What I
actually use.
The hardware and software I use every day. No affiliate links, no sponsorships.
Hardware
2017 MacBook Pro
My main development machine — running Fedora Workstation. Apple dropped support for it, so I put Linux on it instead of retiring it. Works great. The hardware is still solid; Apple just decided it wasn't worth their time any more.
2012 iMac (home lab)
Repurposed as a home server running Docker. Hosts Nextcloud, Plex, Home Assistant, and Portainer. It hums away in the corner and does its job without complaining. Good machine.
Pi-hole
On the router, handling DNS-level ad blocking across the whole network. Probably my most-used piece of kit — set it up once and forgot it exists. That's exactly how infrastructure should work. The absence of it is the feature.
Development
VSCode
Editor of choice. Catppuccin theme. I know there are more hardcore options, and I genuinely don't care — it works, the extension ecosystem is good, and I spend my energy on the code rather than the editor.
React & Next.js
My default frontend stack. The App Router took some getting used to but server components are genuinely useful once you stop fighting the mental model.
FastAPI
For Python APIs. Fast to write, fast to run, and the auto-generated docs mean you stop having to explain your endpoints to yourself three months later.
PostgreSQL
My default database. Reliable, well-understood, and the right answer for most things. I reach for it without much deliberation and it rarely gives me reason to regret it.
Docker
Used for local development and everything on the home lab. Compose files for local stacks, containers on the server. The consistency between environments is worth it.
Claude Code
AI-assisted development. It's changed how I work more than anything else in the last year. Not a replacement for thinking — more like a collaborator who's available at 11pm and doesn't mind if you change your mind.
Terminal & System
Fedora Workstation
Daily driver OS. Stable, well-maintained, and the package ecosystem is solid. Switching from macOS took a week of adjustment and I haven't looked back.
Tailscale
Remote access into the home lab from anywhere. Zero-config mesh VPN — I can SSH into the iMac from my laptop regardless of where I am. One of those tools you install and immediately wonder how you managed without it.