Show HN Daily Selection (2025-10-21)
- I created a cross-platform GUI for the JJ VCS (Git compatible)
- Playwright Skill for Claude Code – Less context than playwright-MCP
- Online Sourcerer – The best answer to 'source?'
- I built a Product Hunt alternative for African tech startups
- Restring – a fast, smart web toolbox for JSON, JWT, Base64, and more
- Visual autocomplete for drawings (real-time Human-AI interaction)
- Hank – Simplest CLI tool to get errors in plain English
- Smash Balls – Breakout and Vampire Survivors
- Hokusai Pocket (WIP) – Portable GUIs with MRuby
- I Built Raycast for Windows (Microsoft Store)
I created a cross-platform GUI for the JJ VCS (Git compatible) [Developer Tools]
51 points, 6 comments
A cross-platform GUI for the JJ VCS (Git-compatible version control system) designed to enhance workflow and usability.
- Compatible with Git repositories and integrates well with GitHub
- Features an "op log" for easy undo/redo of operations like merges and rebases
- Built from the ground up to align with JJ's unique constructs
- Currently in open beta with plans to add native merge support, splitting, and more
- Aims to become a full-featured desktop GUI similar to existing Git tools
Discussion Link, Original Link
Playwright Skill for Claude Code – Less context than playwright-MCP [Developer Tools]
136 points, 40 comments
A lightweight Playwright skill for Claude Code that reduces token usage compared to playwright-MCP by avoiding accessibility tree snapshots.
- Uses Claude Skills system for browser automation with minimal overhead
- Generates Playwright code and returns screenshots/console output instead of full snapshots
- 314 lines of instructions vs. a persistent MCP server
- Loads API docs only when needed to save tokens
- Works as a Claude Code plugin or manual install
Discussion Link, Original Link
Online Sourcerer – The best answer to 'source?' [Research]
4 points, 0 comments
Online Sourcerer helps users validate claims by aggregating multiple sources into a single link to combat misinformation.
- Combines multiple sources into one shareable link
- Aims to improve credibility and reduce misinformation
- Early-stage platform seeking user feedback for improvement
- Potential for robust verification and sourcing features
Discussion Link, Original Link
I built a Product Hunt alternative for African tech startups [Business]
3 points, 0 comments
A Product Hunt alternative focused on showcasing tech startups and solutions from Africa.
- Targets African tech startups solving local problems
- Aims to be the largest directory of African-made tech products
- Designed to reflect unique African cultural and problem contexts
- Seeks community feedback for improvement
Discussion Link, Original Link
Restring – a fast, smart web toolbox for JSON, JWT, Base64, and more [Developer Tools]
3 points, 0 comments
A fast, modern web toolbox for JSON, JWT, Base64, and other common dev tasks.
- Fast: Built with SvelteKit and minimal dependencies, under 300 KB zipped.
- Smart: Auto-detects input (JSON, JWT, Base64, etc.) and routes to the right tool.
- Supports: Base64, JSON, JWT, URL, Color, and DateTime conversions.
- Minimal UI: Clean, intuitive design with no bloat.
Discussion Link, Original Link
Visual autocomplete for drawings (real-time Human-AI interaction) [Design]
4 points, 0 comments
A real-time Human-AI drawing system that provides visual autocomplete by interpreting and responding to live drawings.
- Uses AI vision models (Ollama) to interpret drawings and StreamDiffusion for real-time image generation
- Built in C++ and Python with GPU acceleration for minimal latency
- Includes reusable components like StreamDiffusionSpoutServer and OllamaClient for easy integration
- Designed for seamless interaction without manual text prompting
- Open-source components to encourage further experimentation
Discussion Link, Original Link
Hank – Simplest CLI tool to get errors in plain English [Developer Tools]
4 points, 2 comments
Hank is a CLI tool that simplifies error messages into plain English using local AI models without sending data to online services.
- Converts complex error messages into clear, readable explanations
- Works as a simple system utility like grep or ls
- Uses local AI models to ensure privacy and offline functionality
- Easy to integrate by prefixing commands with
hank - Currently in early development and open for contributions
Discussion Link, Original Link
Smash Balls – Breakout and Vampire Survivors [Entertainment]
5 points, 3 comments
A free, ad-free game combining Breakout and Vampire Survivors elements.
- Combines Breakout and Vampire Survivors gameplay
- Created with 120% viba coding
- Free with no ads
Discussion Link, Original Link
Hokusai Pocket (WIP) – Portable GUIs with MRuby [Developer Tools]
4 points, 0 comments
Hokusai Pocket is a portable GUI framework using MRuby to create lightweight, reactive applications with small binary outputs.
- Composes reactive UI components with events and props
- Uses a unique template language for GUI authoring
- Embeds Ruby code as MRuby bytecode with supporting C code
- Produces small binaries (~3MB for macOS)
- Uses raylib as the rendering engine
- Supports cross-platform targets (Android, web in progress)
- MIT-licensed with active development and Discord community
Discussion Link, Original Link
I Built Raycast for Windows (Microsoft Store) [Productivity]
3 points, 0 comments
AskDesk is a Raycast-like productivity tool for Windows that enables voice or text commands for tasks, shortcuts, and AI-powered actions.
- Supports voice or typed commands (e.g., "clear temp files," "open Spotify")
- Offers custom shortcuts and clipboard actions
- Includes AI-powered features like search, summarization, and smart actions
- Core shortcuts are free forever
- Available on the Microsoft Store