I was tired of database tools — so I started building my own

Repo url: https://github.com/debba/debba.sql

At some point, I realized I was spending more energy fighting my database tools than actually working with databases.

Most of the popular DB managers are:

• closed source
  


• heavy as hell
  


• UX-wise… questionable
  


• clearly not built with Linux developers in mind
  

And yes, some of them look nice (👀 DataGrip), but they feel like bringing a tank to open a bottle of water.

So one night, instead of complaining on Twitter or Discord, I did the most dangerous thing a developer can do:

I started vibe coding my own DB manager.

It started as a hack (literally)

This wasn’t a “vision”, or a “startup idea”.

It was:

• late at night
  


• Rust open in my editor
  


• Tauri + React on the side
  


• a strong feeling of “how hard can it be?”
  

I just wanted:

• something fast
  


• something local
  


• something that doesn’t feel like a bloated enterprise product
  


• something I can actually understand end-to-end
  

No roadmap.


No design doc.


Just hacking.

From vibe coding to “wait, this might actually work”

After the first hacky prototype, something unexpected happened.

I kept adding things.

Slowly.


Incrementally.


Scratching my own itch.

What started as:

“Let me just connect to a DB”

became:

• multi-database support (SQLite, Postgres, MySQL…)
  


• a cleaner mental model
  


• better performance than I expected
  


• an app that feels mine
  

At that point I thought:

ok, either I stop now… or I open-source it and see what happens.

debba.sql (name pending 😅)

The project is currently called debba.sql — debba is my nickname and, conveniently, contains db.

Is the name final?


Probably not.

Is the project done?


Absolutely not.

Right now it’s:

• 🧩 a side project
  


• 🦀 written in Rust
  


• 🖥️ wrapped with Tauri
  


• ⚛️ frontend in React
  


• 🐧 built with Linux devs in mind
  


• 🌍 open source, repo public
  

No company.


No monetization (for now).


Just a tool I actually want to use.

This is not a manifesto (yet)

I’m not claiming this will “replace” anything.


I’m not claiming it’s better than your favorite tool.

I am saying:

• dev tools should feel empowering
  


• open source matters
  


• UX is not optional
  


• Linux users deserve first-class experiences
  

And sometimes, the best way to stop complaining…


is to build.

I want your feedback

This is the part where I shut up and listen.

If you:

• have strong opinions about DB tools
  


• build dev tools yourself
  


• care about open source UX
  


• are tired of bloated software
  

I’d love your feedback.


Issues, comments, brutal honesty — all welcome.

This started as vibe coding at night.


Let’s see where it goes.

🧪🔥

Repo url: https://github.com/debba/debba.sql