Systems, languages & open creation
Hi, I’m Zhixu Zhao.
I build open systems, programming tools, and ways for people to create together.
I’m interested in software we can understand, take apart, and make our own—from compilers and AI inference to the tools we use every day.
Selected projects
All projects →Writing
All writing →- Emacs Is My AI Coding WorkbenchHow agent-shell, a mobile chat bridge, and a live Lisp environment let my development tools evolve alongside the projects I build.Oct 2, 2026
- Open Source and the Freedom to CreateAI can free programmers to create around human needs. Open source shows what becomes possible when users can also become developers—and why that freedom matters.Sep 16, 2026
- Programming Languages Between C and LispC and Lisp are the two great mountains of programming. Other popular languages build bridges between hardware control and the heights of abstraction.Aug 15, 2026
Elsewhere
Code, experiments, and conversations about making better tools.