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Andrea Debernardi
Andrea Debernardi

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I was tired of database tools — so I started building my own

Repo url: https://github.com/debba/debba.sql

At some point, I realized I was spending more energy fighting my database tools than actually working with databases.

Most of the popular DB managers are:

  • closed source
  • heavy as hell
  • UX-wise… questionable
  • clearly not built with Linux developers in mind

And yes, some of them look nice (👀 DataGrip), but they feel like bringing a tank to open a bottle of water.

So one night, instead of complaining on Twitter or Discord, I did the most dangerous thing a developer can do:

I started vibe coding my own DB manager.


It started as a hack (literally)

This wasn’t a “vision”, or a “startup idea”.

It was:

  • late at night
  • Rust open in my editor
  • Tauri + React on the side
  • a strong feeling of “how hard can it be?”

I just wanted:

  • something fast
  • something local
  • something that doesn’t feel like a bloated enterprise product
  • something I can actually understand end-to-end

No roadmap.

No design doc.

Just hacking.


From vibe coding to “wait, this might actually work”

After the first hacky prototype, something unexpected happened.

I kept adding things.

Slowly.

Incrementally.

Scratching my own itch.

What started as:

“Let me just connect to a DB”

became:

  • multi-database support (SQLite, Postgres, MySQL…)
  • a cleaner mental model
  • better performance than I expected
  • an app that feels mine

At that point I thought:

ok, either I stop now… or I open-source it and see what happens.


debba.sql (name pending 😅)

The project is currently called debba.sqldebba is my nickname and, conveniently, contains db.

Is the name final?

Probably not.

Is the project done?

Absolutely not.

Right now it’s:

  • 🧩 a side project
  • 🦀 written in Rust
  • 🖥️ wrapped with Tauri
  • ⚛️ frontend in React
  • 🐧 built with Linux devs in mind
  • 🌍 open source, repo public

No company.

No monetization (for now).

Just a tool I actually want to use.


This is not a manifesto (yet)

I’m not claiming this will “replace” anything.

I’m not claiming it’s better than your favorite tool.

I am saying:

  • dev tools should feel empowering
  • open source matters
  • UX is not optional
  • Linux users deserve first-class experiences

And sometimes, the best way to stop complaining…

is to build.


I want your feedback

This is the part where I shut up and listen.

If you:

  • have strong opinions about DB tools
  • build dev tools yourself
  • care about open source UX
  • are tired of bloated software

I’d love your feedback.

Issues, comments, brutal honesty — all welcome.

This started as vibe coding at night.

Let’s see where it goes.

🧪🔥

Repo url: https://github.com/debba/debba.sql

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