Posts tagged: slash

Hyprland - Wayland tiling compositor with excellent workspace support. See Hyprland Window Manager
Awesome WM - When I need X11. See Awesome Window Manager
KDE Plasma - Actually like this DE - great workspace management and keyboard shortcuts

I need window managers with robust workspace hotkeys: win+num to switch, win+shift+num to send apps, win+ctrl+num to join workspaces. Both tiling and floating work fine if the workspace management is solid.

Utilities #

atuin - Shell history that syncs. See Atuin
starship - Fast, informative prompt. See Starship Prompt
gitui - Fast git TUI written in Rust. See gitui
lazygit - Alternative git UI. See Lazygit
lf - Fast terminal file manager. See lf
yazi - Alternative file manager with async I/O. See Yazi

Python #

uv - Fast, all-in-one Python packaging and dependency management
ruff - Fast Python linter and formatter
pytest - Testing without complexity

Hardware #

(Add specific hardware recommendations if desired)

Workflows #

Keyboard-driven everything - Minimize mouse usage
Win+num workspace switching - Instant access to any workspace
Dotfiles in git - Version control everything
Containers for isolation - Keep host system clean
Documentation as code - Write it down, automate it
Vanilla JS - Prefer simple over complex build pipelines

Development Approach #

JavaScript/Frontend #

Vanilla JavaScript - No build step, no dependencies when possible
CDN libraries - Alpine.js, htmx, or similar via script tag
Avoid heavy frameworks - No webpack, no deep node_modules trees
Progressive enhancement - Start simple, add complexity only when needed

Python #

uv - For all dependency management and virtual environments
pyproject.toml - Modern Python packaging standard
Simple structure - Flat is better than nested
Type hints - For code clarity without ceremony

Principles #

Open source over proprietary when possible
Simple over complex
Fast over feature-rich
Keyboard over mouse
Text over GUI
Vanilla over framework when feasible
One tool that does it well over many tools

See Nope for things I avoid.

Uses

2026-02-07T00:00:00Z

This is my setup - the hardware and software I use every day for development.

Hardware #

Development Machine #

(Update with your actual specs)

CPU: AMD Ryzen or Intel
RAM: 32GB+
Storage: NVMe SSD
GPU: Integrated or dedicated for external displays
Displays: Multiple monitors for productivity

Peripherals #

Keyboard: Mechanical with custom layout
Mouse: Trackball or ergonomic mouse (used minimally)
Webcam: For video calls
Microphone: For recording and calls

Mobile #

(Update with your actual devices)

Phone: Android or iOS
Tablet: For reading and media

Software Stack #

Operating System #

OS: Arch Linux
Window Manager: Hyprland (Wayland)
Terminal: kitty
Shell: zsh with starship prompt

Development Environment #

Editor: Neovim (lazy.nvim based config)
Multiplexer: tmux
Version Control: git with delta and gitui
Tool Manager: mise
Container: podman

Daily Tools #

Browser: Brave
Password Manager: Bitwarden
Notes: Markdown files in git
Chat: Signal
Music: Streaming service

CLI Tools #

Essential command-line tools:

fzf - Fuzzy finder
ripgrep - Fast code search
fd - Fast file finder
bat - Syntax-highlighting cat
eza - Modern ls replacement
zoxide - Smart cd command
atuin - Shell history
lf - File manager (primary)
yazi - Alternative file manager

Neovim Plugins #

Key plugins I rely on:

lazy.nvim - Plugin manager
telescope.nvim - Fuzzy finder
nvim-lspconfig - LSP support
nvim-treesitter - Syntax highlighting
gitsigns.nvim - Git integration
lualine.nvim - Status line

Dotfiles Management #

All configurations are in the devtainer repository:

git clone https://github.com/waylonwalker/devtainer.git ~/devtainer

Installed via symlinks or stow.

Workflow #

Terminal (kitty) always open with tmux
Neovim for all editing
Browser for research and documentation
Git for version control
Containers for isolated environments

Inspiration #

This /uses page is inspired by uses.tech - a collection of developer setups.

See Defaults for my default tool choices when starting new projects.

Nope

2026-02-07T00:00:00Z

Things I avoid, do not use, or actively recommend against.

This is not about bashing tools that work for others - these are things that do not work for me and my workflows.

Software I Avoid #

IDEs #

VS Code - Resource-heavy for what I need. I prefer Neovim's speed and efficiency.
JetBrains products - Overkill for my use cases and too resource-intensive.

Why: I spend most of my time in a terminal. Heavy IDEs feel sluggish and get in my way.

Window Managers #

GNOME - Too much mouse interaction, not keyboard-friendly enough for my workflow.
i3 (personally) - Used it for years, but prefer Hyprland's Wayland-native approach now.

Note: I actually like KDE, but my primary requirement for any window manager is robust workspace management with hotkeys. I need win+num to switch, win+shift+num to send apps, and win+ctrl+num to join workspaces. I enjoy tiling but have no strong preference between tiling and floating - both work fine with a good workspace manager that lets me reach any app in one keystroke.

Development Tools #

nvm/rbenv/pyenv separately - Use mise Tool Management instead. One tool instead of many.
Docker Desktop - Bloated. Use podman or docker CLI directly.

Python Dependency Management #

After years using pip-tools, hatch, and conda, I've been uv pilled. I now avoid:

Poetry - Overly complex for my needs
Hatch - Used it for years, but uv is simpler
pip-tools - Used it for years, uv replaces it completely
virtualenv - uv handles environments
conda - Used it for years, uv + pyproject.toml is cleaner
flit - Unnecessary with uv

What I use instead: [[uv]] - Fast, simple, and handles everything I need.

JavaScript Development #

I avoid JavaScript frameworks with heavy build pipelines and deep node_modules trees. I prefer:

Vanilla JavaScript - No build step, no dependencies
CDN libraries - Add what you need via script tag
Simple tools - Avoid webpack, complex bundlers, and deep dependency chains

Practices I Avoid #

Mouse-heavy workflows - Slows me down, causes wrist strain
Clicking through GUIs - Prefer keyboard shortcuts and CLI
Manual, repetitive tasks - Automate or script everything
Keeping everything in my head - Document in version control
Heavy build pipelines - Prefer simplicity over complexity

Business Models #

Subscription fatigue - Prefer perpetual licenses or open source
Vendor lock-in - Prefer tools with open standards and export options
Cloud-only dependencies - Keep local-first options available

Counter-Arguments I Accept #

These tools work great for others:

VS Code has excellent debugging support
IDEs provide discoverability for new developers
GUI tools can be more approachable
Complex build pipelines enable powerful optimizations
Poetry and conda solve real problems for many teams

Use what works for you. These are my preferences, not universal truths.

See Yep for things I do recommend.

2026-02-07T00:00:00Z

Upcoming content, improvements, and ideas for this documentation site.

Guides & How-To #

Installation/bootstrap guide - Complete step-by-step fresh machine setup
Migration guide - Moving from other tools (VS Code → Neovim, etc.)
Sync strategy - How dotfiles stay synchronized across machines
Backup & restore - Disaster recovery for the environment
Per-machine configs - Laptop vs desktop differences
Troubleshooting - Common issues and fixes with solutions

Quick Reference Pages (Potential Additions) #

mise recipes - Common mise tool configurations
neovim recipes - Language-specific neovim setups
tmux layouts - Project-specific session layouts
git workflows - Team-specific git process documentation

Deep Dives #

Workflow documentation - "How I work" series
- TDD workflow
- Debugging workflow
- Code review process
Plugin deep dives - Specific neovim plugins explained
Script explanations - Custom scripts in detail
- workspace.py
- web2app function
- kube-check script

Meta/Context #

Tool comparison - Detailed comparisons (Why X over Y) → [[tool-comparison]]
Evolution - How the setup has changed over 10+ years → [[evolution]]
Philosophy - Deeper dive into the "why" behind choices → [[philosophy]]
Hardware - Detailed workstation specs → [[hardware]]

Interactive/Reference #

Cheatsheets - Quick reference cards for common operations → Cheatsheets

Improvements #

Add wikilink support to zellij page (it's missing the embeds) → Zellij
Create uv.md page (referenced in yep.md but missing) → [[uv]]
Add more external embeds to tool pages
VHS recordings for key workflows - Designed 12 tape posts with markdown frontmatter

VHS Recording Infrastructure #

Each VHS tape now has its own markdown post in pages/tapes/ with:

Frontmatter including template: image and image: /tapes/filename.mp4
Description of what is shown
Key takeaway
Related tool embeds

Tape Posts Created:

lf-intro.md - Basic file manager navigation
lf-tmux-popup.md - Popup integration workflow
gitui-intro.md - Staging and committing
tmux-scratch-session.md - Alt+G scratch pad workflow
tmux-session-switching.md - Session management
tmux-git-project-session.md - Project-specific sessions
fzf-file-finding.md - Ctrl+T fuzzy finding
fzf-history-search.md - Ctrl+R history search
lazygit-staging.md - Alternative git UI workflow
lazydocker-containers.md - Docker management
neovim-telescope.md - File finding in editor
neovim-lsp-go-to-definition.md - Code navigation

Still to Record:

Record actual mp4 files for all designed tapes
tmux "day in the terminal" workflow demo
Workspace management script demo
Kubernetes workflow with k9s

Sandbox Setup: All VHS recordings use the vhs/sandbox/ directory for safety. See AGENTS.md for sandbox best practices.

Workflow Demos (20-30 seconds)

"A day in the terminal" - tmux session → neovim → gitui → back
Workspace management - Using workspace script to switch projects
Git workflow - Branch, edit, stage, commit with gitui
File exploration - fzf + lf + bat pipeline
Kubernetes workflow - k9s to inspect, edit, apply

Setup Guides (30-45 seconds)

Fresh machine bootstrap - mise install → stow configs → verify
Adding a new tool - Update mise config → install → verify → commit
Creating a workspace - ~/git/workspaces/workspaces.py create workflow

Configuration Highlights (15-20 seconds)

Starship prompt customization - Show git status, tool versions
tmux keybinding demo - Prefix key, splits, popups
Neovim plugin showcase - Telescope file finding, LSP features

Comparison Videos

"Before/After" - Mouse-heavy workflow vs keyboard-driven
IDE vs Terminal - Same task in VS Code vs neovim+tmux

Tape Organization

vhs/
├── tools/
│   ├── tmux-intro.tape
│   ├── fzf-demo.tape
│   └── lazygit-workflow.tape
├── workflows/
│   ├── git-workflow.tape
│   ├── dev-session.tape
│   └── workspace-switching.tape
└── guides/
    ├── bootstrap.tape
    └── new-tool-setup.tape

Integration with Docs

Embed videos in tool pages after the "Features" section
Use as hero videos on index pages
Link to full recordings from quickstart guides
Create GIF fallbacks for mobile/low-bandwidth
Dark/light theme toggle

Content Ideas #

Still To Create #

ricing - Aesthetic customization beyond function
one-shot-apps - Documentation for the one-shot-apps directory
ansible - Infrastructure as code for machine setup
distrobox - Container-based development environments
qutebrowser - Keyboard-driven web browser config
k9s - Kubernetes terminal UI

Recently Completed (Not Previously Listed) #

hyprland - Wayland tiling compositor configuration → Hyprland Window Manager
helix - Modern modal text editor → Helix Editor
awesome - X11 tiling window manager → Awesome Window Manager
lazygit - Git TUI alternative to gitui → Lazygit
atuin - Enhanced shell history with sync → Atuin
delta - Syntax-highlighted git diff viewer → Delta
gh - GitHub CLI for git operations → GitHub CLI
starship - Fast, customizable shell prompt → Starship Prompt
kitty - GPU-accelerated terminal emulator → kitty Terminal
wezterm - Cross-platform terminal emulator → WezTerm
polybar - Status bar for X11 window managers → Polybar
waybar - Status bar for Wayland compositors → Waybar
yazi - Async file manager alternative to lf → Yazi
workspace - Project management and workspace switching → Workspace Script
defaults - Default application and system configurations → Defaults

This is a living document. Items will be checked off as they're completed and new ideas will be added.

Defaults

2026-02-07T00:00:00Z

When I need a tool for a task, these are my default choices.

Editor #

Neovim - For everything text-related. See Neovim Configuration

Fallback: Helix Editor for quick edits when neovim config is broken.

Terminal #

kitty - Primary terminal. See kitty Terminal

Fallback: WezTerm when I need better cross-platform consistency.

Shell #

zsh - With autosuggestions, syntax highlighting, and starship prompt. See zsh Configuration

Multiplexer #

tmux - For persistent sessions and popup workflows. See tmux Configuration

Fallback: Zellij when I want built-in multiplexer without external tool.

Version Control #

git - With delta for diffs and gitui for UI. See Git Configuration

Tool Management #

mise - For all language runtimes and dev tools. See mise Tool Management

Replaced: pyenv, nvm, rbenv, and friends.

Fuzzy Finder #

fzf - Integrated with shell and editor. See fzf

File Manager #

lf - Fast terminal file manager. See lf

yazi - Alternative with async I/O. See Yazi

Fallback: Standard shell commands for simple operations.

Window Manager #

Hyprland - Wayland compositor on main machine. See Hyprland Window Manager

Fallback: Awesome Window Manager when I need X11.

Browser #

Brave - Primary browser with good privacy defaults.

Fallback: Firefox for testing and sites that break on Brave.

Search #

ripgrep (rg) - For code search

fd - For file finding

Both integrated with fzf.

Notes #

Plain markdown files in git repos.

Todo: tmux Configuration todo session with backlog/doing/done files.

Communication #

Email: Fastmail
Chat: Signal, occasionally Discord
Video: Jitsi, Zoom when required

Operating System #

Arch Linux - Main development machine

Ubuntu - For servers and containers

Why Defaults Matter #

Having defaults reduces decision fatigue. When I reach for a tool, I already know what to use. This lets me focus on the actual problem instead of evaluating options.

Uses

Hardware and software I use daily

Feb 7, 2026

Colophon

2026-02-07T00:00:00Z

This site is built with modern, open-source tools. Here is what powers it.

Site Generator #

markata - A Python-based static site generator that processes markdown files with customizable hooks and plugins.

Hosting #

Static files served via Cloudflare Pages or similar CDN-based hosting.

Styling #

Custom CSS with a focus on readability and clean typography. No heavy frameworks - just semantic HTML and minimal styling.

Content Format #

All content is written in Markdown with YAML frontmatter:

---
date: '2026-02-07'
description: 'Page description'
published: true
title: 'Page Title'
---

Fonts #

Body: System font stack (native performance)
Code: JetBrains Mono or system monospace

Syntax Highlighting #

Code blocks are syntax-highlighted at build time using Pygments or similar.

Build Process #

Markdown files are processed by markata
Wikilinks are converted to internal links
Static HTML is generated
Deployed to CDN

Source #

The content and build configuration is available in the devtainer repository: github.com/waylonwalker/devtainer

Changelog

2026-02-07T00:00:00Z

Recent changes to my dotfiles and this documentation site.

2026-02-07 #

Added #

Created initial documentation site with markata
Added pages for all major tools (zsh, tmux, neovim, mise, git, etc.)
Generated keybinding references from actual configs
Created llms.txt for AI context
Added slash pages: /about, /colophon, /ai, /links, /yep, /nope, /uses, /defaults

Changed #

Migrated from scattered README files to structured documentation
Updated all internal links to use wikilink format
Improved keybinding descriptions to be benefit-focused

2025-01 #

Added #

Integrated atuin for shell history sync
Added gitui as primary git TUI
Added lf file manager configuration (primary)
Added yazi as alternative file manager
Switched to mise for tool management
Added zellij as alternative to tmux

Changed #

Moved from pyenv/nvm/rbenv to mise
Updated neovim config to use lazy.nvim
Refactored zsh configuration for faster startup

2024-12 #

Added #

Hyprland configuration for Wayland
Waybar configuration
Starship prompt configuration

Changed #

Migrated from X11/Awesome WM to Wayland/Hyprland on main machine
Updated terminal configuration for Wayland compatibility

2024-11 #

Added #

Delta integration for git diffs
Lazygit configuration
Custom workspace management scripts

Fixed #

Fixed tmux clipboard integration for Wayland
Resolved neovim LSP configuration issues

Older changes are tracked in the repository's git history.

AI

2026-02-07T00:00:00Z

The content on this site is primarily AI-generated, but it documents dotfiles I've spent over a decade hand-curating. I've always wanted to create this documentation site but never took the time until AI made it possible.

My Approach #

AI as a multiplier, not a replacement. These dotfiles represent years of careful tuning and personal preference. AI helps me document them, but the configurations themselves are the result of a decade of refinement.

Tools I Use #

Code Assistants #

opencode - AI agent in my terminal for development tasks
GitHub Copilot - Inline code suggestions in my editor
ChatGPT - For brainstorming, debugging, and research

Writing #

AI assistance - For generating documentation from my configs
Grammar/spell check - AI-enhanced proofreading

Image Generation #

Occasionally for diagrams and illustrations when needed

Principles #

Hand-curated configs - The dotfiles are mine, refined over 10+ years
AI for documentation - AI helps explain and organize what I've built
Review all AI output - I verify everything before publishing
Use AI for tedious tasks - Documentation, formatting, and organization

On This Site #

Most content on this site is AI-generated:

Documentation written from my configuration files
Keybinding references extracted from my configs
Explanations of how tools work together
Organization and structure of the site

All content is based on my actual dotfiles and reviewed by me before publishing.

AI and My Dotfiles #

AI now heavily helps me:

Create documentation I never had time to write
Debug configuration issues faster
Develop new features and improvements
Organize years of accumulated configuration

Without AI assistance, this site would not exist. The configurations themselves are the product of years of personal refinement, but the documentation that makes them accessible is AI-enabled.

Defaults

My default choices for tools and technologies

Feb 7, 2026

About

2026-02-07T00:00:00Z

I am Waylon Walker, a software developer who spends way too much time optimizing my development environment. This site documents my dotfiles, tools, and workflows.

What I Do #

I build software, write about my setups, and share what I learn along the way. Most of my work involves Python, Kubernetes, and cloud infrastructure, but I'm always exploring new tools and techniques.

This Site #

This documentation site is built with markata and serves as a living reference for my dotfiles. It includes:

Tool documentation and setup guides
Keybinding references for keyboard-driven workflows
Configuration examples and explanations

Connect #

GitHub: @waylonwalker
Website: waylonwalker.com
Repository: github.com/waylonwalker/devtainer

Colophon #

See Colophon for details about how this site is built.

Posts tagged: slash

Cheatsheets

Terminal & Shell #

Editors & Development #

Terminal Multiplexers #

File Management #

Git & Version Control #

Utilities #

Workflow Cheatsheets #

Yep

Software #

Development #

Terminal #

Window Management #

Utilities #

Python #

Hardware #

Workflows #

Development Approach #

JavaScript/Frontend #

Python #

Principles #

Uses

Hardware #

Development Machine #

Peripherals #

Mobile #

Software Stack #

Operating System #

Development Environment #

Daily Tools #

CLI Tools #

Neovim Plugins #

Dotfiles Management #

Workflow #

Inspiration #

Nope

Software I Avoid #

IDEs #

Window Managers #

Development Tools #

Python Dependency Management #

JavaScript Development #

Practices I Avoid #

Business Models #

Counter-Arguments I Accept #

Next

Guides & How-To #

Quick Reference Pages (Potential Additions) #

Deep Dives #

Meta/Context #

Interactive/Reference #

Improvements #

VHS Recording Infrastructure #

Content Ideas #

Still To Create #

Recently Completed (Not Previously Listed) #

Links

My Sites #

Projects #

Tools I Recommend #

Inspiration #

Friends and Community #

Slash Pages #

Defaults

Editor #

Terminal #

Shell #

Multiplexer #

Version Control #

Tool Management #

Fuzzy Finder #

File Manager #

Window Manager #

Browser #

Search #

Notes #

Communication #

Operating System #

Why Defaults Matter #