The archive · Developer & Business Tools · Product decision · 2018–2026
fbs bets easy packaging makes Python/Qt the Electron alternative
fman's build system packages Python/Qt apps for Windows, macOS and Linux in minutes; its 2018 Show HN drew 315 points and the repo passed 3.9k stars.
fbs
What the business is
fbs is the open-source build system behind fman, a developer-focused cross-platform file manager: it wraps PyInstaller with NSIS, .dmg and .deb tooling so a Python/Qt app ships as installers to Windows, macOS and Linux, and sells fbs Pro licenses for teams that keep their code closed.
How it started
mherrmann built fman, a cross-platform file manager aimed at developers, where efficiency and fast startup matter; Electron would not meet those requirements, so Python and Qt were chosen instead. Python plus Qt worked well, but getting installers, code signing and automatic updates right across Windows, macOS and Linux was months of hard work — so that experience was extracted into fbs.
What happened
fbs was released open source under the GPL, with commercial fbs Pro licenses for teams that do not want to open their code. The 2018-02-06 Show HN drew 315 points and 285 comments; by the 2026-09-05 fetch the repo had 3.9k stars and 511 commits, and the project page reported that applications built with fbs had been installed on tens of thousands of machines.
How it ended up
Still live as of 2026-09-05: the build-system.fman.io site runs an active tutorial with GPL open-source terms and paid fbs Pro licensing, and the GitHub repository remains maintained with 511 commits.
Background
fbs is the open-source build system of fman, a developer-focused file manager, and its bet is that Python and Qt can be the lightweight answer to Electron for desktop apps. It packages a PyInstaller build into installers for Windows (NSIS), macOS (.dmg) and Linux (.deb), removing the months of packaging, code-signing and update work that keeps developers on heavier stacks.
The origin was fman's own requirement: a developer file manager must start fast and use system resources sparingly, which Electron could not deliver, so fman was built with Python and Qt instead. That combination worked, but shipping to three operating systems was painful, so its author extracted the tooling into fbs and released it as open source under the GPL, with fbs Pro as a paid license for teams that want to keep code closed.
The 2018-02-06 Show HN drew 315 points and 285 comments; the project page later reported apps built with fbs installed on tens of thousands of machines, and by the 2026-09-05 fetch the GitHub repo showed 3.9k stars and 511 commits. As of that date fbs remains live with a tutorial, free GPL use and commercial licenses, positioning Python/Qt as a genuine alternative to Electron.
What has to be true
- fman had the pain itself: developer tools need fast startup and light resource use, and Electron could not meet that bar, so the need was real before the product existed.
- Instead of charging for a framework, fbs open-sourced the tool under the GPL and sold Pro licenses, letting thousands of developers adopt it while closed-source teams paid.
- It solved the exact adoption blocker — packaging, installers, signing and updates — rather than asking developers to assemble PyInstaller, NSIS and .deb tooling themselves.
- The Show HN hit a live debate: 285 comments argued Python/Qt versus Electron in public, giving fbs distribution and feedback in a single thread.
What can be applied
Dogfood your own pain: fman needed Python/Qt packaging anyway, so open-sourcing that tooling with a paid Pro tier turned a cost center into distribution and a revenue line.
Aftermath
As of 2026-09-05 fbs is live: build-system.fman.io runs the tutorial and licensing pages, the GitHub repository shows 3.9k stars, 192 forks and 511 commits, and the site reports tens of thousands of machines running fbs-built applications. No funding, team size or revenue figures are disclosed in the material; the endpoint is an actively maintained open-source tool with a commercial tier.
Sources
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