FOSS Advent Calendar - Door 19: Master Git from the Terminal with lazygit

Struggling with Git's arcane commands? Meet lazygit, the elegant terminal UI that turns Git complexity into visual intuition. It’s not a wrapper, it’s a full-featured Git client that lives in your terminal, giving you a bird’s-eye view of branches, commits, stashes, and diffs, all navigable with a keyboard.

With lazygit, you visually stage files, browse commit histories, resolve merge conflicts, and even cherry-pick commits through an interactive interface. Everything is local, fast, and designed for the power user who lives in the terminal. It reduces multi-step Git operations to a few keystrokes, making complex workflows simple.

Pro tip: Use lazygit for interactive rebasing (r then i) or to easily review and navigate the patch of every commit in your history. With lazygit, you're not just running Git commands, you're conducting your repository.

Link: https://github.com/jesseduffield/lazygit

What complex Git workflow would you tame with visual power? An interactive rebase, a tricky merge conflict, or just keeping your daily commits clean?

#AdventCalendar #FOSS #OpenSource #Git #VersionControl #Developer #CLI #Terminal #TUI #Productivity #Tools #VCS #Programming #Coding #DevTools #Workflow #Efficiency #Go #OpenSourceTool #Tech #SoftwareDevelopment #FOSSAdvent #Adventskalener #linux #unix

FOSS Advent Calendar - Door 17: Navigate Everything with Fuzzy Logic (fzf)

Tired of scrolling through endless lists in your terminal? Meet fzf, the command-line fuzzy finder that turns navigation into a superpower. It’s not just a search tool, it’s a universal filter that connects to everything: your command history, files, processes, Git branches, and more. Type a few fuzzy characters, and watch it find what you need in milliseconds.

Unlike rigid searches, fzf understands intent. Looking for a docker command you ran last week? Just press Ctrl+R and type "doc run ubuntu". Need to switch to a specific Git branch? A simple git branch | fzf lets you find it with partial words. It works locally, respects your privacy, and integrates seamlessly with your shell, editor, and custom scripts.

Pro tip: Combine fzf with tools like fd (fd | fzf) for file searches or z (z | fzf) for directory jumps to create your own lightning-fast navigation flows. With fzf, you're not just filtering lists, you're querying your entire digital workflow.

Link: https://github.com/junegunn/fzf

What would you find at the speed of thought? A forgotten one-liner from months ago, a deeply nested config file, or the perfect branch to merge?

#AdventCalendar #FOSS #OpenSource #CLI #Productivity #Terminal #Linux #Developer #Tools #FuzzyFinder #Navigation #Shell #Zsh #Bash #Vim #Neovim #Workflow #Efficiency #KeyboardDriven #Search #Unix #CommandLine #PowerUser #Automation #DevTools #Tech #Coding #Rust #Go #SystemTool #Adventskalender #FOSSAdvent

FOSS Advent Calendar - Door 15: See the Logic, Not Just the Lines with Difftastic

Forget confusing text diffs. Difftastic is a brilliant open-source tool that shows the true intent of your code changes. It understands programming syntax, ignores formatting noise, and highlights semantic differences in your commits, perfect for clear code reviews and complex refactorings. It acts like X-Ray for your code, detecting when you’ve moved a function or changed logic, not just edited text. By ignoring formatting changes, it shows what actually changed, not what your autoformatter did. Plus, it runs entirely offline, so your code never leaves your machine, and it supports over 50 languages and formats, from Python and Rust to JSON and Markdown.

Pro tip: Integrate it as your Git difftool to review pull requests with clarity and instantly grasp the developer’s intent.

Link: https://github.com/Wilfred/difftastic

What would you clarify first with a diff tool that shows the intended change?

#AdventCalendar #FOSS #OpenSource #DevTools #Programming #SoftwareEngineering #Git #VersionControl #CodeReview #Refactoring #Developer #CLITools #Productivity #Rust #Python #JavaScript #WebDev #Backend #Linux #Tech #Coding #ProgrammingTools #IDE #VSCode #Neovim #DeveloperProductivity #CleanCode #DevOps #FOSSadvent #adventskalender #Difftastic

FOSS Advent Calendar - Door 14: Bring Text to Life with Coqui TTS

Meet Coqui TTS, a powerful, open-source deep learning toolkit for cutting-edge Text-to-Speech. It turns written words into natural, expressive audio using state-of-the-art neural models, all while running completely offline on your own machine.

Coqui TTS supports a wide range of languages and voices, and its real strength lies in flexibility: you can use pre-trained models for instant results or train custom voices with your own datasets. Everything happens locally, your data stays private, no APIs or subscriptions required. Whether for accessibility tools, narration, creative projects, or research, Coqui gives you full control over synthetic speech, from tone and pace to emotional delivery.

Pro tip: Experiment with voice cloning or fine-tune a model for a unique vocal character. With Coqui, you’re not just generating speech you’re crafting it.

Link: https://github.com/coqui-ai/TTS

What would you create with open-source, local TTS-audiobooks, game dialogue, or your own custom assistant voice?

#AdventCalendar #AI #OpenSource #TTS #Python #MachineLearning #CoquiTTS #AIVoices #VoiceSynthesis #LocalAI #FOSS #Privacy #Accessibility #TextToSpeech #CreativeTech #VoiceTech #DeepLearning #ArtificialIntelligence #TechNerds #Innovation #FOSSAdvent #ContentCreation #EthicalAI #VoiceCloning #DevTools #FutureTech #AITools #SpeechAI #linux #ki #adventskalender

FOSS Advent Calendar - Door 13: Screen-Mirroring & Recording with scrcpy

Today’s tool is scrcpy, a powerful open-source utility that lets you mirror and control your Android device from your PC via ADB (Android Debug Bridge) over USB or Wi‑Fi.

With scrcpy, you can see your phone screen on your desktop and control it directly from your PC using your mouse and keyboard. You can also record screencasts from the mirrored session, perfect for tutorials, capturing gameplay, or streaming mobile apps, all without installing anything on your phone.

CLI-friendly and lightweight, scrcpy gives you full PC-based control over your device: navigate, type, launch apps, or record everything from your desktop. No bloated software, no intrusive permissions.

Link: https://github.com/Genymobile/scrcpy

As a developer, which part of your workflow would scrcpy improve the most? Testing, debugging, or presenting your app?

#ScreenMirror #AndroidToPC #DevProductivity #TechTools #FreeSoftware #AndroidDev #DeveloperTools #USBdebugging #TechHacks #ProductivityTools #CommandLine #TechTips #DIYTech #DigitalNomad #Workflow #TechCommunity #LinuxTools #CrossPlatform #adventkalender #adventskalender #AndroidScreen #MirroringTool #OpenSourceTools #TechFreedom #NoRoot #FOSSLove #FOSSAdvent #android #linux

FOSS Advent Calendar - Door 12: Plotting Like a Pro with Gnuplot

"Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated."
This quote fits perfectly for Gnuplot, a classic FOSS plotting engine that’s still alive, powerful, and incredibly useful for creating beautiful scientific and mathematical visuals directly from the command line.

Gnuplot can generate 2D and 3D plots, animate datasets, visualize functions, and export to nearly any format you might need: PNG, SVG, PDF, EPS, and more. And one of its greatest strengths?
You don’t need a whole Python stack, dozens of libraries, or virtual environments just to make a graph. Gnuplot runs instantly, scriptable, lightweight, and beautifully minimal.

Whether you’re analyzing experimental results, visualizing parametric curves, or just plotting a weird math idea you had at 2 AM (we’ve all been there), Gnuplot gets it done fast and clean.

Pro tip: try rendering a dramatic 3D surface plot or a festive math figure, like a parametric Christmas tree. Gnuplot makes it surprisingly easy to turn equations into art.

Link: https://sourceforge.net/p/gnuplot/gnuplot-main/ci/master/tree/

What’s a plot you’d LOVE to generate with Gnuplot, serious or purely nerdy?

#FOSS #OpenSource #Linux #CLI #Terminal #Gnuplot #DataViz #Plotting #3DGraphics #MathArt #NerdContent #AdventCalendar #OpenTools #FOSSAdvent #CommandLine #ScienceTools #Fediverse #TechNerds #PlottingMagic #adventkalender #adventskalender #DataVisualization #Science #Python #Research #Engineering #AcademicChatter #STEM #Tech #Physics #Chemistry #Maths #SciComm #OpenScience #Research

FOSS Advent Calendar - Door 10: Using Your Phone as a Microphone with Audiosource

Today we explore Audiosource, a nifty FOSS tool that lets you use your Android phone as a microphone for your computer.

Audiosource works via ADB (Android Debug Bridge), streaming audio from your device over USB or Wi-Fi directly to your Linux system. This is perfect if you want a quick wireless mic, don’t have a dedicated microphone, or just love tinkering with FOSS tools.

Everything runs from the command line, giving you full control and total nerdy satisfaction. Plug in your phone, run the command, and your device becomes a fully functional mic!

Pro tip: try combining it with recording or streaming software, or even some AI audio processing, the possibilities are endless.

Link: https://github.com/gdzx/audiosource

In which situation would you turn your smartphone into a quick plug-and-play microphone using Audiosource?

#FOSS #OpenSource #Linux #CLI #Terminal #Audiosource #Android #Microphone #ADB #AudioStreaming #NerdContent #AdventCalendar #OpenTools #FOSSAdvent #TechNerds #CommandLine #Fediverse #WirelessMic #DIYTech #DigitalPrivacy #Adventkalender #Adventskalender

FOSS Advent Calendar - Door 9: 3D Rendering with POV-Ray

Today we explore POV-Ray, a powerful FOSS tool for creating stunning 3D graphics.

POV-Ray stands for Persistence of Vision Raytracer. It allows you to describe complex 3D scenes in a text-based scene description language and render them into high-quality images. You can create anything from simple geometric shapes to intricate molecular structures or artistic compositions.

It’s perfect for nerds, FOSS enthusiasts, or anyone who wants to combine programming and art to produce beautiful visuals. POV-Ray works entirely via the command line, so you can automate renders, tweak parameters, and experiment endlessly with light, textures, and camera angles.

Pro tip: try rendering a molecule, a futuristic scene, or a holiday-themed object in 4K resolution, the results are mesmerizing!

For this example, I have rendered the HIV Protease Inhibitor from the RCSB PDB entry 1HVR (Rational design of potent, bioavailable, nonpeptide cyclic ureas as HIV protease inhibitors).

Link: https://github.com/POV-Ray/povray

Which 3D scene would you love to bring to life with POV-Ray?

#FOSS #OpenSource #Linux #CLI #Terminal #POVRay #3DRendering #RayTracing #Graphics #NerdContent #AdventCalendar #OpenTools #FOSSAdvent #CommandLine #CreativeCoding #DigitalArt #TechNerds #OpenSourceGraphics #Fediverse #Adventkalender #ProteinVisualization #Chemistry #StructuralBiology #MolecularVisualization #HIVProteaseInhibitor #ScienceArt #adventskalender

FOSS Advent Calendar - Door 8: Programming LEGO Robots with NQC

Today we explore NQC (Not Quite C), a wonderfully nerdy and lightweight programming language for the classic LEGO Mindstorms RCX robot brick.

Inside the RCX lives a tiny 8-bit Hitachi H8/300 CPU running at about 16 MHz together with 32 KB of RAM. Even with this extremely small hardware budget, the RCX can handle multitasking, read sensors, control motors and communicate via infrared. It feels like pure retro embedded magic.

NQC lets you write C-like programs on your computer and upload them directly to the RCX. It is minimalistic, fast, easy to learn and perfect for anyone who loves old-school robotics or wants to revisit the early days of DIY programming before Raspberry Pi and Arduino existed.

Working with NQC is a wonderful reminder of how much creativity is possible with almost no resources. Watching a tiny 32 KB robot happily execute parallel tasks still feels incredibly charming today.

Pro tip: If you still have an RCX somewhere, power it up. These yellow bricks are more alive than you remember once you start programming them again.

Link: https://github.com/BrickBot/nqc

Which small robot would you build or revive with the RCX?

#FOSS #OpenSource #Linux #CLI #Terminal #NQC #Mindstorms #LEGO #RCX #Robotics #Embedded #RetroComputing #NerdContent #AdventCalendar #Adventkalender #Adventskalender #TechNerds #STEM #Programming #Fediverse #FOSSAdvent #OpenTools #Robotik #OldSchoolTech

FOSS Advent Calendar - Door 7: Enhancing Images with Real-ESRGAN

Today we explore Real-ESRGAN, a powerful FOSS tool for upscaling and improving image quality.

The name stands for Enhanced Super-Resolution Generative Adversarial Networks, highlighting the AI-powered approach behind the magic.

Real-ESRGAN can take a low-resolution or slightly blurry image and enhance it, adding details that make it look sharper and more natural. It works via the command line, where you provide an input image and get an upscaled output image. You can instantly compare the results in your favorite image viewer, like EOG.

It’s perfect for nerds, FOSS enthusiasts, or anyone who wants to improve images without relying on commercial software.

Pro tip: try upscaling an old screenshot or a tiny meme, the results are often hilarious and impressive at the same time!

Link: https://github.com/xinntao/Real-ESRGAN

Which old or low-res image would you love to upscale with Real-ESRGAN?

#FOSS #OpenSource #Linux #CLI #Terminal #RealESRGAN #AI #ImageEnhancement #SuperResolution #NerdContent #AdventCalendar #OpenTools #FOSSAdvent #Upscale #GAN #Artificialtelligence #ImageProcessing #TechNerds #CommandLine #Fediverse #OpenTools #adventkalender #adventskalender