Blog

For org!


Recently, I decided to migrate my Hugo setup from Markdown to Org Mode. While Markdown is simple and widely supported, Org Mode offers a more structured and powerful writing environment that fits better with my workflow.

Why Org Mode?

Org Mode, a major mode for Emacs, is more than just a markup language. It serves as an integrated environment for writing, organizing, and managing projects. Some advantages of using Org Mode over Markdown include:

  • Rich Formatting: Org Mode provides superior built-in support for tables, footnotes, LaTeX equations, and inline code.
  • Better Organization: With hierarchical structuring, TODOs, tags, and scheduling, Org Mode makes content management more efficient.
  • Embedded Code Blocks: It supports literate programming via Babel, allowing code execution within documents.
  • Consistent Workflow: Since I already use Org Mode for notes and task management, integrating it with Hugo keeps everything in one ecosystem.

The Migration Process

Switching from Markdown to Org Mode in Hugo is fairly straightforward:

  • Enable Org Mode in Hugo: Add org to the markup section in config.toml.
  • Convert Existing Posts: I used pandoc to convert my Markdown files to Org format.
  • Update Shortcodes & Formatting: Minor tweaks were needed to align with Org Mode’s syntax and Hugo’s template rendering.

The Result

The transition has streamlined my content creation process. Now, I can write posts, manage notes, and keep everything structured—all in Org Mode. If you use Hugo and Emacs, consider making the switch!

Using AI to solve all my problems


It still doesn't work.

Breaking Up with Amazon (kinda)


Have you ever stopped to consider how much of your digital content you actually own? I recently did, and what I discovered about my Kindle ebook collection led me down a path of digital liberation that I'm excited to share with you.

The Kindle Conundrum

It all started when I noticed I was buying too many ebooks on Kindle. While browsing for solutions to improve my reading experience, I stumbled upon an excellent video series about KOReader by Stefan Svartling. This versatile reader software is supported by most e-readers, including Kindle devices.

What had always annoyed me about the Kindle reading experience were those non-customizable margins. Sure, there are three options, but they still waste too much screen space. KOReader, on the other hand, gives you numerous customization options that make reading more enjoyable.

The Great Amazon Escape

Deciding that having a backup of my purchased ebooks was the sensible thing to do, I investigated how to download my Kindle library. What I discovered was nothing short of disappointing and pushed me toward getting out of the Amazon ecosystem as quickly as possible.

Amazon gives you two frustrating options:

  1. Use the download button on their website to download your ebooks one by one
  2. Get the Kindle app on your computer (only supported on Windows and macOS—Linux users are out of luck)

Even with collections in the Kindle app, you face download thresholds that prevent bulk downloading. And to add insult to injury, most of the ebooks still had DRM protection.

Tools for Digital Liberation

Fortunately, there are solutions for managing your own ebook library:

  • Calibre is excellent software for managing your ebook collection, and it has plugins available to remove DRM
  • Calibre-web offers a great web interface, which I use alongside Calibre (which I reserve for detailed database management)

For downloading your entire Kindle library, I recommend an amazing project by a Chinese developer: Kindle_download_helper.

Amazon's Latest Move

Disclaimer: On February 26, 2025, Amazon removed the download option for purchased ebooks and displayed a disclaimer stating that you only purchase a license. I'm posting this blog out of principle. Richard Stallman was right all along.

There's growing criticism about Amazon's monopolistic practices, exclusive deals, and efforts to build a protected ecosystem accessible only through Kindle devices. This makes purchased ebooks excessively expensive considering the risks:

  • Your Amazon account could be suspended, causing you to lose access to all your books
  • Books might be altered or removed without notice
  • You essentially own nothing under this policy (It's just a licence, bro)
  • Amazon will make whatever they want and push you slowly into a subscription service.

Escaping Audible Too

For Audible audiobooks, the escape route is somewhat easier. Applications like OpenAudible ($22 for a year or $70 for a lifetime) offer reasonable solutions when you want independence from your audiobook library.

For managing my audiobook collection, I use Audiobookshelf, which even supports archiving podcasts. There's also a project called Libation available as a Docker container that only needs Audible cookies to download your collection.

Final Thoughts

While I still believe in supporting creators and writers, I also believe in owning what I pay for. Breaking up with Amazon's digital ecosystem has been liberating, and I encourage you to consider how much control you want over your own digital library.

38C3 maybe


Failed to get a ticket during the public presale. It seems there were limited tickets, and by the time I finished the captcha and waited in line, they were all gone—lesson learned for next year.

I've contacted someone offering a spare ticket and feel about 60% sure it's not a scam. If it works out, I'll head to Hamburg for tech talks, stickers, and meeting like-minded people.

The last congress, 37c3, was technically excellent—politically, less so—but I'm still looking forward to the event. Fingers crossed for a smooth ticket handover.

Shell abbrs ftw


Shell abbreviations have become an essential part of my workflow, often taking priority over traditional aliases. The main reason? Abbreviations allow me to complete the full command directly in the shell, providing clarity without needing to remember what's hidden behind an alias. They make the workflow more transparent and adaptable.

While aliases work well in some cases, abbreviations strike a better balance of flexibility and clarity. They're particularly useful when paired with plugins like autopair.fish or zsh-autopair for Zsh. Combined with Fish's excellent out-of-the-box autocompletion, this setup makes working in the shell smooth and intuitive.

For example, an abbreviation like (fish shell):

abbr gc --set-cursor=! 'git commit -m "!"'

not only expands the command inline but also places the cursor inside the double quotes, ready for the commit message. It even sets the double quotes for me, which is incredibly comfortable and saves time. This small but impactful feature reduces friction in repetitive tasks and makes command composition much faster.

abbr kex --set-cursor=! 'kubectl exec -it ! /bin/bash'

This lets me type kex, use tab completion to select the desired pod, and seamlessly enter an interactive shell inside the container. The integration of abbreviations with autocompletion feels natural and heavily streamlines tasks that would otherwise involve longer, error-prone typing.

This small but powerful feature streamlines tasks and removes unnecessary steps, making it incredibly efficient for frequent workflows.