September 17, 2016

Sandstorm.io with Asheesh Laroia

59 minutes

Summary

Sandstorm.io is an innovative platform that aims to make self-hosting applications easier and more maintainable for the average individual. This week we spoke with Asheesh Laroia about why running your own services is desirable, how they have made security a first priority, how Sandstorm is architected, and what the installation process looks like.

Brief Introduction

Hello and welcome to Podcast.__init__, the podcast about Python and the people who make it great.

I would like to thank everyone who has donated to the show. Your contributions help us make the show sustainable. For details on how to support the show you can visit our site at pythonpodcast.com

Linode is sponsoring us this week. Check them out at linode.com/podcastinit and get a $20 credit to try out their fast and reliable Linux virtual servers for your next project

We are also sponsored by Rollbar. Rollbar is a service for tracking and aggregating your application errors so that you can find and fix the bugs in your application before your users notice they exist. Use the link rollbar.com/podcastinit to get 90 days and 300,000 errors for free on their bootstrap plan.

Hired has also returned as a sponsor this week. If you’re looking for a job as a developer or designer then Hired will bring the opportunities to you. Sign up at hired.com/podcastinit to double your signing bonus.

Visit our site to subscribe to our show, sign up for our newsletter, read the show notes, and get in touch.

To help other people find the show you can leave a review on iTunes, or Google Play Music, and tell your friends and co-workers

Join our community! Visit discourse.pythonpodcast.com for your opportunity to find out about upcoming guests, suggest questions, and propose show ideas.

I would also like to mention that the organizers of PyCon Zimbabwe are looking to the global Python community for help in supporting their event. If you would like to donate the link will be in the show notes.

Your hosts as usual are Tobias Macey and Chris Patti

Today we’re interviewing Asheesh Laroia about Sandstorm.io, a project that is trying to make self-hosted applications easy and secure for everyone.

Interview with Asheesh Laroia

Introductions

How did you get introduced to Python? – Tobias

Can you start by telling everyone about the Sandstorm project and how you got involved with it? – Tobias

What are some of the reasons that an individual would want to self-host their own applications rather than using comparable services available through third parties? – Tobias

How does Sandstorm try to make the experience of hosting these various applications simple and enjoyable for the broadest variety of people? – Tobias

What does the system architecture for Sandstorm look like? – Tobias

I notice that Sandstorm requires a very recent Linux kernel version. What motivated that choice and how does it affect adoption? – Chris

One of the notable aspects of Sandstorm is the security model that it uses. Can you explain the capability-based authorization model and how it enables Sandstorm to ensure privacy for your users? – Tobias

What are some of the most difficult challenges facing you in terms of software architecture and design? – Tobias

What is involved in setting up your own server to run Sandstorm and what kinds of resources are required for different use cases? – Tobias

You have a number of different applications available for users to install. What is involved in making a project compatible with the Sandstorm runtime environment? Are there any limitations in terms of languages or application architecture for people who are targeting your platform? – Tobias

How much of Sandstorm is written in Python and what other languages does it use? – Tobias

Keep In Touch

Twitter

Blog

Picks

Tobias

OpsGenie

Chris

Viking Godfather Safety Razor

Who Killed Sherlock Holmes? by Paul Cornell

Petrus Aged Red

Asheesh

Amtrak

The Master Switch by Tim Wu

Rocket Chat

Links

North Star Post

Contact Otter

Hacker Slides

Permanote

Radicale

Media Goblin

IPython Notebook

The intro and outro music is from Requiem for a Fish The Freak Fandango Orchestra / CC BY-SA

...more

View all episodes

By Tobias Macey

4.4

100100 ratings