“Man is a tool-using animal. Without tools he is nothing, with tools he is all.”
Thomas Carlyle
Tools are a force multiplier, these tools help me extend my reach:
- EMACS – take the time to learn it and it becomes a force multiplier
- Magit – EMACS interface to git and simply one of the most wonderful software tools in my toolkit
- Org – an EMACS module for outlining and drafting, and journaling and ….
- GIT – essential tool for version control in any modern software environment
- GDB – command line debugging. There are, however, a lot of GUI or IDE integrations for this. If you do any embedded systems debugging this is the go to debugger, along with OpenOCD for JTAG interfacing
- Terraform – Infrastructure as Code, probably the definitive example of it
- ArgoCD – Specific to Kubernetes but in the last month has probably saved us from at least three major outages due to change impact analysis
- Google Note – Simple. Effective. What’s not to like about it?
- Keepass2 – Don’t trust 1password or lastpass? Use a real password manager
- Embroidery lighted magnifier – I got this at a craft store and I love it, it’s a cantilever arm with a magnifying lens and a light. Perfect complement to
- Binocular magnifiers with built in light
- Digilent Analog Explorer II – It’s a $10K engineering rack in $400 price point (for hobbyists)
- Xmind – Mind mapping. Mind mapping is a technique I think everyone should know and use on a daily basis
- Inkscape – free vector graphics drawing
What are your go-to tools?