Sandstorm.io with Asheesh Laroia

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

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• 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

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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

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