About the author

James Cherti is a Canadian Senior Software Development and Infrastructure as
Code Specialist with over 20 years of professional experience in software
development, UNIX/Linux system administration, and computer networking. Throughout his career, he has architected highly-available and scalable distributed systems, optimized complex workflows through automation, ensured security in production environments, and developed robust software solutions across diverse industries… (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
• Bash shell: Interactive Menu to Insert any String from the Tmux Scrollback Buffer Into the Shell Prompt
• 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

• 13 Useful GNOME Shell Extensions for a Better Desktop Experience (Available in the official Debian repositories or on the GNOME Extensions website for other distributions)
  by James Cherti
  GNOME Shell offers a clean and modern UI, but it often lacks functionality desired by power users and those coming from other desktop environments. GNOME Shell extensions provide a way to restore or add features to your desktop. In this article, you’ll explore some of the most useful GNOME Shell extensions available directly from the official Debian … Continue reading →
• Installing Arch Linux onto a separate partition from an existing Debian-based distribution (Ubuntu, Debian, Linux Mint…), without using the Arch Linux installation media
  by James Cherti
  Installing Arch Linux typically begins with booting from official installation media. However, it is also possible to bootstrap an Arch Linux installation from within a running Debian-based system (Ubuntu, Debian, Linux Mint, etc.). This method is advantageous in environments where rebooting into live media is impractical or when remote installation is desired. This article outlines a workflow … Continue reading →
• How I Designed an Ergonomic Workstation for IT Specialists to Enhance Focus, Comfort, and Efficiency
  by James Cherti
  In modern software development and system administration, where prolonged computer use is routine, an optimized workstation is not a luxury but a necessity. The workspace I designed balances ergonomics, efficiency, and versatility. I’m sharing it here because I believe it’s always valuable to see how other IT specialists configure their setups, gain inspiration, and exchange ideas. Feel … Continue reading →
• minimal-vim-config – The Efficient Minimal Vim/Neovim Configuration
  by James Cherti
  The minimal-vim-config project is a Vim configuration that is intended to serve as a solid foundation for a Vim configuration. The author began developing this configuration upon first adopting Vim and has continuously refined it over 25 years of research and testing to identify the most effective parameters and optimizations for a Vim configuration file. This Vim … Continue reading →
• Enhancing Git Diff for Emacs Lisp: Better Git Diff of Elisp function or macro definitions
  by James Cherti
  By default, the git diff algorithm compares changes in Elisp files line by line without understanding the structural semantics of Emacs Lisp files. This means that when modifications are made within functions, the diff output does not convey how those changes relate to higher-level code constructs such as functions or macros. As a result, reviewers are presented … Continue reading →
• 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, a variable name, or a 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 … 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 →
• Git: 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 →

(All articles…)