Full Python 3.15 Implemented in 25k LoC C11
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I burned about $500 for this fun project: Small Python. Initial PoC used 3 resets of Codex in one session but all later development happens in Claude Code, also in one Opus 5.5 session over three days.The outcome is a quickjs-like implementation for Python. Almost full Python 3.15 language features plus builtins are covered. No Lib/ support. Great for embedding scenarios.No rust. Just plain C11 code.Repo is here: https://github.com/soasme/small-python/Ask me anything.
HN · launched Oct 28, 2026 · 9 upvotes (top 52%) · 0 views
Niche: programming languages and interpreters · 161 launches, 2 in the last 7 days ▼ -75% · Explore this niche →
Category and tags
- Horizontal
- Dev tools
- Developer
- Not AI
- Hobby / open-source project
More like this: all 161 launches in programming languages and interpreters →
Could you build this?
Partial The developer shows a basic interpreter can be vibe-coded in about 25k lines of C, but full Python 3.15 compatibility requires deep language-semantics work and extensive conformance testing.
What it would actually take: A production version is a bytecode compiler and VM in C with garbage collection, the Python object model, and the standard library or C-API compatibility layer. The hard parts are matching CPython semantics exactly, passing the official test suite, and reaching acceptable performance, which requires experts in language implementation. The reported build is a strong prototype, but full compatibility would need a sustained team of runtime engineers and a conformance-driven workflow.
Discussion
5 comments analyzed.
Competitors mentioned: Rust, Fil-C
Concerns raised: memory safety of a large vibe-coded C codebase
Competitors
Other products that read as similar to this one : 275 launches clear the similarity bar, closest 8 shown.
Attention rank: #155 of 276 (itself plus its competitors, highest first, normalized so YC and Product Hunt are compared fairly).
Launched 361 days after the earliest competitor.
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