It also reminded me about quines, I especially like the Quine Relay project which uses 100 different programming languages (each producing an input for the next one) to finally produce its own code https://github.com/mame/quine-relay
In Regex that only matches itselfmame
quine-relay
Ruby2013–2026
mame / quine-relay
quine-relay
An uroboros program with 100+ programming languages
93Distinct people
99Mentions
1Explicit recommenders
14.6KGitHub stars
What to know before exploring
What it is
An uroboros program with 100+ programming languages
GitHub
Where it is used
No documented product use was verified in the last source check.
What people are saying
I love his sense of humor too: https://github.com/mame/quine-relay/issues/10
minikomi used a recommendation phrase. One indexed comment matches. This is a phrase match, not a verdict.
No classified warning is attached to this page. Read the discussions before treating silence as approval.
Also in these discussions
- mame/radiation-hardened-quine · linked in 2 of the same discussions
Mentioned in the same Hacker News threads. That is not proof they are substitutes.
This week on Hacker News
Nov 8–Nov 15 UTC · Direct repository links and separately labeled related project stories. Indexed through 11/15/2026, 8:03:49 PM UTC.
No direct repository links were found in the indexed HN discussions over the past seven days. Older discussions are available below.
Mentions over time
HN mentions by year99 dated mentions
Observed mentions: 2013-07-15 14:59:43 UTC to 2026-08-07 10:01:08 UTC.
* An incomplete calendar period is marked with an outlined bar. Its count is not directly comparable with a full period.
Counts come from the repository’s dated source evidence. Index cutoff: 2026-11-02 08:16:59 UTC.
View mention counts and date ranges
| Period | Start (UTC) | End (exclusive, UTC) | Mentions | Submissions | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 2013-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 2014-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 20 | 3 | 17 |
| 2014 | 2014-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 2015-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 2015 | 2015-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 2016-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 7 | 4 | 3 |
| 2016 | 2016-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 2017-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 15 | 5 | 10 |
| 2017 | 2017-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 2018-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 7 | 2 | 5 |
| 2018 | 2018-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 2019-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| 2019 | 2019-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 2020-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 5 | 2 | 3 |
| 2020 | 2020-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 2021-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 9 | 2 | 7 |
| 2021 | 2021-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 2022-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 2022 | 2022-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 2023-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 14 | 5 | 9 |
| 2023 | 2023-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 2024-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 4 | 1 | 3 |
| 2024 | 2024-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 2025-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| 2025 | 2025-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 2026-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2026 (partial) | 2026-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 2027-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 5 | 2 | 3 |
From the project README
An excerpt from the repository, fetched Nov 13, 2026.
Read the project’s introduction
Quine Relay
What this is
QR.rb is a Ruby program that generates
a Rust program that generates
a Scala program that generates
...(through 128 languages in total)...
a REXX program that generates
the original Ruby code again.
(If you want to see the old 50-language version, see the 50 branch.)
Usage
Ubuntu
If you are using Ubuntu 26.04 (Resolute Raccoon), you can follow these steps.
1. Install all the interpreters/compilers.
First, you need to type the following apt-get command to install them all.
$ sudo apt-get install afnix algol68g aspectj asymptote ats2-lang bash \
bc bsh clisp clojure cmake coffeescript crystal dc dhall \
dotnet-sdk-10.0 elixir emacs-nox erlang execline f2c fennel fish flex \
fp-compiler g++ gambas3-gb-pcre gambas3-scripter gap gawk gcc gdb gdc \
genius gforth gfortran ghc ghostscript gm2 gnat gnucobol4 gnuplot \
gobjc golang gpt groovy guile-3.0 gzip haxe icont iconx intercal \
iverilog jasmin-sable jq kotlin ksh libevent-dev libpolyml-dev \
livescript llvm lua5.3 m4 make minizinc mono-devel nasm neko nickle \
nim node-typescript nodejs ocaml octave openjdk-25-jdk pari-gp \
parser3-cgi perl php-cli pike8.0 polyml python3 r-base rakudo ratfor \
rc regina-rexx ruby ruby-mustache rustc scala scilab-cli sed slsh spin \
squirrel3 surgescript swi-prolog swiftlang tcl tcsh valac vim wabt \
xsltproc yabasic yorick zoem zsh
Then, build the bundled interpreters.
$ sudo apt-get install cmake libpng-dev libgd-dev libfl-dev groff bison curl
$ make -C vendor
2. Run each program on each interpreter/compiler.
$ ulimit -s unlimited
$ ruby QR.rb > QR.rs
$ rustc QR.rs && ./QR > QR.scala
$ scalac QR.scala && scala QR > QR.scm
$ guile QR.scm > QR.sci
$ scilab-cli -nb -f QR.sci > QR.sed
$ sed -E -f QR.sed QR.sed > QR.spl
$ spl2c < QR.spl > QR.spl.c && gcc -z muldefs -o QR -I ./vendor/local/include -L ./vendor/local/lib QR.spl.c -lspl -lm &&
./QR > QR.sl
$ slsh QR.sl > QR.nut
$ squirrel QR.nut > QR.sml
$ polyc -o QR QR.sml && ./QR > QR.sq
$ ruby vendor/subleq.rb QR.sq > QR.ss
$ surgescript QR.ss > QR.swift
$ swiftc QR.swift && ./QR > QR.tcl
$ tclsh QR.tcl > QR.tcsh
$ tcsh QR.tcsh > QR.t
$ ruby vendor/thue.rb QR.t > QR.ts
$ tsc --outFile QR.ts.js QR.ts && nodejs QR.ts.js > QR.unl
$ ruby vendor/unlambda.rb QR.unl > QR.vala
$ valac QR.vala && ./QR > QR.mid
$ mono vendor/local/bin/Vlt.exe /s QR.mid && mono QR.exe > QR.v
$ iverilog -o QR QR.v && ./QR -vcd-none > QR.vim
$ vim -EsS QR.vim > QR.vb
$ echo '<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk"><PropertyGroup><OutputType>Exe</OutputType><TargetFramework>net10.0</TargetFramework><EnableDefaultCompileItems>false</EnableDefaultCompileItems></PropertyGroup><ItemGroup><Compile Include="QR.vb" /></ItemGroup></Project>' > tmp.vbproj &&
DOTNET_NOLOGO=1 dotnet run --project tmp.vbproj > QR.wasm
$ $(WASI_RUNTIME) QR.wasm > QR.wat
$ wat2wasm QR.wat -o QR.wat.wasm && $(WASI_RUNTIME) QR.wat.wasm > QR.ws
$ ruby vendor/whitespace.rb QR.ws > QR.xslt
$ xsltproc QR.xslt > QR.yab
$ yabasic QR.yab > QR.yorick
$ yorick -batch QR.yorick > QR.azm
$ zoem -i QR.azm > QR.zsh
$ zsh QR.zsh > qr.adb
$ gnatmake qr.adb && ./qr > QR.als
$ LANG=C LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/usr/lib/afnix axi QR.als > QR.aheui
$ ruby vendor/aheui.rb QR.aheui > QR.a68
$ a68g QR.a68 > QR.ante
$ ruby vendor/ante.rb QR.ante > QR.aj
$ ajc QR.aj && java QR > QR.asy
$ asy QR.asy > QR.dats
$ patscc -o QR QR.dats && ./QR > QR.awk
$ awk -f QR.awk > QR.bash
$ bash QR.bash > QR.bc
$ BC_LINE_LENGTH=4000000 bc -q QR.bc > QR.bsh
$ bsh QR.bsh > QR.bef
$ cfunge QR.bef > QR.Blc
$ ruby vendor/blc.rb < QR.Blc > QR.bf
$ ruby vendor/bf.rb QR.bf > QR.c
$ gcc -o QR QR.c && ./QR > QR.cpp
$ g++ -o QR QR.cpp && ./QR > QR.cs
$ echo '<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk"><PropertyGroup><OutputType>Exe</OutputType><TargetFramework>net10.0</TargetFramework><EnableDefaultCompileItems>false</EnableDefaultCompileItems></PropertyGroup><ItemGroup><Compile Include="QR.cs" /></ItemGroup></Project>' > tmp.csproj &&
DOTNET_NOLOGO=1 dotnet run --project tmp.csproj > QR.chef
$ PERL5LIB=vendor/local/lib/perl5 compilechef QR.chef QR.chef.pl &&
perl QR.chef.pl > QR.clj
$ clojure QR.clj > QR.cmake
$ cmake -P QR.cmake > QR.cob
$ cobc -O2 -x QR.cob && ./QR > QR.coffee
$ coffee --nodejs --stack_size=100000 QR.coffee > QR.lisp
$ clisp QR.lisp > QR.cr
$ crystal QR.cr > QR.d
$ gdc -o QR QR.d && ./QR > QR.dc
$ dc QR.dc > QR.dhall || true
$ dhall text --file QR.dhall > QR.exs
$ elixir QR.exs > QR.el
$ emacs -Q --script QR.el > QR.erl
$ escript QR.erl > QR.e
$ execlineb QR.e > QR.fsx
$ echo '<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk"><PropertyGroup><OutputType>Exe</OutputType><TargetFramework>net10.0</TargetFramework><EnableDefaultCompileItems>false</EnableDefaultCompileItems></PropertyGroup><ItemGroup><Compile Include="QR.fsx" /></ItemGroup></Project>' > tmp.fsproj &&
DOTNET_NOLOGO=1 dotnet run --project tmp.fsproj > QR.false
$ ruby vendor/false.rb QR.false > QR.fnl
$ fennel QR.fnl > QR.fl
$ flex -o QR.fl.c QR.fl && gcc -o QR QR.fl.c && ./QR > QR.fish
$ fish QR.fish > QR.fs
$ gforth QR.fs > QR.f
$ gfortran -o QR QR.f && ./QR > QR.f90
$ gfortran -o QR QR.f90 && ./QR > QR.gbs
$ gbs3 QR.gbs > QR.g
$ gap -q QR.g > QR.gdb
$ gdb -q -x QR.gdb > QR.gel
$ genius QR.gel > QR.plt
$ gnuplot QR.plt > QR.go
$ go run QR.go > QR.gs
$ ruby vendor/golfscript.rb QR.gs > QR.gpt
$ mv QR.c QR.c.bak && gpt -t QR.c QR.gpt && gcc -o QR QR.c && ./QR > QR.grass &&
mv QR.c.bak QR.c
$ ruby vendor/grass.rb QR.grass > QR.groovy
$ groovy QR.groovy > QR.gz
$ gzip -cd QR.gz > QR.hs
$ rm -f QR.o && ghc QR.hs && ./QR > QR.hx
$ haxe -main QR -neko QR.n && neko QR.n > QR.icn
$ icont -s QR.icn && ./QR > QR.i
$ ick -bfOc QR.i && gcc -std=c99 -static QR.c -I /usr/include/ick-* -o QR -lick &&
./QR > QR.j
$ jasmin QR.j && java QR > QR.java
$ javac QR.java && java QR > QR.js
$ nodejs QR.js > QR.jq
$ jq -r -n -f QR.jq > QR.jsfuck
$ nodejs --stack_size=100000 QR.jsfuck > QR.kt
$ kotlinc QR.kt -include-runtime -d QR.jar && kotlin QR.jar > QR.ksh
$ ksh QR.ksh > QR.lazy
$ lazyk QR.lazy >
Read the full README on GitHubWhat Hacker News says
15 sourcesMame/quine-relay: An uroboros program with 100 programming languages
1 points · Open discussionAmazing. If you like this, you may also like Quine Relay, a quine program that cycles through 100 different languages:
https://github.com/mame/quine-relay
In QuineDB – A quine that is also a key-value storeThat was pretty much THE thing that won my respect for the Ruby community.
https://github.com/mame/quine-relay/blob/master/thumbnail.pn...
That and the radiation-hardened quine:
https://github.com/mame/radiation-hardened-quine
Prior to seeing those, I was kind of dismissive of Ruby, but seeing those totally changed my mindset about code, and my prevailing opinion of execution environments and interpretted languages and scripting in general.
In Code that is valid in both PHP and Java, and produces the same output in bothQuine Relay – creates programs that generate programs in the next language
1 points · Open discussionhttps://github.com/mame/quine-relay/
This 100-language quine relay passes through both on its way around the clock. :)
In Code that is valid in both PHP and Java, and produces the same output in bothPhava is great!
But, quine-relay still wins: https://github.com/mame/quine-relay
In Code that is valid in both PHP and Java, and produces the same output in bothQuine Relay (Ruby to Scala to Scheme to Ruby again)
1 points · Open discussionHave you seen this? https://github.com/mame/quine-relay
In Goa: Design-First API GenerationI first learned about that language from this quine:
https://github.com/mame/quine-relay
In Google praises 86-year-old for polite internet searchesHmm ... 100 langs circuit, impressive ... thumbnail of code ... %&$#!!
https://github.com/mame/quine-relay/blob/master/thumbnail.pn...
(Attention to detail, they haz it.)
In Shebang QuineQuine Relay: An uroboros program with 100 programming languages
2 points · Open discussionThis one is also amazing.
https://github.com/mame/quine-relay
In Shebang QuineQuine-relay: an uroboros program with 100 programming languages
2 points · Open discussionExciting stuff! This is (very?) similar what with LX branded zones in SmartOS[1][2] -- and, as I've said before[3] -- we want as many other systems as possible take this approach. That said, we also know how long a haul this is, and how detail-intensive it is. So I've got a bunch of questions. ;) First, is the source available? Second, how much of the One Hundred Language Quine Relay[4] runs successfully? (For us, running that sucker to completion was an important early milestone.) Assuming that runs, my next questions are all common apps/programs that we knew to be especially thorny for one reason or another: Go, strace, tcpdump, systemd, etc. Anyway, it's great to see the SmartOS approach so broadly validated by Microsoft -- and hope that they both finish the job and open source it all!
[1] http://www.slideshare.net/bcantrill/il