Ask HN: What linux desktop tools/apps boosted your productivity?
* Fish shell: Specifically, its abbreviation feature. `abbr --add word phrase`. e.g. `abbr --add g git`, then I don&#x27;t have to deal with autocomplete support for non-native command names as it literally expands to git after I type it followed by a space or return.<p>It also allows for faster throw-away function editing and saving if you want to keep it. `function`, `funced`, `funcsave`, `functions`<p>* Tmux: Use pane splitting so much, always frustrates me to see others moving so slowly through terminal windows and tabs.
bonus: I also have pane splitting to re-attach to existing SSH connection if it was split from a SSH session.<p>I used to use tmuxinator and probably will again, more valuable if multiple projects simultaneously.<p>* Guake&#x2F;Gnome Drop Down Terminal: Terminal dropdown is just such a huge time saver.<p>* z: jump to recent directories, <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;github.com&#x2F;jethrokuan&#x2F;z" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;github.com&#x2F;jethrokuan&#x2F;z</a><p>* fzf: get ctrl + r history search functionality back that bash provides, also provides ctrl + o to open files in $EDITOR
<a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;github.com&#x2F;jethrokuan&#x2F;fzf" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;github.com&#x2F;jethrokuan&#x2F;fzf</a><p>* copyq: Best clipboard manager evah! You NEED a clipboard manager, can&#x27;t believe I went years without it, I trigger mine with ctrl + alt + c<p>* pipe to clipboard: `&lt;command with output&gt; | xsel --clipboard`, wrap xsel in a `cb` abbreviation in fish for autoexpansion. `abbr -a cb xsel --clipboard` may need to install `xsel` first.<p>* workspace tiling: I map 9 workspaces to the same grid on the keyboard with these keys + an &lt;alt&gt; modifier. I also assign certain applications to always auto-assign to specific workspaces:<p>w e r<p>s d f<p>x c v<p>* clock: set it to show seconds, you can easily perform loose timing way. Use `time &lt;command&gt;` if you are on the terminal.<p>* timezone: if you work with a team who is in one timezone, just set it to use their timezone during working day. I made a script to toggle this back and forth easily<p>I also display my timezone in my tray if I am toggling timezones.<p>* Arch Linux: On previous distros I would have to futz with package sources way too much. With Arch it is the easiest and most productive ever by using the `yay` package manager&#x2F;wrapper. I can type `yay -S &lt;package name&gt;` and 99% of the time it will be available and even automates building it from source if there isn&#x27;t a binary. It just works, I will never go back. Arch has some of the best packaging out there, I will use Arch for this reason alone, it saves many hours of time.<p>* ethernet cable: I use ethernet cabling whenever possible. Lower latency times and in video conferences you can say &quot;not me&quot; when the stream breaks down. Results in you not having to troubleshoot wifi. Using wires is amazing!<p>* Jabra 410 WIRED speakerphone: one reason, hardware mute button. Don&#x27;t have to fiddle through windows to see if you are on mute. Big red ring around the speakerphone shows if you are muted or not.<p>* Screen annotations + touchscreens: The reason to use a touchscreen with linux is screen annotations. Arch + Gnome 3 works well enough with `yay -S gromit-mpx` as an alternative to Compiz Annotate. This saves time because during presentations you can communicate much more efficiently by drawing a red circle around something. You don&#x27;t need a touchscreen and can use a mouse pointer, but that does slow things down, still better than no annotations though.<p>* noise cancelling headphones: this is the best investment I have ever made. Do this.<p>* Focus music: &quot;hey google, play focus music&quot; and also I purchased lifetime subscriptions for brain.fm and focus@will. I toggle between the 3. Combined with noise cancelling headphones you can get into some killer focus zones with these!<p>* rubber ducking: similar to other posts here for marking @todos etc, which I may look into their suggestions for a CLI method. But for now I use a running Google Doc where I write it out for getting stuck and making progress. Here is an article I wrote expanding on this blurb. <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;medium.com&#x2F;@ElijahLynn&#x2F;write-it-out-f9c74082e6ca" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;medium.com&#x2F;@ElijahLynn&#x2F;write-it-out-f9c74082e6ca</a><p>* 2-5 minute runs: Sometimes just gotta get up and run. I run around the block, it doesn&#x27;t have to be long. A goal of once around the block is super good for brain health, more is better but 2 minutes is really a good start. My long-term goal is to do a 2 minute run every hour during the day.<p>=======================================================<p>Here is my most recent Arch setup with most of these tools listed, it is pretty messy and I didn&#x27;t document everything in there but maybe it is useful to someone, there is also a video recording of how to install Arch + Gnome 3 at the top of the document that my friend and colleague Cameron Eagans walked me through with some great discussion around UEFI &amp; BIOS. <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;docs.google.com&#x2F;document&#x2F;d&#x2F;1QtQyveacu8dgTeoy8939Ti426eifC_GqJKaVhNu0bN4&#x2F;edit" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;docs.google.com&#x2F;document&#x2F;d&#x2F;1QtQyveacu8dgTeoy8939Ti42...</a><p>Gosh that was way longer than it was intended to be, original intent was just to write about `fish abbr --add` which you should switch to fish for that reason alone!!