Productivity¶

Tools and techniques to boost your command-line efficiency.

Shell Aliases¶

Git Aliases¶

# Add to ~/.zshrc or ~/.bashrc
alias g="git"
alias gs="git status"
alias ga="git add"
alias gc="git commit"
alias gp="git push"
alias gl="git pull"
alias gd="git diff"
alias gco="git checkout"
alias gsw="git switch"
alias gb="git branch"
alias glog="git log --oneline -15"

# Common workflows
alias gac="git add -A && git commit -m"
alias gundo="git reset HEAD~1"
alias gamend="git commit --amend --no-edit"
alias gpf="git push --force-with-lease"

Docker Aliases¶

alias d="docker"
alias dc="docker compose"
alias dps="docker ps"
alias dlog="docker logs -f"
alias dex="docker exec -it"
alias dcu="docker compose up -d"
alias dcd="docker compose down"
alias dcl="docker compose logs -f"
alias dcr="docker compose restart"
alias dprune="docker system prune -af --volumes"

Project Aliases¶

alias py="python"
alias pytest="uv run pytest"
alias lint="uv run ruff check --fix ."
alias format="uv run ruff format ."
alias migrate="uv run alembic upgrade head"
alias shell="uv run python -c 'import code; code.interact(local=locals())'"

# Node
alias dev="bun run dev"
alias build="bun run build"
alias test="bun test"

alias ..="cd .."
alias ...="cd ../.."
alias ....="cd ../../.."
alias ~="cd ~"

# Project directories
alias proj="cd ~/projects"
alias work="cd ~/work"

Shell Functions¶

Quick Project Start¶

# Start a project with common services
devstart() {
    echo "Starting development environment..."
    docker compose up -d db redis
    sleep 2
    uv run alembic upgrade head
    echo "Ready! Run 'uv run uvicorn app.main:app --reload'"
}

# Stop all project services
devstop() {
    docker compose down
    pkill -f "uvicorn"
}

Git Helpers¶

# Create branch and push
gnew() {
    git checkout -b "$1"
    git push -u origin "$1"
}

# Quick commit with message
gcm() {
    git add -A
    git commit -m "$*"
}

# Interactive branch cleanup
gclean() {
    git branch --merged main | grep -v "main" | xargs -n 1 git branch -d
}

# Show recent branches
grecent() {
    git for-each-ref --sort=-committerdate refs/heads/ \
        --format='%(committerdate:short) %(refname:short)' \
        | head -10
}

Utility Functions¶

# Create directory and cd into it
mkcd() {
    mkdir -p "$1" && cd "$1"
}

# Find and kill process by port
killport() {
    kill -9 $(lsof -t -i:"$1")
}

# Quick HTTP server
serve() {
    local port="${1:-8000}"
    python -m http.server "$port"
}

# Extract any archive
extract() {
    case "$1" in
        *.tar.bz2) tar xjf "$1" ;;
        *.tar.gz)  tar xzf "$1" ;;
        *.bz2)     bunzip2 "$1" ;;
        *.gz)      gunzip "$1" ;;
        *.tar)     tar xf "$1" ;;
        *.tbz2)    tar xjf "$1" ;;
        *.tgz)     tar xzf "$1" ;;
        *.zip)     unzip "$1" ;;
        *.7z)      7z x "$1" ;;
        *)         echo "Unknown format: $1" ;;
    esac
}

fzf (Fuzzy Finder)¶

Installation¶

# macOS
brew install fzf
$(brew --prefix)/opt/fzf/install

# Ubuntu
sudo apt install fzf

Basic Usage¶

# Find files
fzf

# Pipe anything
cat file.txt | fzf
ps aux | fzf

# Preview
fzf --preview 'cat {}'
fzf --preview 'bat --color=always {}'

Key Bindings¶

After running install script:

Ctrl+R — Search command history
Ctrl+T — Search files
Alt+C — Search directories and cd

Custom Commands¶

# Git branch switcher
alias gb="git branch | fzf | xargs git checkout"

# Git log browser
alias gshow="git log --oneline | fzf --preview 'git show {1}'"

# Kill process interactively
alias fkill="ps aux | fzf | awk '{print \$2}' | xargs kill"

# Docker container shell
alias dsh="docker ps --format '{{.Names}}' | fzf | xargs -I {} docker exec -it {} bash"

# Open file in editor
alias fe="fzf --preview 'bat --color=always {}' | xargs -r $EDITOR"

fzf Configuration¶

# ~/.zshrc or ~/.bashrc
export FZF_DEFAULT_COMMAND='fd --type f --hidden --follow --exclude .git'
export FZF_CTRL_T_COMMAND="$FZF_DEFAULT_COMMAND"
export FZF_ALT_C_COMMAND='fd --type d --hidden --follow --exclude .git'

export FZF_DEFAULT_OPTS="
    --height 40%
    --layout=reverse
    --border
    --preview 'bat --color=always --style=numbers --line-range=:500 {}'
"

tmux (Terminal Multiplexer)¶

Installation¶

# macOS
brew install tmux

# Ubuntu
sudo apt install tmux

Basic Commands¶

# Start new session
tmux
tmux new -s project

# Attach to session
tmux attach
tmux attach -t project

# List sessions
tmux ls

# Kill session
tmux kill-session -t project

Key Bindings (prefix = Ctrl+b)¶

Sessions: - Ctrl+b d — Detach - Ctrl+b s — List sessions - Ctrl+b $ — Rename session

Windows: - Ctrl+b c — New window - Ctrl+b , — Rename window - Ctrl+b n — Next window - Ctrl+b p — Previous window - Ctrl+b w — List windows - Ctrl+b & — Kill window

Panes: - Ctrl+b % — Split vertical - Ctrl+b " — Split horizontal - Ctrl+b arrow — Navigate panes - Ctrl+b z — Toggle pane zoom - Ctrl+b x — Kill pane - Ctrl+b { — Move pane left - Ctrl+b } — Move pane right

Configuration¶

~/.tmux.conf:

# Better prefix
set -g prefix C-a
unbind C-b
bind C-a send-prefix

# Mouse support
set -g mouse on

# Start numbering at 1
set -g base-index 1
setw -g pane-base-index 1

# Faster escape
set -sg escape-time 0

# Better splits
bind | split-window -h -c "#{pane_current_path}"
bind - split-window -v -c "#{pane_current_path}"

# Vim-style pane navigation
bind h select-pane -L
bind j select-pane -D
bind k select-pane -U
bind l select-pane -R

# Reload config
bind r source-file ~/.tmux.conf \; display "Reloaded!"

tmux + Development¶

# Development session script
#!/bin/bash
# dev-session.sh

SESSION="project"

tmux new-session -d -s $SESSION

# Window 1: Editor
tmux rename-window -t $SESSION:1 'editor'
tmux send-keys -t $SESSION:1 'nvim' C-m

# Window 2: Server
tmux new-window -t $SESSION:2 -n 'server'
tmux send-keys -t $SESSION:2 'docker compose up' C-m

# Window 3: Shell
tmux new-window -t $SESSION:3 -n 'shell'

# Attach to session
tmux attach -t $SESSION

direnv¶

Auto-load environment variables when entering directories.

Installation¶

# macOS
brew install direnv

# Ubuntu
sudo apt install direnv

# Add to shell
eval "$(direnv hook zsh)"  # or bash

Usage¶

# Create .envrc in project
echo 'export DATABASE_URL="postgresql://localhost/dev"' > .envrc

# Allow the envrc
direnv allow

# Now entering directory automatically sets DATABASE_URL

Common .envrc Patterns¶

# Load .env file
dotenv

# Or specific file
dotenv .env.local

# Python virtual environment
source .venv/bin/activate

# Node version
use node 18

# Custom PATH
PATH_add bin

# Layout (creates and activates venv)
layout python3

# Load secrets from file
source_env_if_exists .env.secrets

zoxide (Smart cd)¶

Installation¶

# macOS
brew install zoxide

# Add to shell
eval "$(zoxide init zsh)"  # or bash

Usage¶

# Jump to directory
z project      # Jumps to most frequent "project" match
z doc          # Jumps to most frequent directory containing "doc"

# Interactive selection
zi

# Add directory manually
zoxide add /path/to/dir

# Query database
zoxide query project

ripgrep (Fast Search)¶

Installation¶

# macOS
brew install ripgrep

# Ubuntu
sudo apt install ripgrep

Usage¶

# Basic search
rg "pattern"

# In specific file types
rg "pattern" -t py
rg "pattern" -t js -t ts

# Exclude patterns
rg "pattern" -g '!*.test.js'

# Case insensitive
rg -i "pattern"

# Show context
rg "pattern" -C 3

# Count matches
rg "pattern" -c

# Files only
rg "pattern" -l

# Fixed string (not regex)
rg -F "exact.string"

Configuration¶

~/.ripgreprc:

--smart-case
--hidden
--glob=!.git/*
--glob=!node_modules/*
--glob=!*.lock

# Use config file
export RIPGREP_CONFIG_PATH=~/.ripgreprc

Dotfiles Management¶

Git-based Approach¶

# Initialize dotfiles repo
cd ~
git init --bare .dotfiles

# Alias for dotfiles commands
alias dotfiles='git --git-dir=$HOME/.dotfiles --work-tree=$HOME'

# Ignore untracked files
dotfiles config --local status.showUntrackedFiles no

# Add files
dotfiles add .zshrc
dotfiles add .tmux.conf
dotfiles commit -m "Add shell configs"
dotfiles push origin main

Stow-based Approach¶

# Install stow
brew install stow

# Directory structure
dotfiles/
├── zsh/
│   └── .zshrc
├── tmux/
│   └── .tmux.conf
└── git/
    └── .gitconfig

# Apply configs
cd dotfiles
stow zsh tmux git

Recommended Tools Summary¶

Tool	Purpose	Install
fzf	Fuzzy finder	`brew install fzf`
tmux	Terminal multiplexer	`brew install tmux`
direnv	Environment loader	`brew install direnv`
zoxide	Smart cd	`brew install zoxide`
ripgrep	Fast search	`brew install ripgrep`
fd	Fast find	`brew install fd`
bat	Better cat	`brew install bat`
eza	Better ls	`brew install eza`
jq	JSON processor	`brew install jq`
tldr	Simplified man pages	`brew install tldr`

Productivity¶

Shell Aliases¶

Git Aliases¶

Docker Aliases¶

Project Aliases¶

Navigation Aliases¶

Shell Functions¶

Quick Project Start¶

Git Helpers¶

Utility Functions¶

fzf (Fuzzy Finder)¶

Installation¶

Basic Usage¶

Key Bindings¶

Custom Commands¶

fzf Configuration¶

tmux (Terminal Multiplexer)¶

Installation¶

Basic Commands¶

Key Bindings (prefix = Ctrl+b)¶

Configuration¶

tmux + Development¶

direnv¶

Installation¶

Usage¶

Common .envrc Patterns¶

zoxide (Smart cd)¶

Installation¶

Usage¶

ripgrep (Fast Search)¶

Installation¶

Usage¶

Configuration¶

Dotfiles Management¶

Git-based Approach¶

Stow-based Approach¶

Recommended Tools Summary¶