libexpat now funded by the City of Munich for up to 6 months(blog.hartwork.org)
300 points by spyc 13 hours ago | 66 comments
tl;dr: The maintainer of libexpat (a widely-used C XML parser) has been hired by the City of Munich for up to 6 months under their Open Source Sabbatical program, marking the first time he can work on the project as a full-time job rather than a side effort. Priorities include fixing 5 known unpatched vulnerabilities, adding XML 1.0r5 support, and improving project robustness. He's inviting serious (non-AI-generated) vulnerability reports during this window.
HN Discussion:
  • Historical context on Munich's open source advocacy and political shifts around LiMux
  • Praise for Munich's Open Source Sabbatical program and congratulations to the maintainer
  • Technical discussion about XML validation limitations in libraries like expat vs libxml2
  • Support for the Public Money, Public Code principle guiding Munich's approach
  • Concern or question about sustainability of funding after the 6-month period ends