What Is blog.steelph0enix.dev and What Does It Publish?
Updated
blog.steelph0enix.dev is the personal programming blog of a developer who writes under the name SteelPh0enix. It publishes informal, English-language technical write-ups, and its current content clusters around two themes: running large language models locally with llama.cpp, and building C/C++ projects with the Meson build system. It is a good fit if you want hands-on, from-scratch explanations rather than news or product reviews; it is not a general news site, a documentation hub, or a place to find pricing or commercial support.
What topics the blog covers
The site describes itself simply as a place where the author writes "stuff about programming." The published posts visible on the blog fall into these areas:
| Topic area | Example post | What it addresses |
|---|---|---|
| Local LLMs | "llama.cpp guide – Running LLMs locally, on any hardware, from scratch" | Setting up and using llama.cpp to run models on your own machine |
| C/C++ build tooling | "Making C/C++ project template in Meson – part 1 / 2 / 2.5" | Building a reusable project template with the Meson build system, in a multi-part series |
| Language choice | "When should you choose C++ as your starting language?" | A discussion of C++ as a first programming language |
The llama.cpp guide is the most recent post shown (dated 2024-10-28) and is tagged with #llama.cpp, #llm, #ai, and #guide. Its teaser line — "Psst, kid, want some cheap and small LLMs?" — signals the tone: practical, casual, and aimed at readers who want to run small models on their own hardware without spending much.
Who it is for
The content suits readers who prefer to learn by building:
- Developers curious about local LLMs who want a walkthrough of llama.cpp rather than a conceptual overview of AI.
- C/C++ learners and tinkerers who want a working Meson-based project template they can reuse across projects.
- People deciding on a first language who want one practitioner's perspective on when C++ makes sense.
Because the posts are framed as guides and personal write-ups, expect the author's own setup, choices, and opinions to shape the instructions. That is useful when you share a similar environment, but it means you should treat hardware-specific steps as examples to adapt rather than universal requirements.
What it is not
The blog does not appear to publish news, product comparisons, or commercial content, and the available site information includes no pricing, subscription, or payment details. If you are looking for official llama.cpp documentation, the upstream project's own repository and docs remain the authoritative reference; this blog is best read as a companion walkthrough. Similarly, for Meson itself, the official manual is the place to confirm syntax and options.
How to use the blog effectively
- Start with the post matching your goal. For local model running, open the llama.cpp guide; for build setup, begin with Meson part 1 and continue in order, since the series builds on itself.
- Check the date and your environment. The llama.cpp guide is dated October 2024, and local-LLM tooling changes quickly. Verify commands and flags against current llama.cpp documentation before relying on them.
- Adapt, don't copy blindly. The guides are written from the author's own hardware and toolchain. Note where your setup differs — GPU availability, compiler version, Meson version — and adjust accordingly.
- Use the tags and series structure. Tags like #llama.cpp and #guide, plus the numbered Meson parts, make it easy to find related posts and follow a topic in sequence.
If your interests align with local LLMs or C/C++ tooling, the blog offers a compact, practical starting point — just pair it with the official documentation for anything version-sensitive.