Let's talk CLI/TUI and Developer Workflows!

I’m looking to refresh my local toolkit and I’m curious: what are the absolute "must-have" CLI or TUI programs in your current rotation?

Whether it's a specialized utility for a specific language, a terminal-based interface for a common service, or a workflow-changing alias, I want to hear about it. I’m especially interested in tools that prioritize keyboard-driven navigation and accessibility.

My Current Favorites:

To get the ball rolling, here are a few tools I’ve been leaning on lately:

  • uv — Fast, reliable Python package and project management.
  • fzf & ripgrep — The classic duo for fuzzy finding and searching.
  • tmux — For session management and persistent terminal workspaces.
  • jq / yq — Essential for wrangling JSON and YAML without leaving the prompt.

What about you?

  • What is one tool you've discovered recently that you can't live without?
  • Are there any TUI-based clients for web services (like Mastodon, GitHub, or RSS) that you recommend?
  • Do you have a favorite "hidden gem" script or small utility?
  • Mentions & Groups

    @programming
    @linux @[email protected] @selfhosted

    Hashtags

    #CLI #TUI #Terminal #OpenSource #FOSS #Programming #DevTools #Linux #SysAdmin #Workflow #Python #Backend #ArchLinux #KeyboardDriven #Accessibility #SoftwareDevelopment #TechTalk

    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 16: Command Your Filesystem with broot

    Ever felt lost in a sea of files? Meet broot, the terminal file manager that gives you an eagle's-eye view of your directories. It’s not just a replacement for ls or tree, it’s a full-blown interactive navigator that shows your files as a live, searchable tree, complete with instant previews and powerful batch operations, all without leaving your terminal.

    Unlike traditional methods, broot renders an intuitive visual tree where folder sizes are immediately apparent, and you can fuzzy-search, navigate, and manage files with keyboard shortcuts. Want to find all *.tmp files? Just type the pattern and jump to them. Need to move, copy, or delete files in bulk? broot lets you do it in a few keystrokes, with a live preview to avoid mistakes. Everything is local, fast, and keyboard-driven.

    Pro tip: Use broot’s :rm or :mv commands to clean up your Downloads folder in seconds, or enable the “sizes” view to instantly spot what’s hogging your disk space. With broot, you’re not just listing files, you’re commanding them.

    Link: https://github.com/Canop/broot

    What would you organize with a filesystem visualizer that thinks like you do? Taming a cluttered project folder, finding duplicates, or just navigating at the speed of thought?

    #AdventCalendar #Adventskalender #FOSS #OpenSource #DevTools #CLI #Productivity #Terminal #Linux #Unix #SysAdmin #FileManager #CommandLine #TechTools #Developer #Efficiency #KeyboardDriven #Rust #Organize #Automation #Privacy #DataManagement #Tools #OSS #FreeSoftware #TerminalTools #Workflow #Tech #Software #Programming #Coding #DeveloperTools #FileSystem #Navigation #Visualization #KeyboardShortcuts #Efficient #ProductivityTools #DataOrganization #LocalFirst #OfflineTools #TechCommunity #broot

    ThinkDashboard - bảng điều khiển tự host mới ra mắt, nổi bật với khả năng điều khiển hoàn toàn bằng bàn phím! Tùy biến cao về giao diện, phím tắt bookmark & cài đặt theo thiết bị. Thiết kế thân thiện di động. Đặc biệt, 90% mã nguồn được tạo bởi AI. Tuyệt vời cho người dùng thích tối giản & hiệu suất.

    #ThinkDashboard #SelfHosted #Dashboard #KeyboardDriven #AICode #OpenSource #Tech #TựHost #BảngĐiềuKhiển #BànPhím #AI #MãNguồnMở #CôngNghệ

    https://www.reddit.com/r/selfhosted/comments/1o3v8if/think

    TIL #HTML elements have an accesskey attribute to help one add keyboard shortcuts to the page! https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTML/Reference/Global_attributes/accesskey

    #KeyboardDriven

    HTML accesskey global attribute - HTML | MDN

    The accesskey global attribute provides a hint for generating a keyboard shortcut for the current element. The attribute value must consist of a single printable character (which includes accented and other characters that can be generated by the keyboard).

    MDN Web Docs

    I profoundly dislike the pointer-device centric nature of most modern environments & software.

    #UI #UX #KeyboardDriven #PointerDriven #MouseDriven

    Okay, a bunch of stuff is missing, like all the moderation stuff like filtering & blocking.

    The interaction is also pretty janky for a bunch of things.

    So far, #Mastodon #KeyboardDriven #UI has a long way to catch up to the documented features of #Emacs' mastodon.el

    #WebUI