Show HN: Rhun, an open-source code editor written in assembly
I found that I'm not using even 1/3 of vim/vscode features anymore. That's wht I'm building rhun - a small code editor for Linux, Windows and Apple silicon Macs. It obviously has Vim mode, a terminal, Git diffs and a panel for Claude Code or Codex sessions. The editor and pixel renderer share an x86-64 assembly core. For Apple silicon, a build-time translator converts that core to AArch64, with separate platform adapters around it. The latest release can draft commit messages using a local Ollama model or an existing Claude Code or Codex subscription. It's a solo project, MIT licensed and still early.
Discussion Highlights (13 comments)
vladcodes
The plan is to add as less new features as possible and keep the same performance/launch time/memory and disk footprint as it is currently.
xorl
This bring me joy :)
rgbrgb
can you talk about why you do this in assembly?
heckintime
Middle Earth reference?
bbor
…is it fast? Why assembly? Impressive, regardless! “Super responsive, minimal-by-default” is kinda already met by Sublime Text, but it’s certainly not in assembly lol. And not OSS — thanks for sharing your work with the world :)
gespadas
People... I just tried it... It is SOOO FAST !!!
browningstreet
Assembly plus platform translation, hmmm. I don’t get it but that’s a heck of a thing to do! And yes, I’ll try it.
Levitating
Website has all the hallmarks of AI slop.
jrapdx3
I'll have to try it. It occurs to me that in this era of RAM hardware shortage, resource-frugal applications like this one could become more prevalent. Anyway I guess we'll see if that happens. Edit: Downloaded, running under Windows. Impressive. Loads fast, looks pretty polished. Highlighting for many languages included "obscure" ones that I sometimes use. Mem used: 7.9MB (gvim 12.2MB, emacs 35.5MB, vscodium 291.1MB)
haolez
If you use an LLM to write assembly, it is officially your (optimizing?) compiler :)
tamimio
Ok wow I am in love! Not just it’s fast, but also it automatically detected the AI session that’s actively working! Might ditch zed now!
arecsu
Honestly, it runs and looks incredible (macOS). Very well done. Would love to have support for pi-agent, as is my go-to for most uses I have. Congratulations!
vivzkestrel
- now imagine building entire systems tailored to each OS in just assembly - imagine the next gen browser built in only assembly with a browser engine made in assembly - imagine photoshop, illustrator, movie maker built ground up in assembly - imagine an entire windows 12 operating system made in pure assembly - the performance profile of each of the above must be absolutely wild - since i am an an absolute newbie at assembly at this point, a sincere question to the some of the more englightened ones reading this, how and where do you recommend I learn assembly? I understand its different for x86 x64 and ARM? where should I start?