IdeaWell

Project ideas from Hacker News discussions.

TIL: You can make HTTP requests without curl using Bash /dev/TCP

Original Article

Hacker News Discussion

📝 Discussion Summary (Click to expand)

1. Bash /dev/tcp for lightweight HTTP checks

"exec 3<>/dev/tcp/service/8642
printf 'GET /health HTTP/1.1\r\nHost: service\r\nConnection: close\r\n\r\n' >&3
cat <&3" – mrshu

2. Minimalist /scratch containers shrink attack surface

"FROM scratch just reduces the surface." – regularfry

3. Debug containers let you add tools without rebuilding images

"Debug containers are a thing. Add an ephemeral container to an already running pod, for example to add debugging utilities without restarting the pod." – NewJazz

4. Retro networking shows how tool scarcity drives clever work‑arounds > "Reminds me of telnetting to port 80 to make a get request years and years ago." – alienbaby

🚀 Project Ideas

BashNetCheck

Summary

  • One‑liner health‑check CLI that uses /dev/tcp or /dev/udp to probe any reachable service without installing curl/wget.
  • Generates ready‑to‑paste Dockerfile snippets for adding the check to CI pipelines.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience DevOps engineers, CI maintainers, minimal‑image builders
Core Feature Raw TCP/HTTP probing via Bash, portable health‑check scripts
Tech Stack Bash, Makefile, GitHub Actions
Difficulty Low
Monetization Revenue-ready: Subscription ($9/mo per team)

Notes- HN users repeatedly lamented missing curl in production images; this solves that pain directly.

  • Could be packaged as a tiny Docker image that ships only Bash and a script, appealing to the “FROM scratch” crowd.

DebugKit

Summary

  • SaaS platform that spins up ephemeral debugging containers on demand, attaching a full toolbox (bash, curl, python, strace) to any running pod without rebuilding images.
  • Integrates with Kubernetes via a lightweight side‑car that fetches the toolbox on‑the‑fly.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience SREs, platform engineers, security auditors
Core Feature One‑click “debug session” that mounts a temporary filesystem with utilities
Tech Stack Go, Kubernetes API, Docker image registry
Difficulty Medium
Monetization Revenue-ready: Pay‑per‑attach ($0.02 per minute)

Notes

  • Frequent HN discussion about lacking debugging tools in minimal images; this provides a solution that respects security policies.
  • Aligns with the “debug container” idea mentioned multiple times in the thread.

ScratchShield

Summary

  • CI service that scans Dockerfiles, automatically generates CVE‑free “scratch” base images, and warns when optional lightweight tools (curl, nc) would improve observability.
  • Offers a “tool‑optional” flag that adds a minimal toolbox layer only when needed.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience Security teams, CI/CD pipeline maintainers
Core Feature Automated CVE compliance reports and optional tool layer generation
Tech Stack Node.js, Docker API, Trivy (CVE scanner)
Difficulty Medium
Monetization Revenue-ready: Tiered subscription ($29/mo, $199/mo)

Notes

  • Addresses the “FROM scratch reduces surface” concern while acknowledging the need for occasional debugging utilities.
  • Directly references HN comments about updating base images to patch CVEs.

TCPOne

Summary

  • Hosted repository of ready‑made one‑liners for raw network interactions (TCP requests, HTTP via /dev/tcp, UDP pings) that can be copied into scripts or CI steps.
  • Provides an API to fetch snippets programmatically, enabling automation without manual copy‑paste.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience Scriptwriters, automation engineers, CTF participants
Core Feature Curated, version‑controlled collection of Bash one‑liners for various protocols
Tech Stack Static site generator, GraphQL API
Difficulty Low
Monetization Revenue-ready: Freemium (free up to 100 calls/day, $0.001 per additional call)

Notes

  • Captures the “Bash can speak HTTP” enthusiasm from the discussion and packages it for broader reuse.
  • Appeals to users who want to avoid pulling in extra binaries while still needing quick connectivity tests.

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