Posts Tagged ‘Meta’
[KotlinConf2025] Build your Kotlin and Android apps with Buck2
Sergei Rybalkin, a software engineer from Meta, introduced the audience to Buck2, an open-source build system that is now equipped to support Kotlin and Android applications. In a concise and informative presentation, Rybalkin detailed how Buck2, a successor to the original Buck system, addresses the need for a fast and scalable build solution, particularly for large-scale projects like those at Meta. The talk centered on Buck2’s core principles and its capabilities for accelerating development cycles and ensuring consistent, reliable builds.
The Power of a Scalable Build System
Rybalkin began by outlining the motivation behind Buck2. He explained that as projects grow in size and complexity, traditional build systems often struggle to keep up, leading to slow incremental iterations and hindered developer productivity. Buck2 was designed to overcome these challenges by focusing on key areas such as parallelism and a highly opinionated approach to optimization. The talk revealed that Buck2’s architecture allows it to execute build tasks with remarkable efficiency, a crucial factor for Meta’s own internal development processes. Rybalkin also touched on advanced capabilities like Remote Execution and the Build Tools API, which further enhance the system’s performance and flexibility.
A Blueprint for Optimization
The presentation also shed light on Buck2’s philosophy of “opinionated optimization.” Rybalkin clarified that this means the system takes a firm stance on how things should be done to achieve the best results. For example, if a particular feature or integration does not perform well, the Buck2 team may choose to drop support for it entirely, rather than provide a subpar experience. This selective approach ensures that the build system remains fast and reliable, even as it handles a multitude of dependencies and complex configurations. Rybalkin underscored the fact that the open-source version of Buck2 is almost identical to the internal solution used at Meta, offering the community the same powerful tools and optimizations that drive one of the world’s largest development teams. He concluded by encouraging the audience to try Buck2 and provide feedback, underscoring the collaborative nature of open-source development.
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[PyConUS2025] Python Software Foundation Welcome and Ecosystem Updates
Lecturer
Deb Nicholson is the Executive Director of the Python Software Foundation. She joined the organization in April 2022 after prior roles at the Open Source Initiative (Interim General Manager), Software Freedom Conservancy (Director of Community Operations), and the Open Invention Network. A founding organizer of the Seattle GNU/Linux Conference, she has received the O’Reilly Open Source Award and the Award for the Advancement of Free Software. Nicholson resides in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Her professional profile is available on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/denicholson and on X under the handle @baconandcoconut.
Abstract
This multi-part welcome session presents the current state of the Python Software Foundation, its infrastructure challenges, security initiatives, and community programs, interwoven with short addresses from major sponsors. Deb Nicholson surveys growth metrics for PyPI, the grants program, staffing, and fiscal sponsorships while reflecting on the social strengths and external pressures facing the community. Accompanying remarks from representatives of AWS, Alpha Omega, Meta, and Google highlight collaborative investments in security, tooling, and language evolution.
Security Initiatives and Infrastructure Stewardship
The session opened with brief sponsor remarks. An NVIDIA representative invited attendees to discussions on faster Python and smaller downloads. Hannah Aubrey of AWS Open Source then framed the company’s commitment to long-term security of critical open-source projects, noting that AWS depends on Python’s reliability. Michael Windsor of Alpha Omega described the organization’s four-pronged approach—staffing dedicated security roles, improving package managers, conducting audits, and funding experiments—initiated in response to supply-chain crises such as Log4Shell. He credited Seth Larson and Mike Fiedler for leadership within the Python ecosystem.
Seth Larson, Security Developer in Residence at the PSF, outlined the contemporary threat landscape: vulnerability exploitation, package poisoning, and social-engineering attacks on maintainers. His mandate is to establish secure-by-default experiences for millions of users. He displayed a visualization of social relationships among top PyPI packages, underscoring that security work is distributed across a dense contributor network rather than concentrated in a single office. Larson invited participation in security-focused talks, open spaces, and a meet-the-experts session at the AWS booth later that day.
Ian Barber of Meta, a visionary sponsor, reported that Python is now the most-used language inside the company, with more than three thousand developers. Meta’s investments include Pyfly, an IDE plugin and type-check engine released in alpha for instant autocomplete and navigation on large codebases; free-threaded Python aimed at true multi-threading without the GIL, particularly beneficial for AI workloads; and continued development of Triton and PyTorch, the latter now supporting NVIDIA’s Blackwell architecture and flex attention. Barber directed attendees to the typing summit and the Meta booth.
Deb Nicholson then assumed the podium. She restated the PSF mission: to promote, protect, and advance the Python language and to foster a diverse international community. The Foundation serves as the nonprofit home for both the language and its community, providing infrastructure, security, and legal support while channeling grants and fiscal sponsorships. Python’s ascent to the most-popular language on GitHub was noted with measured pride, accompanied by gratitude to Fastly for a five-year commitment that underpins CDN capacity.
PyPI growth figures illustrated the scale of demand: an 84 percent rise in download counts and 48 percent rise in bandwidth in 2024, following 57 percent and 45 percent increases in the two preceding years. The newly launched PyPI Organizations feature, intended to support collaborative teams and to generate modest administrative revenue for further improvements, attracted 8 500 initial requests—many duplicates or low-quality. Maria Asha cleared the resulting backlog, and the feature is now fully operational under the stewardship of infrastructure lead E.
The grants program has undergone substantial redesign under Community Communications Manager Marie Nordon. Application processes are shorter, more transparent, and more equitable; community updates are regular. Demand has expanded in every dimension—events, amounts, and geographic reach—while revenue has not kept pace, prompting an open invitation for new funding ideas and corporate partnerships.
Community Resilience, Staffing, and Forward Outlook
Nicholson turned to the social character of the Python community, describing its historic openness to “weird kids” and unconventional projects—ranging from analysis of pre-Columbian tooth enamel to experimental tooling. This receptivity, she argued, keeps the language fresh and expands its application domains. Yet she acknowledged the broader context of geopolitical and economic uncertainty that has deterred hundreds of potential international attendees and complicated nonprofit operations. Layoffs, regulatory flux, and funding volatility place additional strain on a small organization whose largest single budget item remains PyCon US itself.
Despite these pressures, the human infrastructure of the PSF remains robust. Nicholson introduced the approximately thirteen staff members who support more than eight million users worldwide. Olivia Sauls directs the conference; Seth Larson and Mike Fiedler manage security reporting and infrastructure; E oversees core systems with assistance from Jacob Coffee; Marie Nordon handles grants, D&I, fellows, and communications; Jamie has transitioned from contractor to full-time events staff; accountants Phyllis and Laura manage fiscal sponsorships, payroll, and compliance; and Lauren has been promoted to Deputy Executive Director with expanded responsibilities for partnerships and strategic planning. Three CPython Developer-in-Residence positions—Lucas, Peter, and Siri—support core development, with Wukush also present for the language summit.
The Board of Directors and a suite of volunteer working groups (code of conduct, diversity and inclusion, education and outreach, fellows, grants, infrastructure, jobs board, packaging, trademarks) extend capacity further. The Foundation acts as fiscal sponsor for twenty projects, most prominently the global PyLadies network. Thousands of additional volunteers worldwide organize local conferences, meetups, and educational programs that sustain Python’s growth.
Sponsor advocacy received special thanks: the individuals inside corporations who repeatedly champion larger contributions and greater conference attendance. Nicholson closed by urging the community to “stay weird and keep welcoming all the nice weirdos,” then introduced Lisa of Google. Lisa, attending her first PyCon, praised the energy and the dedicated newcomers’ session. She reaffirmed Google’s reliance on Python across scripting, DevOps, and machine learning, and expressed particular interest in free-threaded Python, typing-standard evolution, and performance work. Multiple Google colleagues were present for the typing summit, a talk on programming for oneself, and a supply-chain security open space.
Collectively the addresses portray a Foundation that has scaled its technical and social infrastructure in step with extraordinary adoption while remaining attentive to inclusion, security, and long-term sustainability. The interplay of staff, volunteers, sponsors, and core developers illustrated in the session constitutes the operational backbone that enables the language’s continued vitality.
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[DevoxxPL2019] User Login
Successful Login
- Navigate to login page
- Enter username “user” and password “pass”
- Verify dashboard visible
Steps code in Java:
@Step(“Navigate to login page”)
public void navigate() {
// code
}
Analytically, markdown's familiarity lowers barriers. Implications: accelerates onboarding, but lacks Gherkin's structure for some.
## Taiko Integration: Scriptless Web Automation
Taiko, a Chrome DevTools wrapper, enables intuitive interactions sans selectors. Dmitry demos on TodoMVC: open URLs, write inputs, click elements.
Code:
const { openBrowser, goto, write, click } = require(‘taiko’);
await openBrowser();
await goto(“todomvc.com”);
await write(“Buy milk”);
await click(“Add”);
“`
Analytically, natural APIs reduce fragility from UI changes. Implications: speeds test creation, though Chrome exclusivity limits cross-browser testing.
Practical Application: End-to-End Testing Flows
Combining Gauge specs with Taiko steps, Dmitry automates todo flows: create, complete, filter.
Specs drive discussions; Taiko handles executions reliably.
Analytically, this revives BDD by minimizing overheads. Implications: boosts test reliability, encouraging widespread use.
Organizational Adoption: Challenges and Strategies
Despite simplicity, resistance persists from legacy habits. Dmitry advises gradual introductions, emphasizing communication benefits.
Implications: transforms testing from chore to collaborative asset, enhancing product quality.