It’s been a while since I’ve provided an update on my local development setup. A lot has changed in the intervening 7 years.

The following provides a comprehensive list of the hardware, software, and productivity modifications that I use.

Battlestation

My battlestation is where I do most of my work: programming, writing, admin, etc. I’ll be honest, I’m pretty proud of it.

• Workstation: MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2021)¹
• Monitors: Dell UltraSharp 27 4K (2)²
• Lighting: BenQ ScreenBar Halo LED (2)
• Keyboard: HHKB Professional HYBRID Type-S
• Mouse: Logitech MX Master 3 Advanced³
• KVM Switch: AV Access iDock C20 USB-C
• Webcam: Dell UltraSharp Webcam 4K UHD
• Desk: UPLIFT Standing Desk with Black Eco Curve Desktop (60"×30")
• Chair: Steelcase Gesture
• Additional:
  • UPLIFT Range Single Monitor Arm (2)
  • UPLIFT Laptop Mount

Tactical Sidearm

When I’m on the go or traveling, I take my MacBook Pro (14-inch, M4, 2024).⁴

macOS

The setup for both my MacBooks is done via nickolashkraus/nhk-mac. When setting up a new macOS workstation, all I need to do is:

1. Open Terminal.

2. Download the zip file.

   curl -L https://github.com/nickolashkraus/nhk-mac/archive/master.zip \
     -o nhk-mac.zip
   unzip -q nhk-mac.zip
   mv nhk-mac-master nhk-mac
   rm nhk-mac.zip
   cd nhk-mac
   

3. Run nhk-mac.

   ./nhk-mac
   

Rebind Caps Lock to Control

To rebind Caps Lock (⇪) to Control (⌃) go to System Settings > Keyboard > Keyboard Shortcuts…. Under Modifier Keys change Caps Lock (⇪) key to ⌃Control.

Software

All configuration is done via nickolashkraus/dotfiles.

• Terminal: iTerm2
• Terminal Multiplexer: tmux
• Shell: Zsh + Oh My Zsh
• Editor: Vim
• Window Manager: yabai
• Hotkeys: skhd
• Fuzzy Finder: fzf
• Borders: JankyBorders
• Statusline: Powerline
• Media Player: mpv
• App Launcher: Alfred
• Kubernetes: k9s
• Package Manager: Homebrew
• AI Agents: Codex CLI, Claude Code, Gemini CLI
• Browser: Firefox
• Notetaking: Bear
• Calendar: Fantastical
• Todolist: Todoist

God Mode

For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.

—Matthew 13:12

Since the latter half of the twentieth century, a class of technological elites—the technocracy—has amassed significant wealth, power, and influence. Their rise has been facilitated by advances in technology, which allow individuals to think and act more quickly and at greater scale. This technologically empowered class has been further augmented by the advent of large language models, which enhance their productivity and effectiveness. If this trend continues, the world will become increasingly dominated by those who can harness the asymmetrical advantages afforded by technology. For this reason, I’ve invested an inordinate amount of time tuning and optimizing my development setup and workflows to better leverage both technology and AI.

Here is a rundown of my development setup and workflows:

• Two displays: left is vertical, right is horizontal.
  • Left: Full-screen terminal. This window is used for text editing, interacting with the shell, etc.
  • Right: Full-screen terminal. This window is used for my AI agents (Codex CLI, Claude Code, Gemini CLI). Additionally, a layer (via yabai) comprises my applications (Firefox, Bear, Slack, etc.).⁵
• Hotkeys are configured for quickly switching between terminal windows (Ctrl - Return) or each terminal individually (Ctrl - 1 and Ctrl - 2). To summon the browser, I use Ctrl - 3.
• Using tmux, I can scroll, select, copy, and paste text. In the browser, I use Vimium for keyboard-driven navigation.⁶