Static vs Dynamic Compilation in Software Development

Today we welcome Mitchell Hashimoto, co-founder of HashiCorp and creator of Ghostty, a new terminal emulator built in Zig. In this episode, Mitchell shares the story behind Ghostty, how his curiosity about terminals evolved into a full-fledged project, and why Zig became his language of choice.

We also dive into Ghostty’s unique features, the role of libghostty, and why Mitchell believes native-feeling apps are essential for developer experience. Plus, we explore his insights on computer science education, dynamic linking, and what really matters when learning to code.

If you’re into terminals, low-level programming, or just love hearing how great software gets built, this one’s for you!

Learn back-end development - https://www.boot.dev

Listen on your favorite podcast player - https://www.backendbanter.fm

Mitchell's X/Twitter: https://x.com/mitchellh

Ghostty: https://ghostty.org/

Timestamps:

00:00 - Intro and Meeting Mitchell

01:06 - Mitchell’s Journey at HashiCorp

03:13 - What is Ghostty and Why Build It?

08:35 - Native Performance and Zig’s Advantage

15:25 - Why Mitchell Chose Zig Over Rust

31:15 - Ghostty’s Road to Package Repositories

52:00 - Future Plans for Ghostty

1:04:02 - Where to Find Mitchell and Ghostty

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