Philip O'Toole

Philip O'Toole

Improved web console in rqlite v10.5.0

rqlite is a lightweight, open-source, fault-tolerant relational database built on SQLite and the Raft consensus protocol. v10.5.0 is out now, and comes with an improved web console. Specifically the console features a new cluster topology view, allowing you to quickly…

Antithesis breaks rqlite on purpose

rqlite is a lightweight, open-source, distributed relational database built on SQLite and Raft. Antithesis has published a post on how they use AI Agents to inject bugs in rqlite, then check whether their tests catch them. Along the way their tests found three real…

Claude redesigns rqlite.io

rqlite is a lightweight, open-source, distributed relational database built on SQLite and Raft. rqlite.io is the Hugo-based website for rqlite, built on the Docsy theme. It introduces people to the database, as well as serving all the technical documentation. Last month I decided to…

Codex for Open Source

OpenAI has given me six months of ChatGPT Pro through its Codex for Open Source programme, which backs maintainers of projects the wider ecosystem depends on. I will be putting it to work on rqlite — primarily coding and PR…

Proving to Fable I maintain the repo

rqlite is a lightweight, open-source, distributed relational database built on SQLite and Raft. After my initial experience with Fable, it got me thinking. I created rqlite, I maintain it. Why won’t Fable help me find and fix bugs in the software? Why does it…

Taking control of the SQLite WAL

rqlite is a lightweight, open-source, fault-tolerant relational database built on SQLite and Raft. Version 10 is out now. rqlite uses SQLite as its storage engine and has a particular relationship with the SQLite Write-Ahead Log (WAL). SQLite, left to itself, manages its…

Speaking at GCP Next 2026

I will be speaking at the GCP Next next month in Las Vegas, NV. My colleague Keith Chen and I will present on GCP’s latest Telemetry management solutions, with OpenTelemetry at the center. You can learn more about the session…

Native Linux packages for rqlite

rqlite is a lightweight, open-source, distributed relational database built on SQLite and Raft. Starting with v9.4.1 rqlite now ships native Linux packages (.deb and .rpm) for easier installation and upgrades. Both amd64 and arm64 packages are available.

Discovering git worktrees

While working with Claude Code, I quickly needed it to operate on multiple versions of the rqlite codebase at the same time. Cloning the repository repeatedly would have worked, but it felt wasteful.

Agentic coding with Claude and Copilot

After many months of direct ChatGPT use, I’ve finally started coding with the help of Copilot and Claude Code. It’s definitely an intriguing experience. The biggest difference so far? I’m going to hit my Claude Code Pro limits pretty quickly,…