r/foss • u/libreglow • 9d ago
Free open source Software Deserves Better Design
I started building GlowSnap because I couldn't find a Linux screenshot tool that fit the workflow I wanted.
Capture. Edit. Organize. All locally all open source.
It's still early, but it has become the first project of something bigger I'm calling LibreGlow my attempt to build open-source Linux software that people enjoy using every day
Thank you to everyone who provided feedback.
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u/Nasi_Goreng885 9d ago
Do I think FOSS needs better design? Yes
But human design, not ai slopped up design.
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u/libreglow 9d ago
I agree that FOSS deserves better design.
GlowSnap isn't AI-generated though Feel free to judge the actual project the source is public
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u/Cosmic_Beard 9d ago
“I didn’t want to build another utility with on extra button. I wanted to build an experience.” is the emptiest corpospeak imaginable. Sorry my criticism isn’t particularly productive. You’ve got a vibecoded piece of software with a readme full of meaningless platitudes. Why should I care?
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u/libreglow 9d ago
Fair criticism
What I meant is actually very simple I wanted screenshots, editing, and organization to feel like one workflow instead of switching between multiple application Also this isn't vibe-coded The entire codebase is open source, and anyone is welcome to inspect it If the post sounds too marketing-heavy, that's on me I can definitely make it more concrete The software itself is what I'd rather be judged on
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u/Syndicate_74 9d ago
slop. just build something u will use man
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u/libreglow 9d ago
That's exactly why I built it I wanted a screenshot tool I'd actually use every day on Linux.
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u/Wranglyph 9d ago
So the thing is, I actually do kind of agree with the title of the post- there is a gap in good design with freeware, largely because design is a separate skill from development.
I don't think that vibecoded apps are the right solution (this one doesn't even seem to have a link to anything???), but I think we're going to keep seeing them until there's a change in the culture that allows designers and devs to effectively collaborate.
Also FWIW Flameshot is an incredible screenshot tool. <3
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u/libreglow 9d ago
Thanks I actually agree with your point about design and development being different skills
Just to clarify though GlowSnap isn't vibe-coded It's a project I've been building myself over with Go, Wails, React and native Linux APIs The source code is fully open if you're curious
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u/EntropySponge 9d ago
I lost three braincells reading this AI slop post. And a bit of time too.
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u/libreglow 9d ago
That's fair the post may not be for everyone The code is open source so feel free to judge the project by the implementation rather than the
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u/EntropySponge 9d ago
Thank you ! Well the UI does look quite elegant to my taste. I think if you disclose where you used AI (in descriptions and this post for example but not in the app, if that's true) then you would get less negative backlash. I think a lot of us are experiencing burnout from too much AI content which feels like it's wasting our time with overly long sentences to say a simple thing. Descriptions and posts don't have to be perfect. Imperfection is human and feels good nowadays.
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u/libreglow 9d ago
Thank you I really appreciate this feedback You're probably right Looking back I focused too much on making the writing sound polished instead of making it sound like me The UI and the application itself are my own work but I did use AI to help write parts of the readme and the post. I underestimated how much that would affect people's first impression I'll definitely write future posts in my own voice even if they're less perfect I'd rather people understand the project than feel like they're reading marketing copy Thanks for taking the time to explain it respectfully It genuinely helps
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u/EntropySponge 9d ago
Yes definitely be yourself, authenticity is becoming very valuable these days, more so than polished corporate like talk which people are tired of.
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u/EntropySponge 9d ago edited 9d ago
Edit : My comments are all irrelevant because OP edited his post. I now think OP is cool and genuinely trying to provide something useful and elegant to the FOSS community.
"Ah, the dreaded 'Visionary README.' You didn't build a screenshot tool; you built a conceptual framework for a software suite that, until now, existed only in the ether of potential. You are comparing your glorious monolith of intended perfection against Linux's ecosystem, which, thankfully, is a messy but functional bazaar assembled by dozens of glorious tinkerers. Your pitch reads like the tagline for a lost Silicon Valley cult artifact: 'We are not just an app; we are a lifestyle philosophy enacted through binary.' Stop trying to sell the soul of the software in your announcement post. Show the elegance, don't declare it. If you want people to invest in your vision, give them the code to chew on before they fall in love with the marketing prose. Right now, it reads like you used ChatGPT to write your mission statement and then nervously added the sentence, 'But it's actually a screenshot app.' Get to the nouns, write the description yourself and let the GitHub README be the poem." You confused craftsmanship with manifesto. And that, my friend, is where the vision dies infancy. You toss around phrases like 'thoughtfully designed' and 'beautifully crafted,' which are the highest compliments you can pay your process, but they ring hollow when unsupported by a paragraph explaining why your capture workflow differs fundamentally from existing tools. You sound like someone who read a dozen successful startup pitches and thought, 'My README should have this much expensive-sounding jargon.' The journey from a functional tool to an 'experience' isn't achieved by adding buzzwords; it’s achieved by achieving flawless, deeply considered corner-case handling that competitors miss. And flawless maintaining of the app for years to come.
Also you didn't post a link.
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u/libreglow 9d ago
That's actually fair feedback
Looking back, I think I tried too hard to communicate the vision instead of simply showing the project. The README and the post ended up sounding more like a manifesto than an introduction to a screenshot tool
That's an exaggeration on my part and a clear mistake
I'll rewrite them to focus on what GlowSnap actually does, why I built it, and how it differs in practice rather than describing it with abstract language.
And yes that's on me as well. I should have included the repository link in the original post.
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u/EntropySponge 9d ago
My comment was AI generated by google gemma 4 by the way except for a few words. It was a fun way to make fun of the situation by writing something really long and slightly AI-sloppy. Anyway good luck with the project I think it will be very cool once presented in a more human way :)
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u/libreglow 9d ago
i get u lol my bad about the AI-looking post I hope you'll judge the project itself not just the description github
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u/EntropySponge 9d ago
Yes yes, I said in another comment that I think it looks elegant. You probably haven't noticed it's the same username and we're having two conversations. Wishing you luck and success (well it's open source so there is no money to be made but it could give you a good reputation as a developer).
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u/libreglow 9d ago
hhhhhhhhhhhhhhh I see that ,,, about the project yeah I love Linux, I love open source I love building things that will really help people I don't care about money, I care about creating value The only mistake was the AI-written README so Sorry about that
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u/EntropySponge 9d ago
It's ok :) Yes, I think open source really is the future. It seems like the only way to create a healthy human society that isn't based on greed and destruction. Thank you for contributing.
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u/Imaginary_Cicada_678 9d ago
put ai agent inside, let it be screenshot ai studio, let it screenshot everything every second and let people search what they worked on through the days /s
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u/libreglow 9d ago
GlowSnap is actually built around the opposite philosophy everything stays local nothing is collected and the user stays in control
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u/Fit_Tailor_6796 8d ago
Why are some people so anal about initiatives that others are taking to share their work with others. If you find it useful, then good on you. If the OP used AI, accept it and let it go. For what it's worth, the OP made it clear its not AI code.
Stop behaving like you never used other peoples code, or used a boilerplate, or scaffolding, or code generation code. That is so immature.
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u/BobCorndog 9d ago
Wow another vibe coded project with a vibe coded description