The Patch
VigilantesRESTORATION WORKSHOP

OLD SOFTWARE. NEW CHANCES.

Digital archaeology, with fixes people can actually use.

Good ideas deserve another chance. We dig into forgotten code, preserve what made it special, and get a useful piece working again.

Explore the workbench No project left for dead.

EST. WITH A WRENCH & A LITTLE OPTIMISM.

Our cheerful cream CRT mechanic with a patched screen, golden wrench, teal overalls and coral scarf.
MEET YOUR REPAIR CREWILLUSTRATED, OF COURSE.
FIX THE CODE.KEEP THE SOUL.CREDIT THE MAKERS.SHOW THE PROOF.

THE PROJECT SHELF / 001

Good Ideas.
Second Chances.

Pull up a stool. Here's what we're repairing.
One real project. An honest work in progress.

ON THE BENCH 01COMPLETED RESTORATIONS 00THE COLLECTION STARTS HERE.

RESTORATION FILE / 001

EXPERIMENTAL / PUBLIC TESTING RELEASE

Light Table

An ambitious live-coding editor.
A second chance for an original idea.

Archived in 2022, Light Table connected code to immediate feedback. We're keeping its original ClojureScript foundation while recovering editor, project, language and live-view workflows.

Open the repair log

Unsigned Windows x64 testing build.
Node 24+ / PowerShell 7+ required.
Download the experimental release · Our GitHub source.

ACTUAL EDITOR / LOCAL OLLAMA / IN PROGRESS
Actual Light Table editor with HTML source, a styled Dog Wash website live preview and the local Ornith 1.5 9B Ollama chat dock. The assistant is working; private paths and conversation are covered with solid boxes.
ACTUAL SESSION / 5 OCTOBER 2026Open full size ↗

Actual Light Table session, 5 October 2026: HTML source, the styled Dog Wash live preview and Ollama Chat at 65,536 tokens. Private paths and conversation are redacted. Work is in progress; this screenshot does not certify a completed test run. Read the Ollama integration story.

VERIFIED LOCAL CHECKPOINTS

More Than the First Calculation.

The original editor runs on Electron 44.5.1. Recorded checkpoints cover project/file workflows, save preservation, JavaScript imports and watches, scoped state-preserving live edits, local/external language REPLs and an Ollama assistant V1 baseline. The latest completed baseline has a 41-entry regression, fresh Vite 33/33 and live demo 5/5.

Read the full restoration story

EXPERIMENTAL / PUBLIC TESTING

Progress With a Clear Boundary.

The unsigned experimental testing release and our GitHub source are now public. It is not complete legacy/live-coding parity. Clean-machine certification, hosted CI and a fresh full regression remain pending. Read the release requirements and download. Resource allowances now use verified 1 GiB local process-family limits, with a separate Clojure allowance.

Check the evidence & remaining work
HISTORY INTACT. LIMITS IN THE OPEN.Explore the original project

Light Table is the first restoration. Workshop infrastructure has its own story below.

NEW FROM THE BENCH / THE BLOG

The Work,
With the Details In.

Meet the implemented Ollama assistant inside Light Table: local models, real project tools and a running preview. Read the setup, context, controls and limits before the public testing release.

Read the Ollama story
Conceptual illustration of our CRT mechanic investigating a forgotten computer.
ILLUSTRATED FIELD NOTES / REAL PROJECT STORIES

THE RESCUE MANUAL

A Little Care.
A Lot of Possibility.

Not every old thing needs replacing.
Sometimes it just needs someone to look closer.

  1. Conceptual illustration: our CRT mechanic brushes dust from a forgotten computer and studies its source notes.
    CONCEPTUAL ILLUSTRATION / THE DISCOVERY
    01

    Dig Carefully

    Read the source. Reproduce the problem. Preserve the history, the license and the people behind it.

    FIRST, UNDERSTAND WHAT'S WORTH SAVING.
  2. Conceptual illustration: the CRT mechanic makes one precise connection inside an open computer.
    CONCEPTUAL ILLUSTRATION / THE REPAIR
    02

    Make It Work

    Repair a concrete path. Keep the fix small enough to test and honest enough to inspect.

    ONE USEFUL FIX BEATS A BIG PROMISE.
  3. Conceptual illustration: our CRT mechanic inspects a small circuit board using a magnifier and test probes.
    CONCEPTUAL ILLUSTRATION / THE INSPECTION
    03

    Show the Evidence

    Publish clear limits and reproducible checks. Contribute upstream where practical, with credit intact.

    LEAVE A TRAIL SOMEONE ELSE CAN FOLLOW.

COME ON IN. MIND THE LOOSE CABLES.

The Workshop
Is Open.

A place for dusty code, stubborn bugs
and ideas that still have something to give.

Conceptual illustration of three friendly CRT mechanics at a warm workbench filled with old computers, repair tools and lamps.
HISTORY INTACT. TOOLS OUT.CONCEPTUAL WORKSHOP ILLUSTRATION

THE WORKSHOP RULE

Less disposable.
More possibility.

Software doesn't have to disappear when its first chapter ends. Useful repairs can keep ideas alive without pretending the old problems never existed.

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