Here are some things I like to use.
Linux
I switched to the Linux-only life in 2021. My favorite distro is Gentoo, and I absolutely don’t have the time for that. I’m currently using a minimal install of Fedora.
- WM: dwm
- Launcher: dmenu
- Terminal: st
- Font: caskaydia-cove
- Shell: zsh
- Status bar: slstatus
- Media: mpv
- File manager: yazi
- PDFs: zathura
- eBooks: foliate, calibre + Kindle
- dotfiles: here
Languages
(including “languages”)
- Python: my strongest language, used for at least 8 years now.
- Go: my favorite language, but I’m only about a year into it.
- SQL: my professional work has been more SQL than anything else.
- C/C++: undergrad CS work was almost entirely C/C++ (both).
- R: more common in my last job than any other language (excluding SQL).
- Lisp: my other, less useful favorite. I’m no expert but (♥ I Lisp).
- Shell: I live in Linux, it’s basically mandatory.
- {Java,Type}Script: many years of exposure - I’d say I’m intermediate at these.
- React: currently learning and using for projects, whenever I can.
- HTML/CSS: what can I say, I know them.
AI/ML
I have no work experience in these but they were a major focus of my academic work and have taken up much of my time for the last few years:
- Pytorch, Tensorflow, Hugging Face, scikit-learn, LangChain, spaCy, Orange
Databases
All of my professional database experience has been in MS SQL Server and T-SQL. But my personal favorite has to be PostgreSQL. I’ve also worked with SQLite, NoSQL, and vector databases.
Editor
I use Emacs. I started out on Atom and VS Code, then fell in love with Vim after trying it. I thought I’d be using Vim forever, but then I tried Emacs.
Org mode
One major benefit of Emacs is being able to write in Org mode. In my less technical days I was using Evernote for notes, then tried out Simple Notes, moved to Joplin, and then spent a long time in Obsidian. When I switched to Emacs I started using Org mode, and it’s hard to imagine ever finding a replacement. In fact, I’m writing in Org mode right now.
Theme
Aldalómë, dark and green.
Keyboard
I use the Colemak-DH layout, and stopped using QWERTY in 2023. There
are a few variations of Colemak-DH, I use “Colemak-DH Ortholinear”,
which is thankfully available these days in many Linux distributions
as colemak_dh_ortho. And I do prefer the ortholinear/matrix
keyboards when it’s an option. I use qmk for standalone mechanical
keyboards and kmonad for laptops.
PS: A good place to try out Colemak is Colemak Academy, and the layout I use is an option there under the name “Colemak-DHm”.
Browser
Zen.
I used Vivaldi for years. You could even say I was a Vivaldi evangelist. I still think it’s great, but now I use Zen. I strongly suggest you try it.
Hardware
Lenovo Thinkpads: X270,T410, T420, T430, T480
My daily driver is the X270.
I also have a good custom desktop… in storage.