# Simon Ser > French programmer **Wikidata**: [Q99485805](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q99485805) **Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/simon-ser ## Summary Simon Ser is a French programmer known for his work on open‑source infrastructure, most notably as the creator of the **hut** command‑line tool for the SourceHut platform and as a maintainer of the Wayland compositor libraries **wlroots** and **sway**. He works full‑time for SourceHut and is active under the alias **emersion**. ## Biography - **Born:** – - **Nationality:** French - **Education:** – - **Known for:** Creator of *hut* (CLI for sr.ht) and maintainer of *wlroots* and *sway* - **Employer(s):** SourceHut (full‑time, ended 2024‑05‑21) - **Field(s):** Software development, open‑source tooling, Wayland compositor ecosystem ## Contributions Simon Ser (online as **emersion**) has authored and maintained several key open‑source projects. In 2020 he took over maintenance of the Wayland compositor libraries **wlroots** and **sway**, a transition announced on 23 Oct 2020 and documented on his blog. The stewardship of these libraries has kept critical components of the Wayland ecosystem stable and actively developed. He also created **hut**, a command‑line client for the SourceHut (sr.ht) suite, enabling developers to interact with SourceHut services from the terminal. The tool is part of the broader SourceHut ecosystem, which he supports as a full‑time employee. Beyond code, Simon maintains a public OpenPGP key (fingerprint 34FF 9526 CFEF 0E97 A340 E2E4 0FDE 7BE0 E88F 5E48) for secure communications, runs an English‑language technical blog (https://emersion.fr/blog/), and engages with the community on Mastodon, GitHub, Codeberg, and DeviantArt under the **emersion** handle. ## FAQs ### Q: What is Simon Ser’s primary role? A: He is a full‑time programmer for SourceHut, focusing on open‑source tooling and Wayland compositor libraries. ### Q: What is the *hut* tool? A: *hut* is a command‑line client that lets users interact with the SourceHut (sr.ht) services directly from the terminal. ### Q: How can I contact Simon Ser? A: He lists the email address **contact@emersion.fr** on his personal website and blog. ### Q: Which Wayland projects does Simon maintain? A: He maintains **wlroots** and **sway**, two core libraries for Wayland compositors. ### Q: Where can I follow Simon’s work? A: His official blog is https://emersion.fr/blog/, and he is active on Mastodon (e.g., @emersion@octodon.social) and GitHub under the username **emersion**. ## Why They Matter Simon Ser’s contributions keep critical pieces of the modern Linux desktop ecosystem functional and evolving. By stewarding **wlroots** and **sway**, he ensures that Wayland‑based compositors remain robust, which directly benefits developers and end‑users seeking a secure, performant graphical stack. His creation of **hut** streamlines interaction with SourceHut, reinforcing the platform’s appeal to developers who prefer command‑line workflows. Through open‑source leadership, public key transparency, and active community engagement, Simon exemplifies the collaborative spirit that drives contemporary software innovation. Without his maintenance work, many Wayland projects could face stagnation, and SourceHut’s usability would be reduced. ## Notable For - Creator of the **hut** command‑line client for SourceHut. - Maintainer of the Wayland compositor libraries **wlroots** and **sway** (since 2020). - Full‑time employee of **SourceHut** (employment recorded until 2024‑05‑21). - Public OpenPGP key fingerprint **34FF 9526 CFEF 0E97 A340 E2E4 0FDE 7BE0 E88F 5E48** for secure communication. - Active open‑source presence under the alias **emersion** across GitHub, Codeberg, Mastodon, and a technical blog. ## Body ### Early Career and Online Identity - Uses the alias **emersion** across multiple platforms (GitHub, Codeberg, Mastodon, DeviantArt). - Publishes an English‑language technical blog at **https://emersion.fr/blog/**, with RSS/Atom feeds. ### SourceHut Involvement - Joined SourceHut as a full‑time employee, confirmed by a 2020 announcement and a 2024 status update. - Developed **hut**, a CLI tool that simplifies interaction with the sr.ht suite, reinforcing SourceHut’s developer‑centric design. ### Wayland Ecosystem Contributions - Took over maintenance of **wlroots** and **sway** on 23 Oct 2020, as announced in a blog post and a public statement. - Continued to release updates, ensuring compatibility with evolving Wayland standards and supporting downstream compositor projects. ### Community and Security Practices - Publishes a public OpenPGP key (fingerprint listed above) for encrypted communication and verification. - Engages with the community via Mastodon accounts: - **@emersion@octodon.social** (2017‑04‑06 → 2024‑08‑25) - **@emersion@hachyderm.io** (from 2024‑08‑25) - Maintains a professional contact email (**contact@emersion.fr**) and provides a personal website (**https://emersion.fr/**). ### Languages and Reach - Fluent in **English** and **French**, enabling contributions to both international and French‑language open‑source communities. --- *All information presented is derived exclusively from the supplied source material.* ## References 1. [I'm handing over maintenance of wlroots and sway to Simon Ser. 2020](https://drewdevault.com/2020/10/23/Im-handing-wlroots-and-sway-to-Simon.html) 2. [Source](https://emersion.fr/blog/2024/status-update-64/) 3. [Source](https://sr.ht/~emersion/) 4. [About me · emersion](https://emersion.fr/about/#main) 5. [Keybase proof](https://gist.github.com/emersion/94b689535c855d304eee6c5892a4c97e) 6. [Source](https://emersion.fr/.well-known/openpgpkey/hu/dj3498u4hyyarh35rkjfnghbjxug6b19)