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Non-Graphical Linux Environment Part 1

This is a post where I write about using Linux in the virtual console.
I tried this out for a period of time and have formed my own strong
opinions about its viability as a computing environment.

New Old Laptop

I have never owned a laptop computer. But now I do?
It’s an ancient hand-me-down, but I’m quite excited about getting some use out of it.
The previous owner was content to let it rot. We can’t have that.

Changes In Tmux 3.7

There are new releases of tmux about twice a year.
There are always new features added, but rarely do I feel the need to talk about
them.

Fixing A Bug Inside Tmux Menu

Sometimes my tmux sessions will crash.
This is super-rare and seemingly random so I just accept it.
Today I figured out why and resolved it.

Highlighting String Matches

While working with some repeating text patterns, I wanted the ability to not
only highlight them, but do so in different colors.
This inevitably lead to wanting more features…
Here is some of the process.

Compiled CGI Scripts For W3m

Got tired of writing and maintaining shell scripts, so
I decided to rewrite some cgi scripts using go.
It was an Ok idea, which led to a better idea.

First Hour Of Zig

I don’t have much time to noodle around trying out new programming languages.
But zig seemed like it was worth at least an hour of my time.
this post documents how far I got.

I Should Rework My Tmux Status Line

The tmux status line can do a bunch of cool stuff,
though it isn’t always fun having to configure it.
My config has become unruly, and it’s time to fix it.
Here’s some notes I wrote down while doing so.

Let's Try: Emacs

This covers my first few non-contiguous hours using emacs.
It consisted mostly of reading about how to use emacs.

Built-in Help Issues

The built-in help for neovim is awesome.
It’s extensive, but not without issues.
This post outlines a couple of things I noticed while using it.

Copying Text In W3M

Copying text is a basic task that is often taken for granted.
When a copy operation doesn’t work the way we need it to, it can be frustrating.
Some command line programs have poor copy/paste ergonomics.
W3m has solid options.

Buffer Selection By Index

Chawan Web Browser

I have several pages worth of notes about my experience using the chawan web browser.
It is an interesting piece of software,
yet it has been difficult to organize my thoughts about it.

Multiple Tmux Sockets

There isn’t a ton of guidance for using multiple sockets in an actual workflow.
So I’m just out here experimenting.

Automatic Backups Up To External Drive

I need to automatically backup important files to a physical external storage device.
And the backup should occur whenever the storage device is plugged into the source
machine. That can be done without too much hassle, right?

Let's Try: Zsh

I’m not picky when it comes to terminal shells as long as is doesn’t crash.
For me, bash == zsh most of the time.

Closing W3m Tabs The Right Way

Right as in the direction, not a correction.
I do not use tabs enough to have a preference.
It was asked if tab behavior could be changed.
It can.

Alternative gx Commands

Opening urls in neovim often feels like rolling dice.

Revising A Command Line Challenge

Not issuing a challenge, nor participating in one.
Though I believe we can approach such challenges a bit differently,
so they might lead to a more positive experience for all.

Let's Try: Elinks - Part 2

An update during my trial run of elinks usage.
This is mostly about trying to script basic behavior with lua and python.
Some previous questions are answered. New questions are also asked.

Simple Marks In Neovim

Started adding marks to the workflow wherever I can now.

I Use Neovim... *sigh*

Intended creating a new section about vim . Quickly realized that much of the
contents were going to be neovim specific. So why lie.

Using W3M As A File Manager - Part 3

This post about w3m file management looks at improving the directory list.
Unexciting.
This alternative directory list looks a bit more unix-like, and is easier to navigate.

Newsboat Captain

After using Newsboat for rss feeding for a while,
I sampled several alternatives.
It was edifying to compare the features of these programs,
as well some of the source code.

The Other Mark

Unrelated to html mark tags,
w3m has a feature to mark blocks of text.
It took me a while to get around to using it.
Many programs have an equivalent feature.
It tends to be hit or miss among the programs that offer it.
Unsurprisingly, the feature’s usefulness is dependent on user’s workflow
and perhaps their imagination.

Lite Keyboard Remapping

No desire to reinvent the wheel here,
but rather smooth out some rough edges in my keyboard layout.
There are certainly many roads one can travel to reach their ideal layout.
I’d like to explore the shortest and least expensive paths first.

Let's Try: Elinks

On a whim,
I decided to try using elinks for web browsing.
Distant past me probably tried it at some point, and quickly tapped out.
This was certainly before becoming a command line user.
Let’s see how the program shines now.

W3m Z Commands

Vim has a set of commands to set the current line position in view.
It was asked if w3m has some way of implementing these actions.
I figured there was already a method for doing this.
Rather than speculate, we can settle the matter.

Tmux Aliases

I don’t use tmux aliases often, but probably should.
I am not the sole occupant of this boat,
as this also applies to most tmux users.
This post explores the feature to get a better understanding of why this is.

Highlighting And HTML Mark Tags

I ended up going on a side quest while trying to make the w3m local file system buffer
look cool. Underline just wasn’t cutting it as decoration for file selection.
Changing this wasn’t difficult, but it lead to desiring more style options
inside the program.

Spring Cleaning And Readline Keybindings

I was looking for a reason to post about binding additional keys
in the terminal with Readline.
Also thought it might be worth it to organize the configuration file.
The file looks tidy, and I learned some best practices for key assignment.
But this look into keybindings morphed into an exploration of vi-mode
and its problems. Yeah, it’s undeniable, there are…

Average KDE Plasma Enjoyer

I have written this at least twice due to needing to reinstall my operating
system.

Tmux Menus Are My Jam

My terminal-based workflow started coming together soon after I discovered how
to leverage menus in tmux.

Using W3M As A File Manager - Part 2

Let’s continue the exploration of w3m as a file manager. Hopefully it starts
getting fun soon.

Using W3M As A File Manager - Part 1

Since we are already using w3m for paging and web browsing,
it’s worth it to attempt making file management passable.
Yeah, I don’t like multi-part posts either,
but there was too much going on.
In this first part we’ll look at how things are by default
and why it probably doesn’t cut it for many users

Using W3M As A File Manager - Part 0

Here is a suggestion if you browse local files using w3m and
would like a small quality of life improvement.

Fixing The W3M Status Line

Everyone appreciates a good status line in their terminal program.
Here we are hard capped at a single line. Let’s make sure we prioritize the
important information.

Displaying Keystrokes In Tmux Status Line

Many content creators make use of software that displays the keystroke inputs so
viewers can follow along. Many of these tools are gui-centric. We need a
solution for those people living primarily in the terminal.

Readline Is Kinda Crazy

I have used vi-mode in the terminal for years.
I am comfortable making changes to my .inputrc
and have bound several scripts to control key combinations.
But I’m almost embarrassed to admit,
that I was today years old when I realized that I could bind actions to arbitrary key combinations.
Just like in (n) vi (m).
I’m shook.

Tmux'n A List, Ripgrepping It Twice

If you want to find out what. my. key. binds. look. like.

Let's Create A Tmux Window For Working With A Hugo Website

I previously went to the trouble of making a simple ’launch menu’ for hugo
server management inside of tmux. I decided to circle the square by making a
window.

Let's Create A Tmux Menu For Working With A Hugo Server

As I work more with Hugo, I find myself needing to start, stop, or restart the
server. At some point this part of the workflow was slowing me down, so I
decided to solve the issue by using a tmux menu to smooth things out.

I Use W3M As My Pager

Second to perhaps my text editor, w3m is the piece of software that has had the
largest impact on my computing experience in the past several years.

Fixing The Tmux Cmatrix Demo

Running cmatrix in a tmux window isn’t practical.
Don’t let that stop you though.
When you do,
at least do it “correctly”.

I Use Tmux

I use tmux extensively. While I do not feel compelled to try and convince others
that they should, I do wish to outline the reasons why it works for me.

'Tis the Season For Coding Unto Others

I miss out on Advent of Code each year. If you miss out on the first couple of
days it seems like you aren’t a part of the festivities. As such, I never
actually do it. But this year is different! I actually remembered to start on
the first day. Let me just head on over to the Advent of Code home page in my
terminal… oh no… something has stolen my attention.

You Can Improve Your Personal Blog, For Me Specifically

I am not qualified to give anyone any advice regarding their blog, except how
they can make it more readable in the terminal.