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Show HN: 3 years and 1M users later, I just open-sourced my "Internet OS" (github.com)

1274 points by ent101 · 896 days ago · 319 comments on HN

Article summary

The creator of Puter, an open-source internet computer, has announced that the project has reached 1 million users after three years of development. Puter aims to provide a feature-rich, fast, and highly extensible platform for users to work, create, and play, with a range of apps and features available. The project is self-hostable and has a hosted service available at puter.com. The creator has also open-sourced the project, allowing developers to contribute and build upon it.

Main themes

  • Open-source software
  • Internet computer
  • Self-hosting
  • Web development
  • JavaScript and jQuery
  • Performance and security

What commenters say

  • The use of vanilla JavaScript and jQuery in Puter is a deliberate choice for performance and simplicity, avoiding complex abstractions and frameworks like React and Vue.
  • Some commentators disagree with this choice, arguing that it shows a lack of understanding of the benefits of frameworks and will lead to an unmaintainable project.
  • Others defend the choice, citing the success of other projects like VSCode, Photopea, and OnlyOffice, which also avoid using frameworks and instead directly manipulate DOM elements.
  • There is a need for a mobile mode or responsive design in Puter to make it more accessible and user-friendly on mobile devices.
  • Puter has the potential to be a revolutionary platform, but its current lack of mobile support holds it back from being ideal for users with modern computing lifestyles.
  • The project's open-sourcing is seen as a positive step, allowing the community to contribute and build upon it, and potentially leading to new features and integrations, such as a VSCode integration.
  • Some commentators are concerned about the security and privilege escalation aspects of Puter, particularly in regards to remote access and server management.
  • The project's ability to provide a complete development experience, including access to EC2 instances and Docker images, is seen as a key advantage, particularly for data science and engineering use cases.