alt Hacker NewsAsk HN: What are you building that's not AI related?
I don't have anything against AI, but HN (and everywhere else) seems to be drowning in AI atm.
Seems like every man and his dog is building an AI agent harness. And power to you (and your dog) if that's you.
But it would be refreshing to hear about some non AI related projects people are working on.
Comments
Flora Carta, design and keep track of your gardens. Originally a project for myself to keep track of every rose variety (I have over a hundred) in my garden, and apple/pear/plum variety in my orchard.
I'm building OSS structural biology libraries in Rust (+ CUDA), and a GUI application that ties them together. It is kind of an integration of functionality traditionally in separate tools: Viewing, editing, therapeutic properties + pharmacokinetics, molecular dynamics etc.
I'm building my own cloud (I actually typed claude instead of cloud there... wow). There's no IaaS or PaaS; it's much simpler. I wanted my own way of connecting to machines and the TCP services on those machines without having to install Tailscale (not allowed on a locked-down corporate PC) or pay for Azure or AWS or GCP or even Hetzner or Linode. I've got 10gbps fibre and a huge workstation at home, and I've got lots of laptops and VMs and other outboard stuff that I want to work in concert with that workstation, so I started building something I call Tela (Filipino for fabric; I was sitting in Ninoy Aquino International Airport waiting for a flight when I had the idea, and it's implemented as a network fabric).
Working on an audio streaming platform powering an indy internet radio. Looks like Icecast & friends show its age and a similar product can be easily built with the functionality cast down to simply robust streaming & handling "timed playlists". I enjoy every bit of knowing exactly what happens in the code. It's not open source atm, but will be. It's in Go, is a pleasure to write and the deployment takes minimal amount of resources.
Other project is to continue a bit stalled progress of a configuration language BCL - add functions, more structures and fix some hidden scoping issues. Making languages is an endless fun. https://github.com/wkhere/bcl
Thank you for this!
I’m making a digital ESP32 powered synthesizer at https://subalpinecircuits.com/. It’s been a ton of fun, learning so much about every part of the process (and I don’t use LLMs). Currently I’m learning FreeCAD and figuring out what my case design will be. Woodworking, CAM and DFM is a whole other world for a software guy!
I've built Bubbles, a reader-curated frontpage for discovering articles from thousands of personal indie blogs. No AI, no algorithm, no signup. Auth and comments are handled via Fediverse handles. https://bubbles.town
A programming language to hack music, and anything else really https://github.com/audion-lang/audion
The idea came after I finished a permanent piece for a museum using MaxMsp and python. I always had this thought in the back of my mind that "I could express this so much easier in a few lines of code.."
here's the language spec: https://github.com/audion-lang/audion/blob/main/docs/LANGUAG...
I really liked how objects came out, I don't think it needs any more since I can do object composition.
There are some nice functions to generate rhythms and melodies with combinatorics, see src/sequences.rs and melodies.rs
Its a WIP but you can use it now to create music with whatever you want: hardware/daws/supercollider
supercollider is tightly integrated but not required. I havent had time to develop userland libraries yet but I'm working on it
Ive been working on the HN Arcade :) https://hnarcade.com
Its always fun to see what games people are building - and some of the lesser known ones are amazing!
I'm still working on Nottawa (https://nottawa.app) - free live audioreactive visuals for everyone.
It's a node based workstation for generating live visuals using shaders, webcams, local files, and more. 100+ effects and source types.
Nottawa's aimed somewhere between the Resolume and TouchDesigner market. VJs and musicians who are interested in live visuals but don't have the time or funds to dive into a pro setup.
It's built in C++ with OpenFrameworks, ImGui, BTrack, and more. Right now I'm doing a front-end rewrite in SwiftUI which bridges back to C++ while keeping all the rendering in OpenGL.
I’m building technographics for desktop apps at https://DesktopInsights.com (similar to BuiltWith.com)
Just crossed 15k Mac and windows apps analyzed!
I’ve been working on a site that makes it easier to follow the Postgres mailing lists, which can be a bit of a firehose
I'm creating my first game!
- Janky screenshot of progress so far: https://i.imgur.com/4afs5lv.png
- 2D single player browser game
- infinite procedural generated world
- build your starship
- manage a crew
- explore, harvest, trade and plunder the universe
- Frontend: Phaser 3 + WebGL + TypeScript https://phaser.io
- Backend: Workerthread + EliCS + TypeScript https://elixr-games.github.io/elics
- I made a Discord for it and I post daily videos of progress: https://discord.gg/FZa6w2TP
- I might open source it but since I play to make this a commercial game, I'm not sure yet. But I'm glad to help anyone with similar projects if I can
My challenges with it are:
- Keeping FPS above 60
- Art. I'm very bad with art
- Having something playable within 20 days
I have an invoice/order taker https://www.bestsellerapp.net, it syncs to many ERPs and allow people to operate everywhere, that I'm upgrading to be a more general mini-ERP.
On the side, retaking https://tablam.org, that I have procrastinated because wanna provide a parser that work for editors (that is way harder than normal batch parsers!)
VERDURE is still a creative plant-generation sandbox where you grow and sculpt stylized trees.
I'm working on a daily journal app using rust and iced. Where you can quickly jot down your thoughts or information in a single line
All data are stored in text file, following the most general markdown formats, so it's easy to just open the text file and change.
Also, it supports TODO, and looking to add support for reminders, scripting support, calculation, tabular data using CSV, etc.
UI is complete keyboard driven.
Core intention is, managing your journals in single line, with really fast keyboard access, and stored in text file
I built and maintain an email service that has a no ai policy (https://sciactive.com/2026/01/21/our-stance-on-ai-in-email/):
Also, all of my open source projects (https://forge.sciactive.com/sciactive) use my SciActive Human Contribution Policy (https://sciactive.com/human-contribution-policy/), which bans AI contributions.
[dead]
I am working towards a big new release of my web scripting language, hyperscript:
Hoping to release next Monday
Built a SQL interface for DynamoDB. I was tired of constantly trying to find workarounds for querying on a NoSQL database, so I built a direct interface for DynamoDB, which I'm calling DynamoSQL. With it, you can use standard SQL (even JOINs) on DynamoDB. I'm really excited about it, and I'm starting beta trials this week.
I'm building my woodworking workshop. It's gonna take a long long time for AI to invade this area if ever. It's very therapeutic and works as an escape from all the AI craze.
I'm working on the next update of Omiword[1], an ongoing daily word game previously discussed on HN[2]. I'm building an alternate stand-alone app version with access to all of the archived puzzles. It's slow going since it's just one of many side-projects I like to work on, but that's the tinkerer's dilemma.
Yes, I know that [insert LLM here] could do a lot of that conversion for me in mere minutes. No thank you. I'm doing it, in part, for the doing.
I made a tracker for delayed-source releases (BUSL and FSL licenses): https://captnemo.in/finally-foss/
Might add JSON feeds, RSS for now. Main goal was to validate if anyone is using these releases 2 years later (forks?), and the answer seems to be no. The FSL premise for delayed releases is primarily around risk mitigation (if company goes bankrupt or bought out), and that is also yet to be tested. Most FSL/BUSL forks are at the moment of license change (OpenTofu for eg).
As another datapoint, Oxide is maintaining their fork of Cockroach, but has ignored all future releases (that became FOSS).
A few of us are working on trustworthy tech: https://trustworthy.technology/ and looking for folks to join up at zulip.
Ultimately, we’d like to get the main FOSS hardware, software, and services into a single store. Maybe we should put AI in the name. ;-)
LEGO. I build LEGO, because I like it and it puts a smile on my face :)
My friend and I are building Strandfall, a highly physical outdoor larp (live action role playing game) that uses custom spatial computers: https://strandfall.com
Players are survivors of a global disaster that has unleashed mysterious, deadly storms. For three hours, they investigate the origin of the storms and make fateful decisions about their future as individuals and as a community.
We received Immersive Arts funding, which means we can run it in Edinburgh later this year. Here's an excerpt from our 2025 grant application about exactly what those are:
--
Our “storm sensors” are novel spatial computers designed for outdoor usage over long distances. They will house ePaper displays, LoRa (long range) radios, accelerometers, gyroscopes, and GPS chips in a 3D-printed enclosure to provide a low-tech way to augment the reality of the park. These computers will be cheaper, more rugged, longer-lived, and more capable than smartphones, deployable to locations with zero cellular service and no battery charging options.
The sensors will be mounted on top of camera tripods for deployment. Runners will carry them through the park, then position and aim them in the correct direction, as co-ordinated by “operators” using walkie talkies. This will let players feel like they are really setting up important equipment, scanning historical sites for clues (like surveyors), and establishing laser communication links. Lacking colourful touchscreens, the sensors will be less distracting for runners, helping them focus on their surroundings. Essentially, they are a highly tactile and deeply realistic way of immersing players in a post-apocalyptic setting, since such devices – not smartphones – are the most likely to be used.
Building a bouldering wall at home, for the kids.
A bunch of square panels with a grid pattern to mount hold on, with the panels hanging on french cleats (with a locking system, #TODO) so the panels are easily removable so I can hang something like planters on the wall as well with the same french cleats.
No AI, a bit of computers to draw things out in CAD, but otherwise just manual building stuff.
I'm building a good intermittent fasting app for iOS using SwiftUI and native Apple APIs for the most "Apple" experience possible. The app is 100% free and without ads.
https://apps.apple.com/si/app/fast-slow-fasting-tracker/id67...
JDBC does not allow pipelining (a Postgres only feature).
It can reduce the number of db round-trips a lot, especially when using Supabase+RLS (or other systems that require frequent setting of configuration values that are basically fire-and-forget).
Meet Bpdbi, a library with first-class pipelining, which provides a Postgres db driver (that's binary only, as the legacy text-based protocol is no longer needed, it just takes up space) and exposes an API that's more close to Jdbi's that to JDBC's (developer friendly).
It has an extensive benchmark that shows it's on par or faster compared to other db connectivity stacks.
watgo (https://github.com/eliben/watgo) -- a WebAssembly toolkit for Go. Think something like wasm-tools or wabt, just in pure (0 dependency) Go.
A replacement for CMake/Ninja using golang.
https://github.com/bradphelan/nuke-engine/blob/trunk/USERGUI...
After a day of hating on CMake generator expressions I just wanted a proof of concept that something better is possible.
An example build is https://github.com/bradphelan/nuke-engine/blob/trunk/example...
I'm building a rss client with an extra layer to have user comments/threads. This lets you create your own feed of articles entirely but with a social aspect.
I want it open source and free, just building an app that I'd like to use myself.
I am building educational 16-bit game console for low-cost FPGA chips.
still working on https://stringscales.com - fun sideproject to visualize guitar scales on a configurable fretboard, with interactive note highlighting to a backingtrack.
The backingtrack is what I'm actively improving right now. It's just a pad running now, but it will turn into a full track with bass/drums/piano/... and will feature a comprehensive chords based editor so you can add and save your own progressions with a logged in account.
Built/building godom, a framework that lets me build local apps in Go, with the browser serving as a dumb view layer. I don't hate JavaScript or React, but my primary motivation was to eliminate NPM as much as possible. https://github.com/anupshinde/godom
I used AI to create the first POC, and once it was proven, it was improved, and AI handled a lot of grunt work where it could. The framework was built primarily to solve my pain points
And building Fractiz, a customizable pre-coded backtests platform.
A non-profit identity service.
Uses government IDs that a lot of people already have and saves signed credentials to your phone. There is a server element for the verification process but it runs all in-memory (follow the Mullvad model and not even have persistent storage in the servers).
It's fun. Get to practice mobile development (Flutter), use some local GPUs, learn about the changes to JWTs for signed, selective disclosure, Bitstrings for progressive disclosure lists etc.
Landing page is https://agora.gdn/ in case anyone wants to try a beta in the future.
I'm working on ghidra-delinker-extension [1], which is a relocatable object file exporter for Ghidra.
The algorithms needed to slice up a Ghidra database into relocatable sections, and especially to recover relocations through analysis are really tricky to get right. My MIPS analyzer in particular is an eldritch horror due to several factors combining into a huge mess (branch delay slots, split HI16/LO16 relocations, code flow analysis, register graph dependency...).
The entire endeavor requires an unusual level of exacting precision to work and will produce some really exotic undefined behavior when it fails, but when it works you feel like a mechanic in a Mad Max universe, stripping programs for parts and building unholy chimeras from them, some examples I've linked in the readme. It has also led to a poster presentation to the SURE workshop at ACM CCS 2025 in Taiwan as a hobbyist, an absolutely insane story.
A crossword puzzle generator, just for fun. Grid generator in Python because it's easy to hack around and grid generation doesn't need to be particularly fast. Go for populating the grid with words because with large grids there are combinatorial explosions, and Go's speed is beneficial.
Not source-available yet because it's a bunch of hacks (particularly the Python) but maybe one day.
I recently started with Paperless-ngx and wanted to also include archive serial numbers (ASNs) for all paper documents using small label stickers, so I built a small tool to create and print ASN label sheets. It's free, no sign up, no ads and just runs in the browser:
If you're also using Paperless-ngx with ASNs or use them for something else, feedback welcome :)
I’ve just released v2 of https://kintoun.app which is something I’ve been working on for quite a while now.
It’s an iOS client for Cloudflare and it covers a lot of resources with this last release.
Next bit of work is to clean the swift sdk a bit and make it open source, it’s been heavily inspired by the python-cloudflare sdk.
Playdate games! Super constrained/lo-fi/retro and really a joy to program without AI.
Hyper Vector is dropping on Catalog next week!
I’m reimplementing the Nix parser. I don’t know if it’ll morph into another formatter, or an LSP server, or what. I guess I’d like to try and improve on error messages and build it from scratch. Rust has really brought ergonomics to systems programming, and I wrote very few parsers for real languages, and never one with good errors.
So great to see how much stuff there is going on outside of AI!
I've been working (on and off for over a decade) on a way to manage my unwieldy photo and video collection. I experimented with so many tools before but ultimately nothing ticked all my boxes so I wrote my own. Admittedly lots of niche stuff like proper support for UTC time, stereo photos and partial dates and things like 100% offline face detection and custom tag hierarchies and querying without a database. Each time I add a new feature I'm having a blast :)
I'm going with my fourth (or fifth) attempt to create a digital twin of my apartment in a game engine.
This time it's in Godot and i want to add more interactive stuff in the virutal version, rather than just redraw the rooms with some lights synced with Home Assistant.
I've got a few things on my plate that I bounce between building for fun:
1. A point-and-click adventure game: making it with incredibly heavy technical constraints "just because"
2. A coding puzzle game of rapidly escalating difficulty
3. Part of #2 had me needing to craft some JSON Path queries and I felt like there wasn't anything nice to build and test them with, so I built this tool for it (inspired by the amazing regex101): https://jsonpath101.com/
4. A website where I write about text-based browser games
Also working on a Korean guide, so far it introduces Hangul (한글), the Korean alphabet: https://tolearnkorean.com/
Also making an app / web app for memorizing Korean words, takes inspiration from Anki and Duolingo. Words go through 4 stages: 1) matching up pairs 2) Multiple choice answer 3) Writing word through blocks 4) Free-form writing.
It's testable here: https://game.tolearnkorean.com/
Feedback is very welcome.
I'm scratching my own itch: building a yet another audio signal generator for smartphone. I need some extra functionality that is not available elsewhere, and impose some limitations "just because": it must be bare minimal PWA.
But actual app does not matter, the main take away for me is: it is easy and fast to write bloatware (esp. with AI), but not that easy to distill to what is really needed. And what looked like a weekend project, a couple of hours max (with help of AI), now lingers for 2+ weeks on-and-off on evenings (of manual effort).
I recently built Cranki [0], a free little PWA that generates crosswords using your Anki flashcard lists. It's aimed at language learners (who find flashcards boring and crossword fun!). To be honest I built it just for me and then decided it might be useful for others.
It's all local, no server, no database, etc. Mobile and desktop friendly.
I did build it with the help of AI, but no AI inside the actual thing.
Knowii, a community for knowledge workers who want to excel and thrive. We explore the frontier of knowledge management, personal organization, zen productivity, clarity, personal development, project management... And AI
Between job searches, I'm working on implementing the WHATWG Web APIs on top of Elixir.
https://github.com/sntran/web
I love Elixir but I had been a JS developer by trade. Bridging that interface keeps my brain focusing on building instead of splitting between JS and Elixir.
Still a lot to do, but I love the progress so far. This puts the joy of building something back to me.