I’ve spent a lot of time refining my development environment to match how I actually work.
Here’s what I’m currently running:
Operating System: Arch Linux
I switched to Arch because I wanted to understand my system from the ground up instead of relying on pre-configured distributions. The Arch Wiki is one of the best technical resources out there, and building the system yourself teaches you how everything actually works.
Window Manager: Hyprland
Hyprland is a Wayland compositor with tiling window management. It’s fast, customizable, and lets me navigate entirely with the keyboard. No more reaching for the mouse every 5 seconds.
Editor: Neovim
I use Neovim for all my coding. It’s available on every system, incredibly fast, and fully customizable. The learning curve was steep but worth it. I can edit code faster than I ever could with a traditional IDE.
Terminal: Kitty + tmux
Kitty is a GPU-accelerated terminal emulator that’s blazing fast. I use tmux for session management so I can have multiple terminal sessions running simultaneously.
Development Stack:
Most of my current work is full-stack development with the PERN stack (PostgreSQL, Express, React, Node). I also work with TypeScript and C++. I’m studying systems programming and kernel development in my sparetime.
Why This Setup Works for Me:
This environment is fast, minimal, and gives me complete control over my workflow. Everything is keyboard-driven, which means less context switching and more time actually coding. If you’re interested in trying a similar setup, the Arch Wiki is the best place to start. It’s a learning curve, but understanding your tools at this level makes you a better developer.