So you want to test some headphones...

As an engineer, you’re always refining which tools are in your toolbox. Here’s a big list of software I enjoy using in 2024. There are big overlaps with my list in 2023. One change I’ve made this year: I’m dropping all mentions of anything I don’t touch in a month. So, please refer to 2023 for some honorable, but less regular, mentions.

In the past few months, I’ve come across two interesting and impressive projects. First, Omakub, an omakase developer setup for Ubuntu 24.04+ by DHH, whom I greatly respect. Second, Project Bluefin, an opinionated Linux workstation built on atomic Fedora images (Fedora Silverblue, specifically). I couldn’t help but see this as an opportunity to...

In the past few months, I’ve come across two interesting and impressive projects. First, Omakub, an omakase developer setup for Ubuntu 24.04+ by DHH, whom I greatly respect. Second, Project Bluefin, an opinionated Linux workstation built on atomic Fedora images (Fedora Silverblue, specifically). I couldn’t help but see this as an opportunity to...

Have you considered explicitly writing out the mission, principles, and values for your family? About a year ago, my wife and I had some big changes in life: a young child, living in a new state, setting some roots. It seemed like an apropos time to make a declaration of sorts of our family mission, principles, and values so that we could point...

How is your knowledge of knots? Despite being an Eagle Scout, I would have to answer: very poor. While I’m confident that just about everyone knows the Overhand knot, the Reef knot (or Square knot), a shoelace knot (or more), and a Slip knot. As a Boy Scout, throw a Bowline into that mix. And yet, if I was tasked to tie a knot outside the context...