91
A Faster Alternative to Jq
An introduction to the jsongrep tool, a technical explanation of its DFA-based search engine, and performance results against popular JSON query tools.
Topics /
Tools & Productivity
The most popular blog posts about tools & productivity on Hacker News. 371 posts.
92
Agents don't need memory, they need documentation
Why agents need project documentation instead of retrieval from old conversations.
93
Google Workspace thinks my domain is an email provider (2025)
I was creating a Google Workspace account for my company, as everyone knows, it’s a pretty straightforward sign-up process, until I’m hit with a weird, confusing error when I type my domain name:
94
Claude Code: connect to a local model when your quota runs out
If you’re on one of the cheaper Anthropic plans like me, it’s a pretty common scenario when you’re deep into Claude coding an idea, to hit a daily or weekly quota limit. If you want to keep going, you can connect to a local open source model instead of Anthropic. To monitor your current quota, type: /usage
95
On caring for user data: NeoVim caused Vim undo files to be deleted
A blog about software craft and quality
96
97
4x faster network file sync with rclone (vs rsync) (2025)
For the past couple years, I have transported my 'working set' of video and project data to and from work on an external Thunderbolt NVMe SSD. But it's always been slow when I do the sync. In a typical day, I may generate a new project folder with 500-1000 individual files, and dozens of them may be 1-10 GB in size…
98
Using “underdrawings” for accurate text and numbers
A technique for accurate text and numbers in AI-generated images: generate the layout deterministically, then ask the image model to paint on top.
99
Using coding assistance tools to revive projects you never were going to finish
I tried to use Claude Code with Opus 4.6 to implement a connector between Youtube Music and opensubsonic. The end result was a fairly short amount of time to get a working project.
100
Ripgrep is faster than grep, ag, git grep, ucg, pt, sift (2016)
In this article I will introduce a new command line search tool, ripgrep , that combines the usability of The Silver Searcher (an ack clone) with the raw performance of GNU grep. ripgrep is fast, cross platform (with binaries available for Linux, Mac and Windows) and written in Rust .
101
Conventional Commits encourages focus on the wrong things
You’ve almost certainly encountered Conventional Commits before. It may have reared its ugly head in the changelog of an open source project you’ve used. It may have been the enforced commit format for an open source project you contributed to. A lot of people swear by it. I swear at it. Even though it is used by a…
102
Three constraints before I build anything
['Programmer', 'Computer nerd', 'Unix enthusiast'];
103
Your phone is an entire computer
The new MacBook Neo announcement raises old questions around what rights we have (and don't have) to install software on devices we own.
104
The Productivity Mirage
What I once thought about programming productivity was wrong
105
Even more batteries included with Emacs
Emacs features have a discoverability problem, and we’re chipping away at it one demo at a time. The years since I wrote the last one of these have yielded more surprising and useful finds, so it’s time again for a “batteries included” report. Note This is the third in a series of articles highlighting useful but…
106
Digital minimalism
For a long time I have been a fan of minimalism in my physical life: have few physical possessions, and try to do more with less. Four years ago, I wrote this blog post describing what I had in the 40-liter backpack that I travel around with.
107
Can Bundler be as fast as uv?
At RailsWorld earlier this year, I got nerd sniped by someone. They asked “why can’t Bundler be as fast as uv?” Immediately my inner voice said “YA, WHY CAN’T IT BE AS FAST AS UV????” My inner voice likes to shout at me, especially when someone asks a question so obvious I should have thought of it myself. Since then…
108
Backups Aren't Simple
Starting from a wiped family photo drive, a walk through everything a real backup needs: snapshots, rotation, deduplication, offsite copies and tested restores.
109
My two-part desk setup (2025)
How I turned a single long desk into a digital side for work and an analog side for reading, writing, and building LEGO with the kids.
110
Hacking IKEA Furniture
When something you want is not available for purchase, well, you can always build it yourself! I recently moved and have a dedicated office room now. I wanted …
111
Rack-mount hydroponics
how to grow plants in a server rack
112
AI coding at home without going broke
There are three ways to do AI coding at home without spending like a company, and which one fits depends mostly on how much you trust the next year of hardwa...
113
Making Firefox's right-click not suck with about:config
A practical about:config checklist to declutter Firefox right-click menus on macOS, disabling AI/chatbot prompts, link previews, OCR, visual search, and other low-value context menu items.
114
My Homelab Setup
How I repurposed my old gaming PC to set up a home server for data storage, backups, and self-hosted apps.
115
116
Keyboard differences between Windows and Macs
A blog about software craft and quality
117
Reallocating $100/Month Claude Code Spend to Zed and OpenRouter
With Anthropic altering rate limits, we can find other places to spend our money. I have chosen Zed editor with OpenRouter for maximum flexibility.
118
What's new in Emacs 31.1
Emacs 31.1 adds a slew of quality-of-life features. It retires its quirky unexec dumper; there are general improvements to tree-sitter, including a much-wanted auto-installer for grammars; and much more.
119
Inside ZCode: Silently uploading your Git history to the cloud
ZCode silently uploads full Git history to the cloud; this post provides a block rule and source review — checkpoint claims fall apart against the code.
120
Using an engineering notebook
One of my core software engineering practices is writing, by hand, in a physical notebook [1] . It's one of the most important things I do to remain productive and effective. Maybe the single most important. And it's a practice that I see very few others using!