency, and you start to convince yourself that this is actually the solution your problem, but it's a trick!