Welcome back to another exciting episode of “Nerding Out with Viktor!” I’m thrilled to have a very special guest with us today—Daniel Stenberg, the brilliant mind behind Curl. For those of you who might not be familiar with Curl, it’s a powerful command-line tool that performs internet transfers, supporting an impressive 28 different URL schemes. Whether you’re downloading or uploading data, Curl has become an indispensable tool for developers worldwide.

In this episode, Daniel takes us on a fascinating journey, starting from his early days of programming on the Commodore 64 and Amiga. He shares his experiences in the demo scene, where he created demos and formed a demo group with friends, which laid the foundation for his deep understanding of programming and computers. Daniel’s transition to Unix systems and his time at IBM further honed his skills, eventually leading to the development of Curl—a tool that has profoundly impacted the tech world.

Daniel dives into the intricacies of Curl, explaining how it works, how it has evolved over the years, and the challenges he has faced in maintaining an open-source project for over 26 years. He emphasizes the importance of community building, offering insights on how to reduce friction for contributors and create a welcoming environment for new developers. Daniel’s commitment to making Curl accessible and easy to contribute to is evident in his approach to project management and community engagement.

One of the most entertaining parts of our conversation is when Daniel recounts some of the craziest support requests he’s received. From being asked to fix hacked Instagram accounts to troubleshooting GPS issues in cars, these stories highlight the widespread use of Curl and the amusing misunderstandings users sometimes have about open-source software. Daniel’s patience and good humor really shine through as he shares these anecdotes.

We also cover the future roadmap of Curl, focusing on the adoption of new standards and the importance of backward compatibility. Daniel explains the careful consideration that goes into deprecating features and ensuring minimal disruption for users. He also discusses the complexities of supporting protocols like HTTP and HTTPS, which are both widely used and highly intricate.

Security is a major theme in our conversation, with Daniel outlining the measures Curl takes to prevent supply chain attacks and ensure the integrity of its code. He shares the story of a controversial CVE related to Curl, providing insights into the challenges of handling security vulnerabilities in open-source projects. Daniel’s dedication to maintaining the highest standards of security and quality is evident throughout our discussion.

We wrap up our conversation with a deep dive into the future of open-source funding. Daniel shares his experiences and thoughts on how projects like Curl can secure financial support, the role of sponsorships, and the challenges faced by maintainers. He emphasizes the importance of corporate support and community contributions in sustaining open-source projects and ensuring their long-term viability.

Join me for this insightful and engaging discussion with Daniel Stenberg, a true pioneer in the open-source world. Whether you’re a seasoned developer, an open-source enthusiast, or simply curious about the journey of one of the most widely used tools in software development, this episode is for you.