Git Settings That Should Be Default, Microsoft’s .NET 10 & Devlands for Navigating Git
🧐 Git concepts to see, touch, and feel!
Welcome to HackerPulse Dispatch! We’re exploring the hottest topics in tech, from EA embracing open source for fan-driven improvements and preservation, to essential Git config settings that should’ve been defaults ages ago.
Plus, we’re looking into C++ creator pushing back as Rust gains ground in memory safety battle, a gamified approach to mastering Git in Devlands, and all the exciting updates coming with Microsoft's .NET 10.
Here’s what new:
✨ EA Just Open Sourced Command & Conquer, Red Alert, Renegade and Generals: EA open-sourced several classic Command & Conquer games under GPL3, added Steam Workshop support, and released rare early development footage.
🧩 How Core Git Developers Configure Git: Some git config settings should be defaults by now— discover the ones even Git core devs change for a better experience.
🛡️ C++ Creator Calls for Help to Defend Programming Language From ‘Serious Attacks’: Stroustrup urges the C++ community to act against the growing push for memory-safe languages like Rust, as government mandates and industry trends threaten the language’s future.
🌸 I Struggled With Git, so I’m Making a Game to Spare Others the Pain: The Git-Sim creator introduces Devlands—an immersive, voxel-based environment, designed to make learning and using Git more intuitive and engaging.
⚡ Microsoft’s .Net 10 Arrives in First Preview: Microsoft's .NET 10 Preview introduces major updates across runtime, SDK, libraries, and languages, enhancing performance, developer flexibility, and productivity, with a production release expected in November.
EA Just Open Sourced Command & Conquer, Red Alert, Renegade & Generals (🔗 Read Paper)
It’s not every day that a major game publisher decides to open-source some of its most iconic titles, but that’s exactly what EA has done with Command & Conquer, Red Alert, C&C Renegade, and C&C Generals (including Zero Hour).
These games are now officially available under the GPL3 license, with some restrictions, such as limitations on trademark use. This move allows the community to not only preserve these classics but also learn from and potentially improve them.
Alongside the open-sourcing, EA has added Steam Workshop support for multiple C&C games, making it easier than ever for fans to create and share mods.
To top it off, they’ve released never-before-seen gameplay footage from the early development of C&C Renegade and C&C Generals.
Key Points
Open source, with a catch: The games are licensed under GPL3, but EA has placed restrictions on trademark use, meaning "Command & Conquer" and related branding can’t be freely used.
Steam Workshop support expands: EA has enabled Steam Workshop for multiple C&C titles, including C&C Renegade, C&C Generals & Zero Hour, and Red Alert 3.
A look into the past: EA has released rare development footage of C&C Renegade and C&C Generals, providing a fascinating glimpse into how these classics were made.
How Core Git Developers Configure Git (🔗 Read Paper)
Some Git settings should really be defaults by now—after all, even Git's core developers configure them this way.
From improving diffs to making fetch and push commands behave more intuitively, these tweaks make Git smoother to use. In fact, a few years ago, Git developers ran a "Spring Cleaning" experiment to see which settings they couldn’t live without, and the results were eye-opening.
Here’s a look at some of the best Git config changes you should make today.
Key Points
Better defaults for branches and sorting: Sorting branches by recent commits (branch.sort=-committerdate) and tags by version (tag.sort=version:refname) makes Git's output more useful. Setting init.defaultBranch=main prevents Git from nagging when initializing new repos.
Smarter diffs and conflict handling: Using diff.algorithm=histogram results in clearer diffs, and enabling diff.colorMoved=plain highlights moved code. Enabling merge.conflictstyle=zdiff3 improves merge conflict readability.
Easier pushing and fetching: push.autoSetupRemote=true saves you from manually setting upstream branches, while fetch.prune=true and fetch.pruneTags=true keep your repo clean by removing deleted branches and tags.
C++ Creator Calls for Help to Defend Programming Language From ‘Serious Attacks’(🔗 Read Paper)
Bjarne Stroustrup, the creator of C++, urged the programming community to take action as cybersecurity agencies and tech firms increasingly favor memory-safe languages like Rust.
With government mandates pushing for a transition away from C and C++, concerns about security vulnerabilities have intensified, putting pressure on the standards body to respond. Stroustrup's proposed solution, Profiles, aims to enhance safety without abandoning C++ entirely, but doubts remain about its viability before 2026.
Meanwhile, alternative approaches like TrapC and other memory-safe C++ initiatives are gaining traction as potential lifelines for the language.
Key Points
Government pressure mounts: Agencies like CISA are calling for a roadmap to eliminate memory safety vulnerabilities by 2026, putting C and C++ on notice while promoting Rust and other safer alternatives.
Stroustrup's call to action: In a note to the C++ standards committee, he warns that C++ is under "serious attack" and advocates for a structured approach to improving memory safety while preserving the language.
Skepticism about solutions: While Stroustrup’s Profiles framework aims to enforce safety through compiler restrictions, critics argue it won’t be ready in time—meanwhile, projects like TrapC and DARPA’s TRACTOR push for automated solutions to modernize existing C/C++ code.
I Struggled With Git, so I’m Making a Game to Spare Others the Pain (🔗 Read Paper)
It’s been two years since Git-Sim launched, and while it helped visualize Git commands, it primarily benefited those already familiar with Git. This led to a bigger question: how can Git be made more intuitive for beginners?
Enter Devlands, a voxel-based world where developers can literally walk through their repositories, interact with Git concepts, and even get AI-assisted explanations.
Inspired by game environments, Devlands turns Git from an abstract tool into something users can see, touch, and explore.
Key Points
From Git-Sim to Devlands: While Git-Sim visualized Git commands, Devlands creates an immersive world where branches become hallways, commits become rooms, and Git interactions feel physical and intuitive.
Gamifying Git with a voxel world: After experimenting with a Doom-like interface, the project shifted to a calmer, block-based environment inspired by voxel games. The result is an interactive world where developers can stage, commit, and merge using real Git commands in a visually structured way.
Making Git more relatable: Devlands transforms Git from a complex tool into something tangible, bridging the gap for new developers.
Microsoft’s .Net 10 Arrives in First Preview (🔗 Read Paper)
Microsoft has released the first preview of .NET 10, introducing significant updates across the runtime, SDK, libraries, and languages like C# 14 and F#. The production release is expected in November, bringing improvements to ASP.NET Core, Blazor, .NET MAUI, and more.
Enhancements focus on performance, language flexibility, and developer productivity.
Key additions include new compiler optimizations, API improvements, and expanded support for OpenAPI and Entity Framework.
Key Points
C# 14 enhancements: The latest version introduces first-class support for System.Span<T> and System.ReadOnlySpan<T>, improving performance without sacrificing safety. It also allows more flexible parameter modifiers in lambda expressions and supports unbound generic types in nameof.
Runtime and library improvements: The JIT compiler now de-virtualizes method calls for array interfaces and optimizes stack allocation of small value-type arrays. New APIs extend normalization beyond strings and improve performance for ZipArchive operations.
Better tooling and frameworks: ASP.NET Core gains OpenAPI 3.1 support, Blazor now highlights route syntax, and Entity Framework introduces first-class LINQ support for LeftJoin. .NET MAUI ships as a workload and NuGet package, making version management easier for developers.
🎬 And that's a wrap! Stay tuned for your weekly dose of tech news.