About the author

James Cherti is a Sr. Software Development and Infrastructure as Code Specialist with extensive experience and expertise in software development, Linux system administration, and computer networking. His robust background in the design, implementation, and management of reliable and efficient infrastructure and software highlights his profound skills and knowledge in these areas… (Read more about James Cherti)

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Highlighted Articles

• UNIX/Linux: Creating and Restoring a Gzip Compressed Disk Image with dd on UNIX/Linux
• UNIX/Linux: Installing Debian onto a separate partition without using the Debian installer
• Gentoo Linux: Unlocking a LUKS Encrypted LVM Root Partition at Boot Time using a Key File stored on an External USB Drive
• Gentoo Linux: How to Speed Up emerge ‐‐sync
• Arch Linux: Preserving the kernel modules of the currently running kernel during and after an upgrade
• Vim: Tango color scheme for Vim’s built-in Terminal
• Running Large Language Models locally with Ollama (compatible with Linux, macOS, and Windows)
• Git: Enhancing Git configuration ~/.gitconfig for performance, efficiency, data integrity, and workflow automation
• Ansible: ansible-role-tuned, an Ansible role which configures tuned
• Python: A tool to Execute a Command in a new Tmux Window
• Emacs: Essential Packages for Efficient Software Development and Text Editing
• Emacs: Maintaining proper indentation in indentation-sensitive programming languages
• Emacs: Efficient Emacs startup and configuration with minimal-emacs.d
• Emacs: Highlighting Codetags Like TODO, FIXME, BUG, NOTE…
• Emacs: Toggling symbol highlighting with unique colors for each symbol using built-in functions
• Emacs: Automating Table of Contents Update for Markdown Documents (e.g., README.md)
• Emacs: Customizing the Ellipsis (…) in Outline Mode and Outline Minor Mode

Recent articles

• Python: How to Clear Stdin Before Using the input() Function
  by James Cherti
  In Python, the input() function is commonly used to capture input from the user. However, issues may arise when unwanted or unexpected data is present in the stdin, leading to incorrect or incomplete results when calling input(). A reliable approach to address this issue is to clear the stdin buffer before invoking input(). This article discusses why … Continue reading →
• Bash shell: Interactive Menu to Insert any String from the Tmux Scrollback Buffer Into the Shell Prompt
  by James Cherti
  Imagine you’re working in a tmux session, navigating logs, editing config files, or running commands, and you suddenly need to reuse a path, variable name, or keyword that appeared earlier on the tmux scrollback buffer. Instead of scrolling back or retyping it manually, you press Ctrl-n, type a few fuzzy letters, press enter, and the desired string … Continue reading →
• Linux: Setting the default GDM login monitor in a multi-monitor setup using GNOME display settings
  by James Cherti
  If you’re using a multi-monitor setup with GDM (GNOME Display Manager) and the login screen consistently appears on the wrong monitor, this article presents a tested solution that can be applied either manually or automated, ensuring that the GDM monitor configuration matches that of your primary user setup. The issue Consider the following scenario: You have two … Continue reading →
• Suppressing Irrelevant Git Diff Output for Specific Files (e.g., binary files, encrypted files…)
  by James Cherti
  Sometimes, it is useful to suppress certain files from git diff output, especially when the files are large, machine-generated, or not intended for human reading. Typical examples include encrypted files such as *.gpg and *.asc, as well as binary assets like images, audio files, and similar media. These files are usually represented as opaque binary data in … Continue reading →
• Emacs: stripspace.el – Automatically Remove Trailing Whitespace Before Saving a Buffer, with an Option to Preserve the Cursor Column
  by James Cherti
  The stripspace Emacs package provides stripspace-local-mode, which automatically removes trailing whitespace and blank lines at the end of the buffer when saving. (Trailing whitespace refers to any spaces or tabs that appear at the end of a line, beyond the last non-whitespace character. These characters serve no purpose in the content of the file and can cause … Continue reading →
• Emacs package: bufferfile – Delete or rename buffer file names with their associated buffers
  by James Cherti
  The bufferfile Emacs package provides helper functions to delete and rename buffer files: Installation with straight (Emacs version < 30) To install bufferfile with straight.el: Alternative installation: Installation with use-package and :vc (Built-in feature in Emacs version >= 30) To install bufferfile with use-package and :vc (Emacs >= 30): Customization: Making bufferwizard use version control (VC), such … Continue reading →
• Emacs: persist-text-scale.el – Persist and Restore the Text Scale for All Buffers
  by James Cherti
  The persist-text-scale Emacs package provides persist-text-scale-mode, which ensures that all adjustments made with text-scale-increase and text-scale-decrease are persisted and restored across sessions. As a result, the text size in each buffer remains consistent, even after restarting Emacs. (By default, persist-text-scale-mode saves the text scale individually for each file-visiting buffer and applies a custom text scale for each … Continue reading →
• Configuring Linux on a ThinkPad T420s Laptop
  by James Cherti
  ThinkPad T420s laptops, despite their age, remain reliable for web browsing, word processing, and various other tasks. Linux can breathe new life into such dated computers, allowing them to perform efficiently. I configured one of these laptops for my son, and he is now able to do his homework using it. With proper configuration, ThinkPad laptops can … Continue reading →
• jc-dotfiles – A collection of configuration files for UNIX/Linux systems
  by James Cherti
  The jamescherti/jc-dotfiles repository is a collection of configuration files. You can either install them directly or use them as inspiration your own dotfiles. These dotfiles provide configurations for various tools, enhancing productivity and usability. This article will explore the contents of the jc-dotfiles repository, highlight the main configurations, and guide you through the installation process. In addition … Continue reading →
• bash-stdops – A collection of useful Bash Shell Scripts
  by James Cherti
  The jamescherti/bash-stdops project is a collection of helpful Bash scripts that simplify various operations, including file searching, text replacement, and content modification. I use these scripts in conjunction with text editors like Emacs and Vim to automate tasks, including managing Tmux sessions, replacing text across a Git repository, securely copying and pasting from the clipboard by prompting … Continue reading →

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