zoxide vs cd: Jumping Instead of Navigating
zoxide remembers the directories you actually use, so one fragment gets you there from anywhere. What it changes, why cd is still what scripts must use, and the setting that…
restic: Backups That Deduplicate, Encrypt and Verify
One binary, an encrypted repository on almost any storage, and snapshots that only store what changed. What restic is good at, the retention policy that actually frees space, and when…
Ansible: When to Stop Writing Setup Scripts
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: Fuzzy Finding, and What It Does to Your Shell
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.
jq: Working with JSON on the Command Line
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 vs ls: A Better Listing (and Why Not exa)
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…
tldr vs man: Examples When You Just Need the Command
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 vs cat and less: Reading Files Without Squinting
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.
tmux vs screen: Never Lose Work to a Dropped Connection
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.
Tailscale: Reaching Your Servers Without Opening Ports
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.