Post #339641
2026-02-19 13:54 UTC
Remember the "One Laptop Per Child" project, that developed a low-cost computer for children in developing countries? I was always amazed by a certain feature: The "View Source" button.
When you pressed it, the source code for the currently running application would open. This was supposed to encourage tinkering with the software on your device! <3
I've been pondering what it would take to build that button on modern machines. Has anyone seen something like that?
(Prototype in next toot.)
Replies (3)
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@blinry@chaos.social 2026-02-19 13:59
You'd roughly need to: - Figure out which program is currently focused - Figure out the Git repo of this software - Clone it into a temporary directory - Set up the required tools to start hacking on it and compile it As a quick prototype, I wrote a li'l Bash script that does some of these things. It makes heavy use of #nix and #nixpkgs: https://codeberg.org/blinry/view-source-button I enters a "dev shell" with the required tools already in the PATH, and even sets up a Git remote to start contributing. :D
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@agowa338@chaos.social 2026-02-19 13:56
@blinry The python IDE. Basically you'd have to make the entire system in an interpreted language. Whatever that may be.
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@dwardoric@chaos.social 2026-02-19 13:57
@blinry /cc @codewiz ;-)