1# Tools
  2*2026-06-08*
  3
  4A non-exhaustive overview of tools I use daily.
  5
  6*I had this post half-written for a couple of years, finally I've put the time to 'complete' it enough to publish it. See it as a kind of email to a friend sharing my ways of approaching everyday tools.*
  7
  8## in general
  9- Always be willing to **customize and optimmize** the tools you use
 10- Usually closed source tools come with 'defaults' that may 'suit the majority' (or that it's acceptable enough), but does not mean that you have to conform with it. This is another reason (from many) to use freesoftware or if not, opensource.
 11- when willing to use a tool, if it is closed source, always check **free software / opensource** alternatives, usually they exist and have an active community around them
 12- prefer **terminal** tools over GUI tools. In this way, working remotely inside a server feels the same as working locally in your laptop, just the terminal and the tool in there
 13- prefer offline tools than online tools
 14- In physical objects optimize for **portability**; also usually is good to not centralize many functions in a single object
 15
 16## computer
 17- in general
 18    - maximize keyboard shortcuts, and minimize keyboard surface
 19        - I use a **40% keyboard, [corne](https://github.com/foostan/crkbd)** keyboard
 20        - the idea is that instead of moving your fingers to the keys, you want to move the keys under your fingers (eg. for numbers & symbols, F1 keys, etc)
 21    <div style="text-align:center;">
 22    <a target="_blank" href="img/posts/tools/corne.png"><img style="width:60%" src="img/posts/tools/corne.png"></img></a>
 23    <br>
 24    <i style="font-size:75%">the Corne keyboard I use, self-assembled and soldered</i>
 25    </div>
 26    - **minimize mouse** usage:
 27        - using the mouse means lifting the fingers from the keyboard
 28        - mouse limits an entire hand to only click buttons, you have many more fingers to use
 29        - so, naturally, **[vim](https://www.vim.org) & [neovim](https://neovim.io)** as code and text editors
 30            - also this has the benefit that working in my laptop or working in the server feels the same
 31        - window manager: till last year I was using [i3](https://i3wm.org), now I'm using [sway](https://swaywm.org). The main idea is to be able to move quick across windows and panels, while avoiding touching the mouse.
 32    - automate:
 33        - this is, bash & python scripts are very useful; for almost every task that has more than 3 iterations of the same steps
 34        - OS: of course, Linux. For the past 3 years I've been using [NixOS](https://nixos.org), attracted by it's imperative philosophy: you have a set of config files, format a laptop, load your config, and you have all your software with your configurations ready to use (ie. not manually {apt/pacman}-installing each software package)
 35
 36This is not only for code files; for example, when working on a $LaTeX$ document, edit it in neovim with [vimtex](https://github.com/lervag/vimtex), so that at save it re-renders the pdf and reloads it in [zathura](https://pwmt.org/projects/zathura/). Additionally, this works great while being offline, compared to mainstream options such as overleaf.
 37Similarly, when working on a markdown document, use [md-live-server](https://github.com/arnaucube/md-live-server) locally, splitting the screen between the terminal for editing and [qutebrowser](https://qutebrowser.org/), so that no mouse is needed any time.
 38
 39<div style="text-align:center;">
 40<a target="_blank" href="img/posts/tools/desk-setup.jpg"><img style="width:75%" src="img/posts/tools/desk-setup.jpg"></img></a>
 41<br>
 42<i style="font-size:75%">a bit old (~2023) desk setup, with my 'old' Thinkpad Carbon X1</i>
 43</div>
 44
 45#### devices
 46
 47<!-- TODO picture corne + screens -->
 48
 49- At home:
 50    - I build a ~850 euros server (year 2024), with AMD Ryzen 9 5900XT 3.3 GHz 16-Core, 64 GB of RAM.
 51    - to work, I usually [mosh](https://mosh.org/) (ssh) into it, then open a [tmux](https://github.com/tmux/tmux) and [neovim](https://neovim.io/), and work there, so that I can use any (lightweight) laptop while remotely running everything in the powerful-enough server.
 52      Another point for using vim/neovim as default code editor, is that when working remotely on a server, the setup remains the same. Another perspective is that you treat your laptop as a server for those kinds of tasks, so that when you work remotely on a server there is almost no difference.
 53    <div style="text-align:center;">
 54    <a target="_blank" href="img/posts/tools/server.jpg"><img style="width:60%" src="img/posts/tools/server.jpg"></img></a>
 55    </div>
 56- Outside home:
 57    - for many years I used a Thinkpad x270 of 12.5" screen, then a Thinkpad Carbon X1 of 13", but then few years ago I started using smaller laptops of 10"
 58    - 10" laptop: I was using a 2nd hand [Surface Go 2](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/surface/surface-go-2-specs-and-features-0fc6a657-2851-484f-6f82-bd3c589ed92c) that I bought for 200 euros, but recently I've replaced it with a [Chuwi Minibook X](https://www.chuwi.com/product/items/chuwi-minibook-x-n150.html) which costs 300 euros (brand new). Both laptops have 10".
 59    - 8" tablet + notebook; or if in the sun, instead of the tablet, a eink reader (if so, a [hacked one](https://koreader.rocks))
 60
 61<div style="text-align:center;">
 62<a target="_blank" href="img/posts/tools/big-slingbag-contents.jpg"><img style="width:60%;" src="img/posts/tools/big-slingbag-contents.jpg"></img></a>
 63<br>
 64<i style="font-size:75%">8" tablet and 10" laptop</i>
 65</div>
 66
 67A benefit of using lightweight laptops combined with a remote *powerful* server, is that the battery lasts longer than doing everything in the laptop, since you're not doing many computations locally in the laptop!
 68
 69
 70## services
 71Useful to have some raspberrypi/minipc at home with some services to make your life more comfortable (for example, with: [docker compose configuration file](https://github.com/arnaucube/configs/blob/master/server-dockers/docker-compose.yml)).
 72
 73For about 2 years I've been running multiple media services in a raspberry pi 5, recently replaced it with a Beelink S13 NUC, where I can support many users of non-technical friends.
 74<div style="text-align:center;">
 75<a target="_blank" href="img/posts/tools/media-setup.png"><img style="width:80%;" src="img/posts/tools/media-setup.png"></img></a>
 76</div>
 77
 78Useful services:
 79
 80- [qbittorrent-nox](https://github.com/qbittorrent/qBittorrent): the server version of qbittorrent, managed through a web UI
 81- [Jellyfin](https://jellyfin.org/): stream all the downloaded content (shows, movies, music) to your devices (tv, tablet, phone, laptop, etc)
 82- [slskd](https://github.com/slskd/slskd/): server client for the [Soulseek network](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soulseek), in order to download individual songs or albums that are not found through torrent
 83
 84Highly recommended: with the previous services, you have all the minimal setup to enjoy media at home; but there is more dimension to it; the various projects within the *arr family, eg:
 85[sonarr](https://sonarr.tv/), [radarr](https://radarr.video/), [bazarr](https://www.bazarr.media/), [prawlarr](https://prowlarr.com/), etc.
 86
 87Then you can tie all those services through a main page with [homepage](https://gethomepage.dev), so that all links are accessible with a single click.
 88
 89
 90Also, using browser [adblockers](https://github.com/gorhill/uBlock) has become a must over the years, additionally having a [pi-hole](https://pi-hole.net) connected to your router filters out adds in general on your home network (on all devices!), while also filtering out a big portion of trackers.
 91
 92
 93## AFK / on the go
 94*(AFK: away from keyboard, when I go outside of home)*
 95
 96- sometimes I bring a slim-foldable keyboard
 97- during the day (if I don't require a laptop): slingbag with
 98    - notebook and fountain pens
 99    - eink reader (ie. hacked kindle) or a 8" tablet
100
101
102<div style="text-align:center;">
103<a target="_blank" href="img/posts/tools/small-slingbag-contents.jpg"><img style="width:60%;" src="img/posts/tools/small-slingbag-contents.jpg"></img></a>
104</div>
105
106<br>
107<div style="text-align:center;">
108<a target="_blank" href="img/posts/tools/notebook-kindle-outside.jpg"><img style="width:60%" src="img/posts/tools/notebook-kindle-outside.jpg"></img></a>
109    <br>
110    <i style="font-size:75%">can just randomly pop out of home and just sit anywhere to keep studying</i>
111</div>
112
113- travel: [30L backpack](https://www.patagonia.com/product/refugio-daypack-30-liters/47928.html) with
114    - [notebook](#pens-and notebooks)
115    - eink reader / tablet 8"
116    - laptop (see [laptop](#devices) section)
117    - clothes for 7 days, on the 6th day you do laundry, so you can travel long periods of time, virtually indefinite
118
119<div style="text-align:center;">
120<a target="_blank" href="img/posts/tools/backpack.jpg"><img style="width:80%;" src="img/posts/tools/backpack.jpg"></img></a>
121</div>
122
123With this backpack setup I've traveled across the world (6 continents), with stays ranging from few days to 2 months, all with same backpack setup.
124
125<br>
126
127Notes about the picture above: this picture is from >2 years ago, some changes I did since then:
128
129- laptop: the Surface Go 2 has been replaced by the Chuwi Minibook X (both of 10"), see [laptop](#devices) section for more details
130- tablet: the 10" tablet has been replaced by a 8" tablet
131- emulator: the [Retroid Pocket 4 Pro](https://www.goretroid.com/products/retroid-pocket-4-handheld) has been replaced by the [Myioo Mini Plus](https://retrogamecorps.com/2022/05/15/miyoo-mini-v2-guide/) (less powerful, so less console options, but smaller in the backpack; ideal for GBA games!)
132
133
134### pens and notebooks
135In the recent years I've discovered the joy of using [fountain pens](https://www.reddit.com/r/fountainpens). They are not essential, but is one of those little joys of life.
136
137I've had the opportunity to try many different models, both from buying some of them and also from trying them in-store (in Seoul there is [a very nice shop](https://maps.app.goo.gl/quDc2oAfb8Kn6Rug7) where for a small fee you have all the time you need to roam through the shop trying more than 200 pens!)
138
139<div style="text-align:center;">
140<a target="_blank" href="img/posts/tools/penshop-bestpen.png"><img style="width:80%;" src="img/posts/tools/penshop-bestpen.png"></img></a>
141    <br>
142    <i style="font-size:75%">In purple t-shirt, enjoying 2h of trying many many pens at <a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/quDc2oAfb8Kn6Rug7" target="_blank">BestPen</a>, Seoul (South Korea).</i>
143</div>
144
145
146Beware, once you enter the fountain pens rabbit hole, the next worry is the paper, hence a natural following fixation are the notebooks to use with the fountain pens. Not all papers are good enough for fountain pens, but there are [some](https://md-product.com/en/collections/md-notebook) very [good](https://www.clairefontaine.com/gb/3525-10811-carnet-brochure-age-bag-795401c.html#/1182-rulings-o_uni/1756-dimension-145_x_21_cm/1971-couleur_produit-gris) paper [quality](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_UvVavl-eE) notebooks. Similarly inks are another [rabbit hole](https://mountainofink.com).
147
148
149<div style="text-align:center;">
150<a target="_blank" href="img/notebooks.jpg"><img style="width:80%;" src="img/notebooks.jpg"></img></a>
151</div>