Setup v1

Like any self-respecting nerd, I’m particular about my tech: computers, devices, software, you name it. Here’s the rundown of my setup. If you’ve got suggestions for better alternatives, I’m all ears! Maybe this is just like a GQ series of Top 10 Samy Can’t Live Without™ type of list, surfing on social media marketing (no).

About Work

I’ll only discuss my personal tech stack, not due to NDAs or legal constraints but because I have a very specific mindset at work: stick to the defaults. Using the same configuration, the same keyboard layout, the same hard-drive organization, the same software as your colleagues, you can help or be helped way more easily. Sticking to defaults isn’t trendy or “hacker culture,” but it positions you to improve those defaults for the whole team, rather than isolating yourself with custom setups.

Editors

• Visual Studio Code (Windows/Linux). I use it extensively for C# development, previously with Unity and now with Godot. Microsoft only ships the debugger of this language with the official build of VS Code despite their Open Source rhetoric. I cannot develop without a proper debugger. With its countless plugins (web/games/embedded), it’s a one stop shop.
• NeoVim with LazyVim. I started this blog solely to learn this editor!
• I use Alacritty (any fast terminal works) with Bash and Starship.
• Notepad++ (Windows). I appreciate the author’s use of it as a platform for personal expression (his code, his rules), plus he’s French-Taiwanese, which is cool.

Desktop App

• I am a Firefox man. I do use Chromium for PWA because Mozilla is very late to the party.
• For any setup, you need to be able to locate your files fast. For Windows, I use Everything and fzf on Linux. Of course fzf is amazing because you can fuzzy find anything, files, commands, it will just completely change the way you experience your machine.
• To visualize image on Windows I use IrfanView. It shows a bit its age but it is just very fast with the basic manipulation tools you need. On Linux, I use Pinta. It is a multiplatform fork of the famous Paint.Net, thought I haven’t found a Linux equivalent as lightweight as IrfanView.
• Spotify’s universal compatiblity across my home cinema, phones and computers/Os is excellent despite relative sync issues.
• Gitea: I try to self-host everything, including this blog. It’s compatible with GitHub and its CI/CD system, without feeding Copilot. Just cool.

Phone App

• Foodvisor: As a tall person who’s been skinny fat twice: once during the crunch of Assassin’s Creed 4 because working on those games was brutal, leaving late and snacking all the time, then when moving to America: I rely on the app for calorie counting. I am doing a lot of sport but it is not enough. Calories counting as of today allowed me to lose more than 10kg in 3 months by revealing bad habits. I realized that I was eating too much Pasta, like 300g versus 50g per serving. Any app works, it is there to build awareness. Seeing progress makes me happy.
• Fitbit Charge 5. It is useful to track your heart rate when you run to balance your effort.
• Withings Body Smart + Withings BPM Connect. I weight myself religiously every morning. The app will keep track of all the trends, body fat, hydration and so on. Tracking your blood pressure is actually a fun indicator of stress. In short, I am a big addict to connected smart health devices.
• I am learning Traditional Chinese using Skritter by drawing characters on-screen. It works for me because I’m a visual learner. My only caveat is that it is expensive (as everything with languages) and the app boot slowly. It is a common thread on Android devices, all those apps do network call on boot and it slows them down significantly.

Audio

• For the last 10+ years, I had a pair of Cabasse MT3 speakers with a Denon receiver connected via HDMI to my TV and computer.
• For travel, I use a pair of Sony WH1000-XM4, just awesome.
• For home, I use a pair of Audeze Maxwell. The sound quality is amazing (both headsets are wireless with built-in amps) but they are so heavy it strains my neck.

Mouse & keyboard

• I have used the Razer DeathAdder forever. So much so, I could not play Counter Strike without one. I tried lighter mice like a Glorious Gaming but wasn’t convinced. To get good O should invest in a real gamer mouse pad.
• I have so many keyboards. My daily driver is a Ducky One 3. I usually only buy white keyboards now and I love its old aesthetic. I only use Cherry MX Blue switches. I need the click and the feedback. I do have a Wooting, and a Razer Huntsman Mini for travel but those keyboards do not spark joy. My Duckies collection is my favourites.

Computers

• My home desktop is a AMD Ryzen 7 3700X with a NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER. It should perform well, but a faulty USB controller (likely the motherboard) causes lag and overheating. I am too frugal to replace it but I should.
• This blog is self-hosted on a Beelink EQR6 powered by a AMD Ryzen 5 6600U. Heat management is amazing, makes no noises and has 24GB of Ram, swell.
• A Steam Deck used as a dev kit for Linux compatibility and low performance testing, plus occasional Balatro.
• I have a dual monitor setup. My work monitor is a 4K LG 27GN950 (144Hz, G-SYNC). My gamer monitor is a Lenovo Y25-25 (244Hz, G-SYNC). It is a prototype version that this dude gave me. Both do their job.

Linux

• I use Arch Linux with Omarchy which provides sane default and a solid base to expand on. Hyprland with Wayland is fantastic with those settings. My workspace setup: first monitor has workspaces 1-4 (games on 4), second monitor has 5-8 (7 for steam, 8 for Godot) and 9 is for the TV. When developing with Godot, I spawn multiple clients that tile neatly on workspace 4. Windows would requires twice the power to do the same. Linux needs better defaults for mainstream adoption. The “suffer to join the club” mentality holds it back.