Omarchy Stories

AI can help you ship faster. But are you still learning to build software you understand and can maintain?

In Omarchy Stories 009, Basti sits down with Joel Gaff Jr., a Ruby on Rails developer, former Ironman race director, and creator of Rails Guild and Omarchy Guild. They explore the trade-offs between AI-assisted coding and learning by doing, the hidden costs of maintaining AI-built apps, and what happens to small SaaS businesses when software becomes easier to copy.

Beyond the code, they talk about the people behind Rails and Omarchy, building tools for yourself, and finding the confidence to share your work. From a train crossing an Ironman bike course to publishing before you feel ready, this is a conversation about learning, adapting, and getting things out into the world.

IN THIS EPISODE

• Learning Rails hands-on while AI changes how software is built
• Shipping faster without losing understanding of your code
• AI-generated software, maintenance, token costs, and small SaaS products
• Omarchy, Linux devices, and agents that automate everyday workflows
• Rails Guild, Omarchy Guild, and the value of welcoming communities
• Imposter syndrome, building in public, and choosing done over perfect

🔗🔗🔗 LINKS 🔗🔗🔗

Basti
https://basti.net
https://x.com/bastidotnet
‪https://www.youtube.com/@bastidotnet‬

Omarchy Stories
https://omarchystories.org
https://x.com/omarchystories
https://www.youtube.com/@OmarchyStories

Joel Gaff, Jr.
https://x.com/joelga
https://joelgaff.com

⏱️⏱️⏱️ CHAPTERS ⏱️⏱️⏱️

00:00 Welcome and time zones
00:43 Meet Joel Gaff Jr.
03:56 Endurance sports and the time commitment
04:19 A train on the bike course
07:23 From race directing to Rails development
09:18 Learning Rails without AI
11:44 Understanding your code and your product
12:47 Learning deeply vs. shipping faster
14:14 What AI means for small SaaS products
16:42 Maintenance, token costs, and AI economics
20:07 Can AI-built apps be maintainable?
21:35 Discovering tools built around Omarchy
22:57 The Omarchy community and Basti’s Linux journey
26:02 Where Omarchy could go next
27:24 Omarchy on mobile and Linux-first devices
31:46 AI agents and workflow automation
34:32 How AI changed Basti’s focus
35:29 Building screencasting and livestreaming tools
38:12 Omarchy Guild and Rails Guild
41:40 Rails World, DHH’s keynote, and the Ruby community
47:01 Overcoming fear and imposter syndrome
49:22 Podcasting and learning by publishing
53:14 Personal branding and the fear of judgment
54:40 Done is better than perfect

Omarchy Stories — the podcast from the community, for the community.

What happens when a manufacturing company stops accepting vendor lock-in and rebuilds its workflow around open tools, AI agents, and event sourcing?

Basti talks with Alexander Zeitler, a software veteran who runs a 10-person manufacturing business on Linux and Omarchy. After discovering he couldn't access his own data in a legacy ERP, he used Claude to extract it and started replacing siloed workflows with a system he actually controls.

In this episode:
• Why "owning" your data means nothing if you can't use it
• FreeCAD, OpenSCAD, Python and Rails in real manufacturing workflows
• Building products from parameters, not proprietary CAD
• Generating decision records, risk assessments and docs from reusable blocks
• GitHub issues as event streams, with agents that reason before they code
• A second AI review layer for every code change
• Why event sourcing matters more in an AI-assisted world

🔗🔗🔗 LINKS 🔗🔗🔗

Basti
https://basti.net
https://x.com/bastidotnet
 @bastidotnet 

Omarchy Stories
https://omarchystories.org
https://x.com/omarchystories
 @OmarchyStories 

Alexander Zeitler
https://www.waltergmbh.de/
https://x.com/lxztlr

⏱️⏱️⏱️ CHAPTERS ⏱️⏱️⏱️

00:00 Intro to Alexander Zeitler
00:32 From childhood programming to web development
02:20 Business software, not private computing
05:26 Why the company moved away from legacy software
08:20 Using Claude to extract data from an inaccessible database
10:24 Data ownership and control
12:18 Why Omarchy fits a changing engineering workflow
14:16 Rethinking CAD as parameters, math and scripting
17:10 The limits of proprietary collaboration tools
18:09 Building a full process from ideation to shipping
22:56 Documentation, compliance and safety requirements
24:46 From Markdown to a structured document system
26:10 Component-based documentation generation
27:10 Learning Rails while reviewing agent output
28:10 Why event sourcing beats CRUD
33:16 AI memory, speed and context loss
35:31 GitHub issues as a controlled agent workflow
39:10 A second agent for code review
40:27 What new engineers still need to learn
42:26 Domain-driven design and event modeling basics
45:29 End-to-end thinking and edge cases
47:54 Event sourcing the agent workflow itself
48:53 Lower stress, more parallelism, better reasoning
50:43 Closing thoughts

"If I can't access the data in my own company, I cannot make decisions." – Alexander Zeitler

What can you build with AI when your background is infrastructure, not programming? Fred Nix joins Basti to share how he uses Omarchy and AI coding agents to turn ideas into practical tools—from photo workflows to iMessage integrations.

They explore the shift from writing code to defining outcomes, the economics of AI-built software, and why junior talent still matters. Basti shares his perspective on Omarchy security: monitoring agent activity, reviewing plugins, and investigating vulnerabilities.

Along the way, they discuss persistent AI sessions, local versus frontier models, accessible computing, and the community bringing these projects together.

🔗🔗🔗 LINKS 🔗🔗🔗

Basti
https://basti.net
https://x.com/bastidotnet
https://www.youtube.com/@bastidotnet

Omarchy Stories
https://omarchystories.org
https://x.com/omarchystories
https://www.youtube.com/@OmarchyStories

Fred Nix
https://x.com/NixFred
https://nixfred.com

Eduardo Martinez is a 22-year-old engineer bringing Omarchy to the Mac while using AI to build nearly everything around him. He explains how he created Try Omarchy to make Omarchy easy to test, why virtualization beats dual-boot for most users, and what it takes to get Touch ID, the Touch Bar, webcams, and video acceleration working on unsupported hardware.

If you're curious about Omarchy, reverse engineering, or what becomes possible when deep technical intuition meets frontier AI models, this one goes deep fast. Eduardo also walks through his development stack, from Codex to Zed, and explains why he believes the way we build software is changing in real time.

Eduardo started coding at 12, did full-stack work at 14, studied at 42 school, and moved through startups, side projects, and AI automation. That background gives him a sharp view on the difference between learning to code and learning to build software, especially now that agents carry so much of the workload.

Basti pushes on the bigger question: what should future engineers actually learn, and what still matters when AI handles most of the implementation? The result is a practical, forward-looking conversation about software, hardware, and the pace of change.

LINKS:

Basti
https://basti.net
https://x.com/bastidotnet
https://www.youtube.com/@bastidotnet

Omarchy Stories
https://omarchystories.org
https://x.com/omarchystories
https://www.youtube.com/@omarchystories

Eduardo Martinez
https://x.com/martiano
https://github.com/themartiano
https://github.com/omacom/try-omarchy
https://omarchy-mx-mac.org

CHAPTERS:

00:00 Introduction: Eduardo and the Omarchy Project
00:34 Eduardo's Background and Building Try Omarchy
01:39 How to Try Omarchy on a Mac
03:21 Benefits of Running Omarchy Virtualized
03:52 Touch Bar and Touch ID Support
05:03 Reverse Engineering Apple Hardware
06:48 Virtualization, USB Devices, and Video Acceleration
07:26 Using AI for Development and Research
08:36 Eduardo's AI Coding Setup and Workflow
10:17 Focus, Multitasking, and Working Across Projects
12:25 Learning to Code: Eduardo's Early Career
15:04 The 42 Programming School Experience
17:12 Should People Still Learn to Code?
22:16 Hiring Builders in the AI Era
25:29 Software Factories and Multi-Agent Workflows
28:08 Basti's AI-Assisted Development Workflow
33:16 Local AI Models vs. Cloud-Based Models
35:30 How Far AI Coding Capabilities Can Go
37:49 Comparing AI Models on Real Product Builds
41:28 Closing Thoughts on Omarchy and the Future

What does it take to build well when AI can write the code? Dan Wahlin joins Basti to talk about Omarchy, learning Linux, and why technical knowledge still matters when you work with AI agents.

Dan shares the story behind Learn Omarchy and how he used AI tools to build an interactive way to practice desktop shortcuts. Together, they explore how agents help troubleshoot hardware and driver issues, where human judgment remains essential, and why understanding architecture and security helps you steer an agent toward better results.

The conversation also covers the future of junior developers, finding focus when every idea feels possible, and creating opportunities through open source, meetups, and sharing your work. From customizing a Linux desktop to spotting everyday business problems worth solving, this episode is about turning curiosity into useful projects—and actually finishing them.

In this episode:

- Getting comfortable with Omarchy and its keyboard-driven workflow
- Building Learn Omarchy with AI assistance
- Why software fundamentals still matter for junior developers
- Building in public and showing what you can do
- Finding practical product ideas and staying focused enough to ship


🔗🔗🔗 LINKS 🔗🔗🔗

Basti
https://basti.net
https://x.com/bastidotnet
https://www.youtube.com/@bastidotnet

Dan Wahlin
https://x.com/DanWahlin
https://blog.codewithdan.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/danwahlin
https://www.youtube.com/@danwahlin

Omarchy Stories
https://omarchystories.org
https://x.com/OmarchyStories
https://www.youtube.com/@omarchystories



⏱️⏱️⏱️ CHAPTERS ⏱️⏱️⏱️

00:00 Getting started
00:40 Meet Dan Wahlin
02:13 Why Linux desktop finally clicked
05:05 Troubleshooting hardware with AI agents
08:23 The idea behind Learn Omarchy
13:13 Focus, side projects, and execution
15:29 AI, education, and junior developers
22:35 Standing out through visible work
31:24 Handling criticism and building community
41:54 Hardware experiments and Linux possibilities
45:10 Dan’s ESP32 project
47:36 Finding business problems worth solving
52:41 Publishing, contributing, and finishing projects
56:08 Closing thoughts

What makes computing fun again? In episode 004 of Omarchy Stories, Bjarne Øverli joins the conversation to talk about Linux, creative side projects, and finding a community you want to build with.

A self-taught developer, CTO at Unite AS, and member of the Omarchy Core team, Bjarne shares his journey from early Linux and BSD experiments to helping shape Omarchy. We explore the balance between an opinionated setup and the freedom to make your computer your own—and what everyday life on the core team looks like.

We also dig into Thema, CLIAMP, and the appeal of bringing Winamp nostalgia to the terminal. From radio streams and the pirate-radio spirit behind Omarchy Stories to AI in the operating system and meeting fellow builders at Omacon, this episode is about the tools and people that make technology personal.

Bjarne also reflects on learning by doing, finding his own path into the industry, and sharing projects publicly before feeling fully ready.

Follow Omarchy Stories for more conversations with the people building and shaping the community.

🔗🔗🔗 LINKS 🔗🔗🔗

Basti
https://basti.net
https://x.com/bastidotnet

Bjarne Øverli
https://x.com/iamdothash
https://contextowl.co

Omarchy Stories
https://omarchystories.org
https://x.com/OmarchyStories
https://www.youtube.com/@OmarchyStories


⌚⌚⌚ CHAPTERS ⌚⌚⌚

00:00 Welcome and meet Bjarne Øverli

01:02 Becoming a self-taught developer

02:41 Life as CTO at Unite and Norway’s media industry

04:21 Discovering Omarchy

06:33 Early Linux distributions and BSD experiments

08:06 Freedom, control, and a practical Linux setup

09:07 Omarchy for development and security research

10:09 The idea of an Omarchy phone

11:12 Themes, Thema, and contributing to the community

16:16 CLI-AMP: Winamp nostalgia in your terminal

17:49 Radio streams and Omarchy Radio

18:55 Omarchy Stories and its pirate-radio roots

21:00 Life on the Omarchy core team

24:18 A growing community and finding podcast guests

27:26 Hacker nostalgia and the joy of computing

29:32 AI as part of the operating system

32:15 Omacon: community, talks, and meeting people

37:05 How Bjarn joined the Omarchy core team

39:15 Starting a podcast, making videos, and putting yourself out there

42:57 Closing thoughts and the next Omacon

Omarchy Stories 003: Jankees van Woezik

In this episode of Omarchy Stories, Basti sits down with Jankees to talk about software development, AI-assisted building, plugins, security, and where coding is headed.

Jankees walks through his path from early web development and system administration into building tools, running a company, and writing plugins for Omarchy. Along the way, the two get into what responsible AI use actually looks like in practice, why taste and fundamentals still matter, how children learn best by experimenting, and how AI might reshape work, education, privacy, and software engineering.

They also cover Omarchy Kids, screen time philosophy, teaching programming to children, building a startup with AI, the developer community, and practical security research.

Links

https://x.com/jankeesvw

https://jankeesvw.com

https://x.com/bastidotnet

https://omarchystories.org

Chapters

00:00 Introduction: Meeting Jankees
03:08 From System Administration to Software Development
05:49 Discovering Omarchy and Building Plugins
08:37 AI, Plugins, and Security
11:53 Building Tools to Solve Your Own Problems
14:36 The Future of Software Engineering and AI
17:51 Fundamentals, Taste, and Human Creativity
20:18 AI-Assisted Design and Creative Experimentation
23:15 Omarchy Kids and Teaching Children to Build
25:23 Screen Time, Trust, and Parenting
36:00 Preparing Kids for the Future of Work
38:48 AI in Business, Privacy, and Regulation
42:20 Building an AI Startup
43:49 Marketing Through Building in Public
46:31 Developer Communities, Rails, and WordPress
50:00 Security Research and Responsible AI Use
54:51 Collaboration, Funding, and the AI Ecosystem
56:22 Virtual Machines, Local AI, and Security Work

Erik Melton shares his path into software engineering and cybersecurity, and why problem-solving skills matter more than formal education.

He breaks down the complexities of PCI DSS compliance, his move from a highly regulated industry into media, and how the role of code in software engineering is changing. The conversation covers what actually counts in today's job market — preparation, real experience and a strong portfolio — as well as the weight of clear communication and personal connection in the interview process. It closes on the role of trust and community engagement in security-related projects.

Erik Melton on X - https://x.com/meltonaerik
Basti on X - https://x.com/bastidotnet
Omarchy Stories on X - https://x.com/OmarchyStories
Omarchy Stories Website - https://omarchystories.org

Chapters

00:00 Journey into Software Engineering and Cybersecurity
03:09 PCI DSS Compliance and Transition to Media Industry
17:34 The Evolving Role of Code in Software Engineering
24:08 Preparation and Experience in the Job Market
27:08 The Role of Effective Communication in Interviews
39:10 The Importance of Trust and Community Engagement

In the first episode of Omarchy Stories, I'm joined by Mehmet Ince from the Omarchy Security Team.

We talk about how he found his way into cybersecurity and what still draws him to vulnerability research — the kind of work where you keep digging until something gives.

Mehmet shares what his role on the security team looks like and how the team works internally: how closely they collaborate, and how much learning happens along the way. We get into the impact of AI on vulnerability research, open source culture, and how vulnerabilities get reported — including what it means when one of them hits the entire Linux ecosystem.

From there we look at the particular challenges in the Postgres ecosystem, the wider cybersecurity landscape, and Mehmet's view that security is above all a path of learning and exploration that never really ends.

We close on what makes Omarchy what it is — the innovation coming out of the community, and the excitement and engagement behind it.

Omarchy Stories — the podcast from the community, for the community.

Takeaways

• Passion for cybersecurity from a young age
• Impact of AI on vulnerability research Open source culture fosters contributions to the Linux ecosystem.
• Vulnerability research in the Postgres ecosystem presents security challenges.

https://x.com/mdisec

https://mehmetince.net/part-1-6-systemic-risks-in-the-managed-postgresql-industry-extension-risks-are-real-exploiting-postgis-memory-corruption-bug-at-neondb-supabase-and-many-more/

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction to Cybersecurity
• 01:01 Early Years and Passion for Cybersecurity
• 02:15 Professional Journey in Cybersecurity
• 03:15 Exploring Linux and Vulnerability Research
• 04:18 Joining Omarchi and Security Team
• 05:35 Impact of AI on Vulnerability Research
• 15:49 Internal Workings and Reporting Process
• 21:33 Collaboration and Learning in the Team
• 23:54 Open Source Culture and Dependencies
• 24:53 Vulnerability Reporting and Mitigation
• 25:50 Contributions to the Linux Ecosystem
• 26:56 Rapid Decision-Making and Experience
• 28:34 Vulnerability Research in Postgres Ecosystem
• 29:56 Challenges in Postgres Ecosystem Security
• 31:23 Cybersecurity Landscape and Impact
• 33:58 Getting Started in Cybersecurity
• 37:24 Journey of Learning and Exploration
• 39:33 Community Innovation and Excitement
• 42:36 Omachii Culture and Community Engagement