Hey folks! Another big name is confirmed as a keynote speaker at Python Sul 2025!

We’re excited to announce that Hisham H. Muhammad is the second keynote of the event. Get your mate ready, because great things are coming!

If you’ve ever used Linux, chances are you’ve come across htop, that interactive process viewer that turns the command line into something almost poetic. It was created by Hisham H. Muhammad, who is also the author of LuaRocks, the package manager for Lua, and one of the founders of GoboLinux, a Linux distribution that redefines the operating system’s directory structure.

htop running (almost like FirefoxOS)
CC: htop running (almost like FirefoxOS)

Who is Hisham H. Muhammad?

Based in Porto Alegre, in southern Brazil, Hisham is a passionate advocate of free software. Over the years, he has contributed to many projects and inspired countless people through his talks and contributions. On his personal website, he shares parts of this journey as well as reflections on technology, culture, and society.

Notable Projects

  • htop: An interactive process viewer for Unix systems, replacing the traditional top with a friendlier interface and extra features.
  • LuaRocks: The package manager for the Lua programming language, making it easier to install and manage libraries.
  • GoboLinux: A Linux distribution that proposes a new directory structure, simplifying the system and administration.
  • Teal: A programming language that adds static typing to Lua while keeping its simplicity and flexibility.

Contributions and Recognition

Hisham has been a regular presence at free software conferences such as FOSDEM, Linux Dev Conference, and Lua Conf, where he shares his experiences and insights with the community. His contributions are also particularly relevant to the Linux ecosystem, showing new paths for developers and encouraging discussions on the topic in Brazil.

On his personal website, you can find videos of several of his talks — and here we highlight some remarkable examples.

Five Years of Teal: minimalism versus growth in language design

Object-Oriented Programming in Pure C: the case of htop (pt-br)

Beyond Code: Hisham the Musician

Ozzy Approves

Beyond his career in software development, Hisham lives and breathes music as bassist, guitarist and keyboardist. His passion for sound drives him to share original compositions and recordings on his YouTube channel. There, he brings projects like Color Bleed to life and pays tribute to legendary artists such as Pink Floyd and Flaming Pie.

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