Setup
Uses
The software, CLI tools, and stack I use daily. Updated when things change. Inspired by uses.tech.
Terminal & CLI
- Windows Terminal / WSL2
- Ubuntu on Windows — best of both worlds for DevOps work
- Zsh + Oh My Zsh
- Plugins: git, kubectl, z, zsh-autosuggestions, fast-syntax-highlighting
- kubectl + k9s
- kubectl for scripting, k9s for interactive cluster navigation
- terraform + terragrunt
- IaC — Terragrunt for DRY configuration across environments
- helm + helmfile
- Kubernetes package management at scale
- argocd CLI
- GitOps workflows and sync status from the terminal
- aws CLI v2
- With aws-vault for credential management — no plaintext keys in ~/.aws
- gh CLI
- PRs, Actions runs, and repo management without leaving the shell
- jq + yq
- JSON/YAML parsing in scripts — indispensable for Kubernetes and AWS work
- bat, fd, ripgrep, fzf
- Modern replacements for cat, find, grep — fzf especially for git log/branch switching
- lazygit
- TUI for Git — faster than a GUI, more visual than the CLI
Editor
- VS Code
- Primary editor — fast startup, great extension ecosystem for DevOps/web work
- GitLens
- Essential — inline blame, code history, PR integration
- Docker + Kubernetes extensions
- Container and cluster management without leaving the editor
- Prettier + ESLint
- Format on save, zero argument about code style
- Tailwind CSS IntelliSense
- Class completion and hover preview — must-have for Tailwind projects
- HashiCorp Terraform
- Syntax highlighting, validation, and module completion for .tf files
- Geist Mono
- Editor font — clean, readable at small sizes, good ligatures
DevOps Stack
- AWS EKS
- Managed Kubernetes — go-to for AWS-native infrastructure
- Terraform
- Infrastructure as code — modules, remote state, CI with Atlantis
- Helm + ArgoCD
- Package management + GitOps continuous delivery
- GitHub Actions
- CI/CD pipelines — OIDC auth, reusable workflows, matrix builds
- Prometheus + Grafana
- Metrics and dashboards — kube-prometheus-stack as baseline
- Loki + Promtail
- Log aggregation — label-based indexing keeps storage costs sane
- External Secrets Operator
- Syncs secrets from AWS Secrets Manager into Kubernetes — no secrets in Git
- cert-manager
- Automatic TLS certificate provisioning and rotation
- Cloudflare
- DNS, CDN, WAF, DDoS protection — for both personal and client projects
- Docker + ECR
- Container builds with Buildx multi-platform, ECR for registry
Web Stack
- Next.js 16 + TypeScript
- App Router, SSG/ISR, Server Components — best-in-class DX
- Tailwind CSS v4
- CSS-based config, OKLCH color system, no config file overhead
- Framer Motion
- Animation library — spring physics, layout animations, scroll-driven
- GSAP + Lenis
- Complex scroll-triggered animations and smooth scroll
- shadcn/ui
- Accessible component primitives — own the code, not a dependency
- Resend
- Transactional email — clean API, React email templates
- Vercel
- Deployment — zero-config Next.js hosting with preview deployments
- WordPress + ACF
- CMS for client brochure sites and WooCommerce stores
Productivity
- Notion
- Notes, project docs, client onboarding templates
- Linear
- Issue tracking on team projects — clean UI, good keyboard shortcuts
- Excalidraw
- Quick architecture diagrams — hand-drawn aesthetic avoids bikeshedding
- draw.io (diagrams.net)
- Formal architecture diagrams for client deliverables
- Loom
- Async video walkthroughs for handover and code review
- Cal.com
- Booking page for client intro calls — self-hosted on Vercel