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Published in Product Insights

Repo Roundup June 30th

Repo Roundup June 30th
Table of contents
  1. Croc
  2. Typst
  3. Edit

Croc#

https://github.com/schollz/croc

While croc is not a new project I only recently learned about it. We occasionally need to share large files with each other but for various reasons don’t want them in Google Drive or Dropbox. Croc is a command line tool that allows any computer to easily and securely share files and folders. We were able to install via homebrew and share a large file within 30 seconds, having never used it before. 

I was a curious about how it works and poked around the codebase. By default, it appears to use a relay server (croc4.schollz.com) that handles connecting the two hosts via the passcode. The relay server facilitates a handshake between the hosts but does not read any of the data being passed between them. You can also host your own relay server and pass in host details as an arg. 

Typst#

https://github.com/typst/typst

Typst is a new markup-based typesetting system designed to match LaTeX's power while being much easier to learn and use. It features built-in markup for common formatting tasks, a tightly integrated scripting system, and fast compile times thanks to incremental compilation. The syntax is cleaner than LaTeX. Mathematical equations use dollar signs, headings are created with equal signs, and functions like "sqrt" work without backslashes.

Typst includes math typesetting, bibliography management, and friendly error messages, plus scripting capabilities for dynamic content generation. It's available as both a free web editor and CLI tool, making it an interesting alternative for anyone frustrated with LaTeX's complexity or seeking a modern document authoring solution.

Edit#

https://github.com/microsoft/edit

Microsoft Edit is a new open-source command-line text editor that revives the classic MS-DOS Editor with modern touches. Built in Rust and weighing just 250kB, Edit ships as a modeless TUI editor with VS Code-inspired controls, making it accessible for users unfamiliar with terminal editors like vim or nano. It supports mouse navigation, multiple file tabs, find/replace with regex support, and word wrapping.

Microsoft created Edit to fill a gap in 64-bit Windows, which lacks a built-in CLI text editor unlike its 32-bit predecessors. The editor targets developers and system administrators who need quick file edits without leaving the terminal. Edit will roll out to Windows Insider Program users before becoming a standard Windows 11 component, though it's already available cross-platform on GitHub for Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Frequently asked questions

How does Croc connect the computers sharing a file?

By default, it appears to use a relay server to connect the hosts through a passcode. The relay handles the handshake without reading the transferred data. You can also host your own relay server.

Can I use Typst outside a web browser?

Yes. Typst is available as a free web editor and a CLI tool. It includes math typesetting, bibliography management and scripting for dynamic content.

Why did Microsoft create Edit?

It fills the gap left by the lack of a built-in CLI text editor in 64-bit Windows. It targets developers and system administrators who need to edit files without leaving the terminal.

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