Dilshan R Jayakody’s Web Log

In today's software development landscape, local Large Language Models (LLMs) offer unprecedented privacy, zero latency, and freedom from subscription fees. While I generally avoid purely " vibe coding " for my projects, having robust inline code completion and chat directly integrated into IDEs speeds up development significantly. However, consumer GPUs with high VRAM often cost enough that paying for cloud inference ends up being the more economical option for most developers. To overcome this, I recently completed constructing a custom, dual-rack compute node specifically designed to host LLMs and compile complex codebases without breaking the bank. Here is the full engineering breakdown of how I designed, assembled, and configured this dual Tesla V100 machine from scratch. Fully assembled rig. The core philosophy behind this build was maximizing compute performance and Tensor VRAM density while strictly controlling costs. Consumer-grade GPUs with large VRAM, su...

The primary objective of the Tiny Basic for Arduino project is to replicate that nostalgic C64 style programming environment utilizing modern, low-power MCU platforms. Present-day microcontrollers offer significantly higher processing power and memory capacity than the vintage systems of yesteryear, whilst being available at a fraction of the cost. I envisioned an environment where students and hobbyists alike could experience retro-style computing without the need to source rare, expensive vintage hardware, and completely avoiding any assembly or soldering hassles. By simply connecting a standard, off-the-shelf development board to a PC and launching a serial terminal, one can immediately commence coding in BASIC . Arduino Due: The primary development and testing board. To maintain an authentic and lightweight footprint, the interpreter is built upon the original Tiny Basic language grammar. It accurately parses and executes standard Tiny Basic syntax, making it highly famili...