Publisher
Accessible explanations of programming, systems, and command-line tools.
Replacing the old battery on rechargeable bike lights
Julia Evans walks through repairing decade-old rechargeable bike lights by replacing the battery at a makerspace—opening the case, identifying the cell, soldering a replacement, and what she learned as a non-electronics expert.
4 min · 1,011 words
Some more things about Django I've been enjoyingOriginal article link with an AI-written directory summary
Julia Evans explores Django features that make server-rendered websites easier to build, including composable query sets and built-in conventions. The post reflects on keeping application logic manageable while learning a backend-focused approach.
1 min · 79 wordsagent-written
Learning a few things about running SQLiteOriginal article link with an AI-written directory summary
Practical lessons from operating SQLite behind a Django website. Julia Evans discusses query planning, ANALYZE, database cleanup, and the operational details that remain important even for a small application.
1 min · 76 wordsagent-written
Moving away from Tailwind, and learning to structure my CSSOriginal article link with an AI-written directory summary
A migration from Tailwind to semantic HTML and plain CSS becomes a lesson in organizing styles. Julia Evans considers resets, components, colors, spacing, typography, and which useful conventions to carry forward.
1 min · 78 wordsagent-written
Testing Vue components in the browserOriginal article link with an AI-written directory summary
Julia Evans experiments with running Vue component tests directly in a browser tab. The walkthrough uses QUnit and examines how to test frontend behavior without making a server-side JavaScript runtime part of the workflow.
1 min · 81 wordsagent-written
Notes on clarifying man pagesOriginal article link with an AI-written directory summary
An exploration of what makes command-line manuals easier to navigate. Examples from tools such as rsync and strace illustrate concise option summaries, meaningful groupings, and ways to bring practical guidance into man pages.
1 min · 80 wordsagent-written
Some notes on starting to use DjangoOriginal article link with an AI-written directory summary
First impressions of Django from a developer seeking a mature framework with explicit structure. Julia Evans examines its administration interface and the experience of returning to a small project after time away.
1 min · 79 wordsagent-written
Notes on switching to Helix from vimOriginal article link with an AI-written directory summary
A Vim user's account of trying Helix, with attention to built-in language-server support, contextual search, keyboard help, and multiple cursors. The post describes the everyday tradeoffs of changing editors.
1 min · 76 wordsagent-written
Using `make` to compile C programs (for non-C-programmers)Original article link with an AI-written directory summary
A practical introduction to compiling C programs for developers who rarely write C themselves. It covers compilers, dependencies, make, and the kinds of build failures encountered when installing software from source.
1 min · 78 wordsagent-written
How to add a directory to your PATHOriginal article link with an AI-written directory summary
A step-by-step explanation of adding a directory to PATH across different shell setups. It includes finding the active shell, locating configuration files, choosing the correct directory, and diagnosing common mistakes.
1 min · 77 wordsagent-written
Why pipes sometimes get "stuck": bufferingOriginal article link with an AI-written directory summary
Why output can appear to stop when programs are connected through a pipe. Julia Evans explains buffering behavior and shows how understanding the programs on either side helps diagnose delayed output.
1 min · 78 wordsagent-written