{"slug": "squeak", "name": "Squeak", "category": "other", "category_name": "Other software", "description": "Open-source Smalltalk implementation with a live, image-based programming environment.", "recommenders": 5, "commenters": 6, "warners": 1, "score": 3.769, "rising": 3.67, "first": "2025-12-31", "latest": "2026-10-29", "why": "HN commenters like Squeak for its live Smalltalk environment where programs are built iteratively from inside the running system, for an image-based workflow that made deploying a Seaside web project easy, and for broad GUI and platform support.", "why_is_quote": false, "has_verdict": true, "sentiment": {"recommend": 5, "neutral": 0, "compare": 0, "warn": 1}, "spark": [0, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 2, 0, 2], "listed": true, "loved": ["Live environment", "Image-based deployment"], "caveat": "Memory use", "short_quote": "to this day it stands out as a novel software development experience that I'm very glad I did.", "icon": true, "domain": null, "github_repo": null, "official_url": "https://squeak.org", "pricing": "open source", "aliases": ["Squeak"], "verdict": [{"text": "HN commenters like Squeak for its live Smalltalk environment where programs are built iteratively from inside the running system", "cites": [{"id": 804550593, "item_id": 50284412, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50284412", "by": "spauldo", "date": "2026-10-29", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "check out the Smalltalk implementation Squeak", "excerpt": "To add to what everyone else is saying, most Lisps support redefining functions in a running application. Instead of the code/compile/test loop most languages use, you can create Lisp programs iteratively from inside the program. It's really quite neat. Emacs is an easy way to play around with it, but if you're a CS language nerd Racket might be a good fit for you. And if you want this type of environment but without", "context": "", "use_case": "interactive live programming environment", "switched_from": "", "story": "Emacs Turns 50"}, {"id": 743148832, "item_id": 46446802, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46446802", "by": "crystal_revenge", "date": "2025-12-31", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "to this day it stands out as a novel software development experience that I'm very glad I did.", "excerpt": "I developed a (personal) Squeak application a few decades ago and to this day it stands out as a novel software development experience that I'm very glad I did. I highly recommend everyone even remotely interested in Smalltalk read the classic \"Design Principles Behind Smalltalk\" [0] Perhaps the most immediately shocking feature of Squeak is the \"world\" which relates to the principle: > Operating System: An operating", "context": "", "use_case": "personal application development", "switched_from": "", "story": "Back to the future: the story of Squeak, a practical Smalltalk written in itself [pdf]"}]}, {"text": ", for an image-based workflow that made deploying a Seaside web project easy", "cites": [{"id": 803930321, "item_id": 50245645, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50245645", "by": "cardanome", "date": "2026-10-26", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I think I used Squeak with the Seaside framework. The image based workflow made deploying it surprisingly easy.", "excerpt": "I am sorry to hear that, I hope you will rediscover the joys of programming one day again! Humans haven't given up playing chess just because computers are able to do it better, there is still a point in recreational programming. I am fondly remembering actually using Smalltalk in production for a small web project. I think I used Squeak with the Seaside framework. The image based workflow made deploying it surprisin", "context": "", "use_case": "small web project", "switched_from": "", "story": "Pharo 14"}]}, {"text": ", and for broad GUI and platform support.", "cites": [{"id": 788009536, "item_id": 49250596, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49250596", "by": "morphle", "date": "2026-08-10", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I have at least eight different GUIS implemented in Squeak", "excerpt": "I have at least eight different GUIS implemented in Squeak and also native Xwindows, macOS, iPhone and Windows. Plus several through the FFI interface. And three/seven Web GUI interfaces. We used to run (around 2009) Squeak on more platforms than Linux, they all still work in the 32 versions. I'll make the old bitrotted GUI's work again in the latest Squeak 6.1 if you pay me a few thousand euro's. I count many more n", "context": "", "use_case": "GUI development", "switched_from": "", "story": "Squeak/Smalltalk 6.1 Release Notes"}]}, {"text": " Caveats raised include heavy RAM use", "cites": [{"id": 788311296, "item_id": 49269456, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49269456", "by": "brabel", "date": "2026-08-12", "stance": "warn", "quote": "I thought it was using too much RAM for what it gave me (around 1GB to start with).", "excerpt": "I used it to explore data since it has built in support for various data formats and easily made visualizations, but I haven\u2019t used it in a few years because I thought it was using too much RAM for what it gave me (around 1GB to start with).", "context": "", "use_case": "exploring and visualizing data", "switched_from": "", "story": "Squeak/Smalltalk 6.1 Release Notes"}]}, {"text": " and weaker high-resolution display support, which led one commenter to move to Pharo.", "cites": [{"id": 788107905, "item_id": 49256744, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49256744", "by": "mark_l_watson", "date": "2026-08-11", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I used to love using Squeak", "excerpt": "I used to love using Squeak but moved to Pharo to get better high resolution display support. I should try the Squeak 6.1 release.", "context": "", "use_case": "Smalltalk development", "switched_from": "", "story": "Squeak/Smalltalk 6.1 Release Notes"}]}], "praise": [{"label": "Live environment", "summary": "Commenters value building and changing programs from inside the running system, which one called a novel development experience.", "quotes": [{"id": 804550593, "item_id": 50284412, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50284412", "by": "spauldo", "date": "2026-10-29", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "check out the Smalltalk implementation Squeak", "excerpt": "To add to what everyone else is saying, most Lisps support redefining functions in a running application. Instead of the code/compile/test loop most languages use, you can create Lisp programs iteratively from inside the program. It's really quite neat. Emacs is an easy way to play around with it, but if you're a CS language nerd Racket might be a good fit for you. And if you want this type of environment but without", "context": "", "use_case": "interactive live programming environment", "switched_from": "", "story": "Emacs Turns 50"}, {"id": 743148832, "item_id": 46446802, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46446802", "by": "crystal_revenge", "date": "2025-12-31", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "to this day it stands out as a novel software development experience that I'm very glad I did.", "excerpt": "I developed a (personal) Squeak application a few decades ago and to this day it stands out as a novel software development experience that I'm very glad I did. I highly recommend everyone even remotely interested in Smalltalk read the classic \"Design Principles Behind Smalltalk\" [0] Perhaps the most immediately shocking feature of Squeak is the \"world\" which relates to the principle: > Operating System: An operating", "context": "", "use_case": "personal application development", "switched_from": "", "story": "Back to the future: the story of Squeak, a practical Smalltalk written in itself [pdf]"}, {"id": 803930321, "item_id": 50245645, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50245645", "by": "cardanome", "date": "2026-10-26", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I think I used Squeak with the Seaside framework. The image based workflow made deploying it surprisingly easy.", "excerpt": "I am sorry to hear that, I hope you will rediscover the joys of programming one day again! Humans haven't given up playing chess just because computers are able to do it better, there is still a point in recreational programming. I am fondly remembering actually using Smalltalk in production for a small web project. I think I used Squeak with the Seaside framework. The image based workflow made deploying it surprisin", "context": "", "use_case": "small web project", "switched_from": "", "story": "Pharo 14"}]}, {"label": "Image-based deployment", "summary": "One commenter found the image-based workflow made deploying a small Seaside web project surprisingly easy.", "quotes": [{"id": 803930321, "item_id": 50245645, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50245645", "by": "cardanome", "date": "2026-10-26", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I think I used Squeak with the Seaside framework. The image based workflow made deploying it surprisingly easy.", "excerpt": "I am sorry to hear that, I hope you will rediscover the joys of programming one day again! Humans haven't given up playing chess just because computers are able to do it better, there is still a point in recreational programming. I am fondly remembering actually using Smalltalk in production for a small web project. I think I used Squeak with the Seaside framework. The image based workflow made deploying it surprisin", "context": "", "use_case": "small web project", "switched_from": "", "story": "Pharo 14"}]}, {"label": "GUI portability", "summary": "One commenter reports implementing many native and web GUIs in Squeak and running it on many platforms.", "quotes": [{"id": 788009536, "item_id": 49250596, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49250596", "by": "morphle", "date": "2026-08-10", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I have at least eight different GUIS implemented in Squeak", "excerpt": "I have at least eight different GUIS implemented in Squeak and also native Xwindows, macOS, iPhone and Windows. Plus several through the FFI interface. And three/seven Web GUI interfaces. We used to run (around 2009) Squeak on more platforms than Linux, they all still work in the 32 versions. I'll make the old bitrotted GUI's work again in the latest Squeak 6.1 if you pay me a few thousand euro's. I count many more n", "context": "", "use_case": "GUI development", "switched_from": "", "story": "Squeak/Smalltalk 6.1 Release Notes"}]}], "caveats": [{"label": "Memory use", "summary": "One commenter stopped using it because it used around 1GB of RAM to start.", "quotes": [{"id": 788311296, "item_id": 49269456, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49269456", "by": "brabel", "date": "2026-08-12", "stance": "warn", "quote": "I thought it was using too much RAM for what it gave me (around 1GB to start with).", "excerpt": "I used it to explore data since it has built in support for various data formats and easily made visualizations, but I haven\u2019t used it in a few years because I thought it was using too much RAM for what it gave me (around 1GB to start with).", "context": "", "use_case": "exploring and visualizing data", "switched_from": "", "story": "Squeak/Smalltalk 6.1 Release Notes"}]}, {"label": "High-res displays", "summary": "One commenter moved to Pharo for better high-resolution display support.", "quotes": [{"id": 788107905, "item_id": 49256744, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49256744", "by": "mark_l_watson", "date": "2026-08-11", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I used to love using Squeak", "excerpt": "I used to love using Squeak but moved to Pharo to get better high resolution display support. I should try the Squeak 6.1 release.", "context": "", "use_case": "Smalltalk development", "switched_from": "", "story": "Squeak/Smalltalk 6.1 Release Notes"}]}, {"label": "Bitrotted GUIs", "summary": "Some older GUI integrations no longer work in the latest release without porting effort.", "quotes": [{"id": 788009536, "item_id": 49250596, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49250596", "by": "morphle", "date": "2026-08-10", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I have at least eight different GUIS implemented in Squeak", "excerpt": "I have at least eight different GUIS implemented in Squeak and also native Xwindows, macOS, iPhone and Windows. Plus several through the FFI interface. And three/seven Web GUI interfaces. We used to run (around 2009) Squeak on more platforms than Linux, they all still work in the 32 versions. I'll make the old bitrotted GUI's work again in the latest Squeak 6.1 if you pay me a few thousand euro's. I count many more n", "context": "", "use_case": "GUI development", "switched_from": "", "story": "Squeak/Smalltalk 6.1 Release Notes"}]}], "who": [], "tags": ["for language enthusiasts", "for Smalltalk learners", "for Seaside web apps", "cross-platform"], "use_cases": ["interactive live programming environment", "small web project", "exploring and visualizing data", "smalltalk development", "gui development", "personal application development"], "compared": [{"slug": "pharo", "name": "Pharo", "co": 2, "switched_from": 0, "switched_to": 1}, {"slug": "cuis-smalltalk", "name": "Cuis Smalltalk", "co": 2, "switched_from": 0, "switched_to": 0}], "makers": [], "threads": [{"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49242653", "title": "Squeak/Smalltalk 6.1 Release Notes", "mentions": 3}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50273171", "title": "Emacs Turns 50", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50241925", "title": "Pharo 14", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46379562", "title": "Back to the future: the story of Squeak, a practical Smalltalk written in itself [pdf]", "mentions": 1}], "sentiment_by_month": {"2025-11": {}, "2025-12": {"recommend": 1}, "2026-01": {}, "2026-02": {}, "2026-03": {}, "2026-04": {}, "2026-05": {}, "2026-06": {}, "2026-07": {}, "2026-08": {"recommend": 2, "warn": 1}, "2026-09": {}, "2026-10": {"recommend": 2}}, "quotes": [{"id": 804550593, "item_id": 50284412, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50284412", "by": "spauldo", "date": "2026-10-29", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "check out the Smalltalk implementation Squeak", "excerpt": "To add to what everyone else is saying, most Lisps support redefining functions in a running application. Instead of the code/compile/test loop most languages use, you can create Lisp programs iteratively from inside the program. It's really quite neat. Emacs is an easy way to play around with it, but if you're a CS language nerd Racket might be a good fit for you. And if you want this type of environment but without", "context": "", "use_case": "interactive live programming environment", "switched_from": "", "story": "Emacs Turns 50"}, {"id": 803930321, "item_id": 50245645, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50245645", "by": "cardanome", "date": "2026-10-26", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I think I used Squeak with the Seaside framework. The image based workflow made deploying it surprisingly easy.", "excerpt": "I am sorry to hear that, I hope you will rediscover the joys of programming one day again! Humans haven't given up playing chess just because computers are able to do it better, there is still a point in recreational programming. I am fondly remembering actually using Smalltalk in production for a small web project. I think I used Squeak with the Seaside framework. The image based workflow made deploying it surprisin", "context": "", "use_case": "small web project", "switched_from": "", "story": "Pharo 14"}, {"id": 788311296, "item_id": 49269456, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49269456", "by": "brabel", "date": "2026-08-12", "stance": "warn", "quote": "I thought it was using too much RAM for what it gave me (around 1GB to start with).", "excerpt": "I used it to explore data since it has built in support for various data formats and easily made visualizations, but I haven\u2019t used it in a few years because I thought it was using too much RAM for what it gave me (around 1GB to start with).", "context": "", "use_case": "exploring and visualizing data", "switched_from": "", "story": "Squeak/Smalltalk 6.1 Release Notes"}, {"id": 788107905, "item_id": 49256744, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49256744", "by": "mark_l_watson", "date": "2026-08-11", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I used to love using Squeak", "excerpt": "I used to love using Squeak but moved to Pharo to get better high resolution display support. I should try the Squeak 6.1 release.", "context": "", "use_case": "Smalltalk development", "switched_from": "", "story": "Squeak/Smalltalk 6.1 Release Notes"}, {"id": 788009536, "item_id": 49250596, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49250596", "by": "morphle", "date": "2026-08-10", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I have at least eight different GUIS implemented in Squeak", "excerpt": "I have at least eight different GUIS implemented in Squeak and also native Xwindows, macOS, iPhone and Windows. Plus several through the FFI interface. And three/seven Web GUI interfaces. We used to run (around 2009) Squeak on more platforms than Linux, they all still work in the 32 versions. I'll make the old bitrotted GUI's work again in the latest Squeak 6.1 if you pay me a few thousand euro's. I count many more n", "context": "", "use_case": "GUI development", "switched_from": "", "story": "Squeak/Smalltalk 6.1 Release Notes"}, {"id": 743148832, "item_id": 46446802, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46446802", "by": "crystal_revenge", "date": "2025-12-31", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "to this day it stands out as a novel software development experience that I'm very glad I did.", "excerpt": "I developed a (personal) Squeak application a few decades ago and to this day it stands out as a novel software development experience that I'm very glad I did. I highly recommend everyone even remotely interested in Smalltalk read the classic \"Design Principles Behind Smalltalk\" [0] Perhaps the most immediately shocking feature of Squeak is the \"world\" which relates to the principle: > Operating System: An operating", "context": "", "use_case": "personal application development", "switched_from": "", "story": "Back to the future: the story of Squeak, a practical Smalltalk written in itself [pdf]"}]}