CLI Tools

Modern replacements for classic commands

The dotfiles embrace a new generation of CLI tools that improve on Unix classics with better defaults, richer output, and modern features.

The Modern CLI Stack

Classic	Modern	Why Upgrade
ls	lsd	Icons, colors, tree view, git integration
cat	bat	Syntax highlighting, line numbers, git diff
find	fd	5x faster, respects .gitignore, regex by default
grep	ripgrep	10x faster, smart defaults, beautiful output
cd	zoxide	Learns your habits, fuzzy matching
ps	procs	Human-readable, colorful, tree view
diff	delta	Syntax highlighting, side-by-side, git aware
top	htop	Interactive, better UI, easier to read
history	atuin	SQLite-backed, cross-machine sync, per-dir
nvm	proto	Multi-language version manager, fast, declarative

All tools are pre-configured with the SilkCircuit theme and sensible defaults.

Tool Highlights

Ghostty Terminal

The primary terminal emulator, Ghostty is GPU-accelerated and native on both macOS and Linux. Configured with SilkCircuit colors and platform-specific settings in ghostty/.

Atuin Shell History

Atuin replaces standard shell history with a SQLite-backed, searchable database featuring cross-machine sync, per-directory filtering, and a SilkCircuit-themed UI (the theme file is installed by the SilkCircuit installer). The shell module (sh/atuin.sh) loads after fzf so Atuin owns history search in both Bash and Zsh.

Press Ctrl+R for workspace search, or Up for prefix search using the current buffer. Ctrl+T and Alt+C remain fzf file and directory pickers. The helpers hfail and hlast search user commands; hagents searches agent commands. The configuration enables the search daemon and disables Atuin's AI, dotfiles management, and PTY proxy features.

Proto Version Manager

Proto manages language runtime versions declaratively via .prototools. Currently pins Node.js, pnpm, Rust, and moon. Auto-detects version files and integrates with the shell PATH.

Starship Prompt

Fast, minimal, cross-shell prompt with:

• Git status and branch
• Language versions (Node, Python, Rust, Go, Java, Kotlin)
• Command duration
• Custom SilkCircuit gradient theme
• Context-aware modules

Tmux

Terminal multiplexer configured with:

• SilkCircuit-themed status bar
• Mouse support enabled
• Intuitive split bindings (| and -)
• Plugin manager (TPM) pre-configured
• Seamless pane navigation

FZF

Fuzzy finder integrated throughout the system:

• File and directory navigation
• Command history search
• Git operations (add, checkout, log, stash)
• Process management
• Docker container selection
• Environment variable search

Modern CLI Tools

Detailed guides for each tool:

• lsd — File listing with icons
• bat — File viewing with syntax highlighting
• fd — Fast file finding
• ripgrep — Blazing fast code search
• zoxide — Smart directory jumping
• procs — Modern process viewer
• delta — Beautiful git diffs

Quick Examples

File Operations

# List with icons and colors
ll

# Tree view
lt

# View file with syntax highlighting
bat config.ts

# Find files fast (respects .gitignore)
fd pattern

# Search code (10x faster than grep)
rg "TODO" --type ts

Navigation

# Jump to frequently used directory
z project

# Interactive directory selection
zi

# Fuzzy-find and cd
fcd

Git Operations

# Beautiful git diffs (automatic)
git diff

# Interactive file staging
gadd

# Fuzzy branch checkout
gco

# Interactive log browser
glog

System Information

# Modern process viewer
procs

# Interactive process killer
fkill

# System overview
sys

# Memory info with visual bar
meminfo

Installation

All modern CLI tools are automatically installed during dotfiles setup:

macOS:

# Installed via Homebrew in macos/brew.sh
brew install lsd bat fd ripgrep zoxide procs git-delta htop

Linux:

# Ubuntu/Debian
apt-get install lsd bat fd-find ripgrep

# Install via cargo for latest versions
cargo install lsd bat fd-find ripgrep zoxide procs git-delta

Post-Install:

# Verify installation
lsd --version
bat --version
fd --version
rg --version
delta --version
zoxide --version

Configuration

Each tool is configured in the dotfiles:

Tool	Config Location	Purpose
Ghostty	ghostty/config, ghostty/*.conf	Terminal emulator
Starship	silkcircuit: extras/starship/	Prompt customization
Tmux	tmux.conf	Key bindings, theme
Atuin	atuin/config.toml	Shell history
Proto	proto/.prototools	Language versions
lsd	lsd/config.yaml	Display settings
bat	silkcircuit: extras/bat/	Theme, syntax settings
Delta	gitconfig (delta section)	Git diff styling
procs	silkcircuit: extras/procs/	Process display
FZF	sh/fzf.sh, sh/env.sh (ENV vars)	Defaults, key bindings
zoxide	Automatic (tracks your usage)	Database stored in XDG

Font Requirements

Many modern CLI tools use Nerd Font icons for the best experience:

Recommended Fonts:

• JetBrains Mono Nerd Font
• Fira Code Nerd Font
• Hack Nerd Font
• Meslo LG Nerd Font

Install on macOS:

brew install --cask font-jetbrains-mono-nerd-font
brew install --cask font-fira-code-nerd-font

Configure your terminal:

• iTerm2: Preferences → Profiles → Text → Font
• Kitty: Edit ~/.config/kitty/kitty.conf
• Alacritty: Edit ~/.config/alacritty/alacritty.yml

Customization Examples

Change lsd Colors

# lsd/config.yaml
color:
  when: always
  theme: custom

icons:
  when: always
  theme: fancy

Customize bat Theme

# Use a different syntax theme
bat --theme="TwoDark" file.ts

# Set permanently
export BAT_THEME="TwoDark"

Modify FZF Appearance

# In ~/.rc.local
export FZF_DEFAULT_OPTS="
  --height 80%
  --layout=reverse-list
  --border rounded
  --preview-window right:60%
"

Delta Side-by-Side Diffs

# In gitconfig
[delta]
    side-by-side = true
    line-numbers-left-format = ""
    line-numbers-right-format = "│ "

Performance

Modern tools are significantly faster than their classic counterparts:

Tool	Performance	Comparison
ripgrep	10x faster than grep	Recursive search
fd	5x faster than find	File finding
lsd	~2x faster than ls	Directory listing
bat	Similar to cat	With features
zoxide	Instant	Directory jump

All tools are written in Rust, providing memory safety and blazing performance.

Integration Points

Modern CLI tools are integrated throughout the dotfiles:

Shell Scripts:

• sh/fzf.sh — FZF functions
• sh/git.sh — Delta for diffs, FZF for git operations
• sh/docker.sh — FZF for container selection
• sh/directory.sh — zoxide integration
• sh/process.sh — procs integration

Neovim:

• Telescope uses fd and ripgrep
• File explorer shows lsd-style icons
• Git diff uses delta preview

Tmux:

• Status bar styled with SilkCircuit theme
• Integrates with system clipboard

Troubleshooting

Icons Not Showing

Issue: Boxes or question marks instead of icons

Solution:

1. Install a Nerd Font (see Font Requirements above)
2. Configure your terminal to use the Nerd Font
3. Restart your terminal

Colors Look Wrong

Issue: Colors are off or missing

Solution:

# Check terminal color support
echo $TERM

# Should be: xterm-256color or screen-256color
# If not, add to ~/.zshrc:
export TERM=xterm-256color

FZF Not Working

Issue: FZF commands hang or don't show preview

Solution:

# Check if fzf is installed
which fzf

# Verify preview command works
bat --version

# Test manually
echo "test" | fzf --preview 'echo {}'

Bat Can't Find Theme

Issue: bat: Unknown theme error

Solution:

# Rebuild bat cache
bat cache --build

# List available themes
bat --list-themes

Next Steps

• Starship Configuration — Customize your prompt
• Tmux Guide — Terminal multiplexer setup
• FZF Integration — Fuzzy finding everywhere
• Modern CLI Deep Dive — Tool-by-tool guide