Start9 CEO Matt Hill joins Jordan Bravo to discuss the evolution of sovereign computing and the upcoming StartOS 0.4.0 release. Learn about Start9's mission to democratize server administration, their revolutionary new networking capabilities, plans for an open-source router, and innovative community programs for scaling support and development. Plus: why dignity matters as much as privacy and security in computing.
Show Notes: https://atlbitlab.com/podcast/sov-022-matt-hill-start9
00:00 Opening Quote: Sovereign Computing Definition
00:33 Introduction and Show Sponsorship
01:51 Welcome and Sovereign Computing Origins
03:21 What is Sovereign Computing?
04:54 Privacy vs Confidentiality and the Dignity Factor
06:15 The Undignified Reality of Modern Computing
08:37 Making Server Administration Accessible
10:00 Democratizing Advanced Computing Skills
11:42 Familiar User Experience Design Philosophy
14:09 Learning from Mobile OS Evolution
15:45 Bringing Linux Admin Experience "Above the Hood"
18:05 StartOS Evolution: From 0.0.1 to 0.3.5.1
19:28 Dependency Management and Configuration Breakthroughs
20:17 Moving from Docker to Custom Container Runtime
21:33 StartOS 0.4.0: Complete Architecture Rewrite
24:44 Two Years of Development Hell and Breakthrough
26:30 Custom LXC Container Runtime Development
27:35 Advanced Networking Capabilities in 0.4.0
28:29 Granular Interface Control Example
31:49 Private Domains and DNS Management
35:06 The "Digital IKEA" Philosophy
36:34 VPN Tunneling and Network Abstractions
37:57 Start9 vs Tailscale Comparison
41:13 Router Hardware Prototypes and Development
46:47 Router as Standalone vs Integrated Product
52:00 StartOS and Router Integration Benefits
53:26 Router Release Timeline: Not Before Mid-2026
54:44 Community Tech Program: Scaling Support
01:00:18 Community Developer Program Announcement
01:05:02 Package Development and Crowdfunding Model
01:11:56 AI in Development: Limited but Useful
01:17:01 Self-Hosting AI Challenges and Hardware Limitations
01:24:37 TabConf 2025: Workshop and Package Development
01:26:55 Conclusion
