Show HN: Attar – Compile React apps to native machine code
a day ago
- Attar compiles React/TypeScript/CSS JavaScript into native code before runtime, using Chrome's Blink engine for rendering in a native window, eliminating the need for Electron or Node.js runtime.
- Performance benchmarks on the Etcher app show Attar reduces disk size (73.3 MiB vs 375.1 MiB), idle memory (91.8 MB vs 293.9 MB), first window launch time (469 ms vs 1081 ms), and CPU idle usage compared to Electron.
- Currently, Attar runs on macOS 15+ Apple Silicon with Xcode Command Line Tools and Linux x86_64 (glibc 2.39+), but React/shadcn coverage is not verified on Linux; no Windows support is available yet.
- Supported APIs include React 19, static CSS, Tailwind 4, Radix/shadcn components, while common browser APIs such as networking, storage, and Clipboard are unsupported in the standalone SDK.
- Installation uses Homebrew (`brew install occam-tech/attar/attar`) or a shell script; creating and building a project involves `attar init my-app --template tsx` and `attar build my-app`; all packages are signed.
- The SDK is in early access, with a planned Electron compatibility layer (Attar Electron) and future framework adapters beyond React; it also provides a C ABI for native integration with Rust and C.