Developer wrote 25k lines of Neovim plugin code using phone and touchscreen

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

A Neovim plugin with roughly 25,000 lines of code written entirely on a smartphone touchscreen has stunned developers, prompting both admiration for the author’s dedication and discomfort at the idea of serious coding on such constrained hardware. Commenters compare mobile workflows, tools like Termux and custom keyboards, and past experiences coding on calculators or feature phones, while questioning how much modern developer productivity truly depends on luxurious tooling. The story also highlights access and privilege: the author is a student in Bangladesh without a PC, sparking a community fundraiser for a laptop and broader reflection on how many aspiring programmers in developing countries start out coding only on phones.

Initial reactions to phone-only development

  • Many readers react with anxiety or disbelief; coding 25k lines on a touchscreen feels like “torture” to some.
  • Others are impressed and inspired, especially given that the plugin is widely regarded as high quality.
  • Several admit they struggle even with texting or short scripts on phones due to typos, missing words, and eye strain.

Tools, workflows, and ergonomics

  • Common setups mentioned: Termux/Neovim/Vim, tmux, SSH (Termius, mosh, Eternal Terminal), and sometimes DeX or AR glasses to simulate a desktop.
  • Vim/Neovim is seen as relatively phone-friendly because it relies less on modifier keys.
  • Limited screen width and on-screen keyboard covering code are major pain points; foldables help somewhat.
  • Some use special keyboards (Hacker’s Keyboard, AnySoftKeyboard, Thumb-Key, Penti, T9-style layouts). Others stick to defaults but rely heavily on completions and LSP/LLM support.
  • A few users routinely do serious remote admin or side projects from phones/tablets and find it “slow but workable.”

Socioeconomic constraints and fundraiser

  • The developer reportedly has no PC and codes on a phone out of necessity, not preference, while studying for medical entrance exams.
  • Cultural pressure from parents toward medicine/engineering is discussed.
  • Community members organized a fundraiser for a laptop; shipping hardware into Bangladesh/India is described as risky due to customs delays and informal “fees,” so buying locally with external funds is preferred.

Phones vs PCs and historical comparisons

  • Older developers recall writing nontrivial software on calculators, 25×80 terminals, and early phones (T9, BlackBerry, Nokia Communicator, HP48).
  • Some argue a modern phone is more powerful than 90s desktops; others emphasize comfort, keyboard quality, and screen size over raw power.

Careers: software vs medicine

  • Long subthread compares software engineering and medicine: pay, job security, prestige, working conditions, burnout, and future-proofing.
  • Consensus: both careers have serious downsides; doing either solely for status or parental pressure is questionable.

Security, privacy, and mobile UX

  • On-screen keyboards are flagged as a security risk; some default keyboards reportedly transmit keystrokes for profiling.
  • Discussion touches on blocking network access for keyboards and the difficulty of truly securing consumer phones.
  • There is curiosity about programming languages/IDEs explicitly optimized for small screens; a few niche examples are mentioned, but no clear winner emerges.