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Ask HN: What is the single top-priority software engineering problem?

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Re: Ask HN: What is the single top-priority software engineering problem?

#91

Post by ishi »

cs02rm0 wrote: post #12

I seem to spend far more time on the deployment of code than I ever used to, more time writing CloudFormation and ansible than the Java backend, python lambdas and static UI that it deploys. That seems nuts to me. I'm not sure how you fix it without being Amazon/Google. People moan about Terraform too before that gets mentioned.

I recently heard about a startup trying to do something about this. Probably not totally mature, but might be worth a look: https://www.kaholo.io/ (I am not related to company in any way)

Re: Ask HN: What is the single top-priority software engineering problem?

#93

Post by [deleted] »

simonw wrote: post #55

Development environments. The amount of time and hassle I've seen lost to getting a working development environment up and running is incredible. Every time I talk to someone who's learning to program I tell them: "Setting up your development environment will be a nightmare. I have been doing this for twenty years and it's STILL a nightmare for me every time I do it. You are not alone." Docker is reasonably good here…

[deleted]

Re: Ask HN: What is the single top-priority software engineering problem?

#94

Post by drusepth »

js8 wrote: post #39

Formally specify all the commonly used languages, runtimes and APIs, so that we could translate programs between them. Then make sure that all programs such translated can be compiled, so that we don't waste resources by running inefficient VMs.

This would go a really long way towards efficient code reuse as well, with far less "reinventing the wheel" all the time if shared libraries more easily work across all (common) languages.

Re: Ask HN: What is the single top-priority software engineering problem?

#97

Post by BubRoss »

petters wrote: post #10

A computer and OS that boots in 100ms. Every user action gives a response in 10ms.

Modern lightbulbs don't even turn on in 100ms. I have a hard time believing sub second computer booting is really at the top of anyone's priorities.

Re: Ask HN: What is the single top-priority software engineering problem?

#98

Post by thu2111 »

arexxbifs wrote: post #73
rodolphoarruda wrote: post #71

Having my phone as my ultimate CPU, immediately connectable to commodity peripherals (monitor, keyboard, printers) at home, office and on the street. Content would be stored on the phone following the "local fist" principle to favor speed and security. Something like Ubuntu Edge for those who remember it, but with more local storage -- TBs maybe -- more connectivity out of the box.

I envisioned something similar around the time of the 2nd gen touch phones: just plonk your phone into a dock with keyboard, mouse and monitor. I realize now it’ll probably never happen, since the companies making the phones are the same companies that make computers.

It did happen. Samsung DeX is a desktop environment that you get when you plug your tablet or phone into a screen. It's passable but of course most Android apps aren't designed for work.

They also did a Linux on DeX. You could boot Ubuntu on your Samsung phone and display it via HDMI. They stopped supporting it around Android 10 though, presumably nobody ever used it.

Re: Ask HN: What is the single top-priority software engineering problem?

#99

Post by BubRoss »

petters wrote: post #46
AlotOfReading wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As an example of just how far we are from this, generally the bootloader hasn't even passed off to the OS within the first 100ms.

I think it's really sad, because a system would likely have to be redesigned from scratch to make this happen. So it seems unlikely to happen. But I'm not an OS expert, maybe it is possible.

You would have to rewrite the bios and not check any of your memory.

Re: Ask HN: What is the single top-priority software engineering problem?

#100

Post by thu2111 »

GrumpyYoungMan wrote: post #11

Build the tools and infrastructure necessary to make FPGA accelerator programming accessible to the average programmer. Moore's Law is mostly dead; we are getting more cores but we are not going to get significantly faster cores in the near future. What will bring us next big jump in computing performance is unclear but FPGA acceleration seems like one of the few promising directions.

Here you go: https://fosdem.org/2020/schedule/event/tornadovm/
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