Show HN: I am building nerd: ed for live nw flows (file in motion)
github.com
I’ve been experimenting with a weird idea: what if files didn’t live on disk or in memory, but only as packets moving through the network?
NERD is a text editor for living data streams — circulation loops in network traffic that are the file. There’s no storage backend. If the flow stops, the file disappears.
Instead of: File → Storage → Network → Edit → Store NERD does: File IS Network Flow → Edit Flow Pattern Directly
Features:
Files are sustained by packet loops (heartbeat packets keep them alive) Multi-user editing by connecting to the same flow Raw socket programming + custom packet formats ed-compatible interface (append, delete, substitute, etc.) Flow discovery (discover shows what’s “alive” on the network) Example: $ sudo ./nerd shared_doc > append Hello from Node A! On another machine: $ sudo ./nerd shared_doc > append Hello from Node B! Result: Both edits are merged into the same circulating flow. Repo & README: github.com/DantrazTrev/nerd Would love feedback on:
Use cases (is this a toy or something deeper?) Security / network safety concerns Better ways to visualize active flows “The file is not in the nodes, but in the arrows between them.”
toodles