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