Month: August 2026

Ansible describes what a server should look like instead of the steps to get there. What idempotence buys you, a first playbook that works, and when it is overkill.

fzf turns any list into something you pick from interactively — command history, files, git branches, running processes. The setup that matters and how to build your own pickers.

Every API returns JSON and none of the classic Unix tools can read it. jq is the missing piece — the handful of filters worth learning, and where it stops…

eza gives you colour, a tree view and git status in your file listings. Why exa is no longer the one to install, and why ls -l should stay in…

man pages are complete and unreadable in a hurry. tldr gives you the five commands people actually use. Why you need both, and the man features nobody knows about.

bat adds syntax highlighting, line numbers and paging to cat. The batcat naming trap, using it as a man pager, and why plain cat still belongs in your pipes.

A terminal multiplexer keeps your work running when SSH drops. What tmux and screen each do, the keys that matter, and why the older one is still worth knowing.

A mesh VPN that puts your machines on one private network wherever they are — no port forwarding, no exposed SSH. What it does, and what depending on it means.

du tells you the truth in a format nobody enjoys reading. ncdu makes it navigable and lets you delete from the results. When to use each, including on a server…

htop makes top's information legible and lets you act on it. btop goes further. Here is what each one shows, the keys worth learning, and why top is still the…