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The Perfect Linux Setup
A workflow designed for deep work with zero cognitive overhead
The Philosophy
Each tool serves exactly one purpose, nothing overlaps, everything persists. This isn't about impressive features - it's about disappearing technology that gets out of your way so you can focus on what matters: your work.
Hardware Foundation
UM890M Pro + AOC 34" Ultrawide: Desktop performance in a tiny footprint with massive horizontal real estate. The combination creates a spatial canvas where your workflow can breathe.
Why This Works: The ultrawide eliminates multi-monitor complexity while giving you the space to think in "zones" rather than cramped windows. The mini PC delivers power without noise, heat, or desk clutter.
Multi-Context Mastery
12 Intelligent Workspaces
Each of your 12 tags maintains its own layout, gaps, and window arrangement. You can have:
- A dedicated research workspace (WS1) with Firefox-ESR and organized tabs
- A business workspace with documents and communication tools
- A content creation workspace optimized for video production
- A project development workspace for open source work
- Each optimized for its purpose and remembered
Cross-Device Research Flow
Firefox-ESR on workspace 1 with Floccus bookmark sync creates your dedicated information gathering environment. Floccus keeps your research bookmarks synchronized across all devices, so materials you bookmark during mobile research are instantly available in your desktop workflow.
The Research Advantage: WS1 becomes your knowledge hub - browser tabs organized for current projects, bookmarks synced for continuity, all in a stable ESR environment that won't break your workflow with experimental features.
Spatial Intelligence
With windowfollow and focusadjacenttag, you fluidly move between adjacent workspaces and automatically follow windows you move. Combined with your ultrawide, this creates a spatial workflow where you think in "zones" rather than discrete windows.
The Mental Model: Your workspaces become extensions of your thinking. Moving between them feels like shifting attention, not managing technology.
Instant Access Tools
Scratchpad Mastery
Drop-down terminals and audio mixer accessible from anywhere - no context switching needed for quick tasks. Your workflow never breaks.
- Primary Terminal (
Super+Shift+T): Universal command line that appears instantly - Audio Control (
Super+Shift+A): Volume and audio settings without leaving your context
The Power: Tools come to you, not the other way around. Stay in flow, handle quick tasks, return to focus.
Persistent Organization
State That Survives
preserveonrestart and attachbottom mean your carefully arranged workspace survives config changes and new windows don't disrupt your focus. restartsig lets you reload configs without losing state.
What This Means: Experiment freely, restart when needed, know that your workspace will be exactly as you left it. No fear of losing your perfect arrangement.
Visual Clarity
16px gaps, status2d colored bar, and alwayscenter for floating windows create visual breathing room. Your eyes can parse information quickly across that 34" ultrawide.
The Effect: Information hierarchy becomes obvious. Your brain doesn't waste energy parsing visual chaos.
Minimal Friction Work
The Multi-Hat Workflow
Geany for script editing and documentation + your automated gitup script + WezTerm + scratchpad terminal means you can seamlessly switch between business work, content creation, and project development without losing momentum.
The gitup Revolution: No more clicking through GUI dialogs or remembering git commands. Your script handles the entire workflow - shows changes, accepts natural commit messages, pushes automatically. Project updates become frictionless whether you're updating documentation, fixing scripts, or committing new features.
Traditional Multi-Role Struggle:
- Business meeting ends, need to switch to content work
- Navigate between different applications and windows
- Remember git commands and workflow steps
- Handle different tools for different types of work
- Lose context and momentum with each transition
- Spend time reorganizing your workspace
- Repeat constantly throughout the day
Your Optimized Multi-Role Flow:
- Finish business work in dedicated workspace
- Switch to content creation workspace (OBS already positioned)
- Move to project workspace for script development
- Run gitup script from anywhere for instant commits
- Each environment remembers its optimal state
The Sticky Advantage
The sticky patch lets you keep reference windows visible across all contexts. Documentation, communication, monitoring - always visible when needed.
Workflow Intelligence
Automatic Window Placement
Applications automatically land where they belong:
- Firefox-ESR → Workspace 1 (Research and web workflow with Floccus bookmark sync)
- Terminal with gitup script → Quick project updates anywhere
- Discord → Workspace 7 (Community communication)
- OBS → Workspace 9 (YouTube content creation)
- Gimp → Workspace 8 (Thumbnail and graphics work)
No Manual Organization: Your computer learns your multi-role workflow and maintains it automatically.
Layout Memory
Each workspace remembers its optimal configuration. Switch to your research workspace (WS1) - Firefox-ESR opens with your organized tabs and Floccus keeps bookmarks synced across devices. Move to your business workspace - documents and communication tools are already arranged. Jump to your YouTube workspace - OBS and editing tools are positioned for content creation. Switch to your project workspace - Geany and terminals are laid out for script development.
Adjacent Workspace Flow
Move between related contexts fluidly. Business work → Content planning → Script development → Community interaction → Project documentation. The spatial relationship matches your mental model of how your different professional roles connect and flow together.
The Compound Effect
Cognitive Load Elimination
Every micro-decision removed:
- Where should this window go? Automatic
- How should this workspace be arranged? Remembered
- Where's my terminal? Scratchpad
- How do I commit this code? One script
Flow State Preservation
- Visual Consistency: Dark theme reduces eye strain across 8+ hour work sessions
- Predictable Behavior: Every action has the same result every time
- Persistent State: Your environment survives interruptions
- Instant Access: Tools appear when needed, disappear when not
Deep Work by Design
This setup creates an environment where:
- Context switching becomes fluid, not jarring
- Tool management becomes invisible
- Visual parsing becomes effortless
- State persistence becomes automatic
The Result: You think about your work, not your tools. You solve problems, not interface puzzles. You create, not configure.
The Complete System
Hardware: UM890M Pro + AOC 34" Ultrawide
OS: Debian Stable
WM: Custom DWM with 17 carefully chosen patches
Terminal: WezTerm with productivity-focused keybindings
Editor: Geany with git integration and tree browser
Auth: Proton Pass
Notifications: Dunst
Git: Custom automated workflow script
Why It Works
This isn't about having the latest features or the most impressive rice. It's about creating a cognitive extension - technology that amplifies your thinking rather than fighting it.
Every element serves the goal of sustained deep work:
- Spatial thinking with ultrawide zones
- Context preservation across interruptions
- Instant access to essential tools
- Visual clarity that reduces mental load
- Predictable behavior that builds confidence
The Philosophy: The best technology is invisible technology. When your tools disappear, only your ideas remain.
A workflow where every optimization compounds into something greater than the sum of its parts - an environment designed for thinking, creating, and building without technological friction.