Stuff I use

March 29 2025, 12:25:06

Approx. 15 minute read

I actually got into Linux thanks to the ricing community on deviantart back in the early 2000's!

I used to contribute to an old ricing community called pixelfuckers , but I don't think it exists anymore.

If I do post, it's usually on r/unixporn or threads on /g/, /wg/, or /w/.

More recently, a lot of people have asked me about my setup, and there's a wider community of people who share their setups which seems fun! So here's mine.

I can't believe its not Linux!

Hardware

Machines

I use a lot of machines! I primarily use my main workstation, one of two laptops, and homelab server.

Right now my machines are all named after characters in the Madoka Magica universe.

madoka is my primary workstation for work and personal use.

Model: Custom
OS: Windows 11 LTSC running NixOS in WSL2
CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
GPU: NVIDIA RTX 3080
RAM: 96GB DDR4

iroha is my laptop for work.

Model: M3 MacBook Pro 14"
OS: macOS 15 running nix-darwin
CPU: 14 Core Apple M4
GPU: Built-in
RAM: 24GB LPDDR5

homura is my laptop for personal use.

Model: XPS 13 Developer Edition
OS: NixOS
CPU: Intel Core i7-1185G7
GPU: Intel Iris Xe Graphics
RAM: 32GB LPDDR4x

kyubey is my homelab server.

Model: Custom
OS: NixOS
CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 3700X
GPU: NVIDIA RTX 1080
RAM: 96GB DDR4

sayaka is my tablet for reading/leisure.

Model: Surface Pro 9 (5G)
OS: Windows 11
CPU: Microsoft SQ3
RAM: 16GB LPDDR4x

mami is my gaming console and emergency dev env.

Model: Steam Deck OLED 512GB
OS: SteamOS running nix

sakura is my phone.

Model: Pixel 6 Pro
OS: Android 12

I do whatever I can to install nix or nixos and rely on cloning my configuration from my nix-config , responsible for bootstrapping my environment.

The Steam Deck makes a surprisingly good portable dev environment, and I've been using it more and more for that purpose when I don't have a dedicated laptop.

Tamaki Iroha is one of the main cast members in Magia Record which is a spin-off of the original series.

I thought this was fitting for my only workstation that does not run NixOS.

Keyboard

I collect keyboards and switch between them fairly regularly. My current collection includes:

My daily rotation includes:

HHKB Pro 2 in beige with JIS keycaps and o-rings.
HHKB Hybrid Type-S in white with blank keycaps and o-rings.
F62 Kishsaver in beige with JIS keycaps and a HHKB layout.

My collection also includes the following boards, but they're often on-loan to friends:

IBM Model M in beige with a blue logo, blank keycaps, ANSI.
IBM Model M in beige with a grey logo, blank keycaps, ISO.
Keychron Q60 in beige with Gateron PRO Brown switches.
HHKB Pro 2 in black with silenced Topre 45g switches.

Mouse

I'm not very picky about my mouse, but currently I use:

Lofree Touch which is my daily driver.
MX Master 3 which I own several of, primarily for travel.

I do want to try some rollerball mice soon, but I'm not sure which one to get.

Honestly speaking, the MX Master 3 is a better mouse, but the Lofree Touch is cute and matches my keyboards, and I'm a sucker for aesthetics.

Desk Setup

I recently got an under-desk treadmill and it's been great for my health and productivity, but otherwise my setup is pretty minimal.

Desk : Fully Jarvis Walnut

Monitor : Phillips PHL 279C9
Monitor Arm : Herman Miller Flo
Webcam : Elgato Facecam Pro
Mic : Blue Yeti

Chair : Herman Miller Aeron
Speakers : Logitech Z906
Headphones : Sony WH-1000XM4
Earbuds : AirPods Pro

I can't stand using any display that isn't 4K and can't be run at 144hz. I also use a single monitor which some people find surprising.

I'm not at all an audiophile though, so don't trust my opinions on audio equipment.

Software

Terminal

Emulator - wezterm on MacOS and Linux, Windows Terminal on Windows.
Font - tamsyn.
Colorscheme - rosepine with a darker background.
Shell - zsh

Framework - prezto
Prompt - powerlevel10k
Plugins - zsh-autosuggestions, zsh-syntax-highlighting, fzf

Multiplexer - zellij

Yes, I do indeed still use an 8px bitmap font in $CURRENT_YEAR; sometimes aesthetics are more important than readability for me!

Editor

I use Neovim for all my editing needs.

Some abridged highlights of my configuration include:

Plugin Manager : Lazy
LSP : Mason
Fuzzy Finder : Telescope with fzf
Git Integration : git-signs
File Tree : neotree
Copilot : copilot.vim

I intend on playing around with oil.nvim soon too, which lets you edit the filesystem like any standard buffer.

I don't tend to use splits much, and I'm weaning myself off of using tabs too. I manage my buffers as though they were tabs and primarily use :telecope or LSP goto-definition to navigate between them.

You can see my full config here .

Web Stuff

Outside of the terminal, the only real thing I interact with is a web browser. I use qutebrowser for all my browsing needs.

I don't use any browser extensions either, which many find strange.

Browser - qutebrowser
Search Engine - Kagi
Email - Google Workspace
Domain Registrar - Porkbun
Hosting - fly.io or Hetzner
VPS - Tailscale

I don't use an email client, and I don't use a feed reader either. I just use the web browser for everything.

qutebrowser is a keyboard-driven browser, and at this point if it has sidebar tabs and vim keybindings, I'm sold.

It actually doesn't render some websites correctly, but I'm okay with that. Otherwise I'd use firefox.

Subscriptions

I have the following subscriptions that I pay for, which pretty much covers any other software I use:

Password Manager - 1Password
Media -

Netflix
Amazon Prime
Crunchyroll
Disney+
YouTube Premium

Music - khaudio, Spotify
Chat - Discord Nitro
Games -

Xbox Game Pass
PlayStation Plus
Nintendo Switch Online
Humble Choice

Backups

I unironically don't back up my data.

I don't have any data that I can't afford to lose, and I don't have any data that I can't recreate. If it's important, it's in a git repository.

Thanks to nix , I can recreate my entire environment from scratch in less than ten minutes.

I recommend reading Erase your darlings .

Hobbies

Tea

I drink a lot of tea, and I have a lot of tea.

Tea Pots

Tea cups

Kettles

Stagg EKG

Tea

My current favorite tea is Pu'erh Dor from Mariage Frères .

A lot of the time, I'll also drink tea from TWG or Fortnum & Mason , or any varieties I find and enjoy during my travels!

I'll also often add things such as Hibiscus Leaves, Jasmine Flowers, or Rose Petals depending on my mood!

Reading

I use Audible for audiobooks, I'm currently reading:

Fiction

Game of Thrones

Non-Fiction

Perfums

I've recently started getting into perfumes, and my favourite types of scents are Oriental and Floral.

My current favorite perfumes are:

Tom Ford

Jo Malone

Yves Saint Laurent

Opium

I admittedly haven't gotten into niche perfumes yet, but I'm looking forward to exploring them soon!