Changelog Master Feed Voices of Oxide (Changelog Interviews #659)
Sep 26, 2025
Cliff Biffle, a firmware engineer behind Oxide's open-source OS Hubris, dives into the early power-up process and why Rust was a game-changer for firmware development. Dave Pacheco, lead on Oxide’s Update project, discusses the two-year effort to create a non-disruptive update system and the complexities of bandwidth and air-gaps. Designer Ben Leonard shares insights on balancing creative branding with product design, highlighting Oxide's vintage-modern aesthetic. Together, they reveal the unique culture at Oxide, shaped by innovation and collaboration.
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Use Transparent Compensation
- Use uniform pay and transparent compensation to reduce negotiation stress and foster openness about job conditions.
- Cliff says this policy improved trust and made people comfortable discussing financial hardships.
Update Evolved From Mupdate
- Dave explains Update's history: support-based recovery (Mupdate) preceded a self-service plan.
- The first year's work built dynamic reconfiguration so components can come and go while the system runs.
Updates Replace Hundreds Of Pieces
- An Oxide update replaces hundreds of components across sleds, switches, firmware, and host OS, often producing mixed old/new states.
- Dave's release bundles everything into a single multi-gig artifact so operators only manage a single API action.