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Guides That Save You From Dumb Mistakes

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Full Mirrored Guide Library

Every guide from the main site is copied under codex/mirror/guides, including the full SQL chapter set.

Guide: Terminal-First Dev Environment

Fast shell, better defaults, fewer repetitive keystrokes.

1) Install core tools

sudo dnf install -y zsh fzf ripgrep fd-find bat eza zoxide tmux git-delta

2) Add aliases that actually help

alias ls='eza --icons'
alias ll='eza -la --icons'
alias cat='bat'
alias c='clear'
eval "$(zoxide init zsh)"

3) Use this daily loop

Find with rg, jump with z, split sessions in tmux, and review diffs with delta.

Guide: AI Agent Workflow That Stays Sane

Use the right tool for the right mode so quality stays high.

  1. Plan in chat mode: define requirements, constraints, and edge cases.
  2. Execute in workspace mode: give controlled file access and explicit tasks.
  3. Run terminal agent loops: implement, test, iterate, commit.
  4. Final human review: correctness, security, style, and docs.
# prompt skeleton
Goal:
Constraints:
Acceptance tests:
Files expected to change:
Risk checklist:

Guide: Git Safety Nets Before Big Changes

Never lose work because of one bad command.

git status
git switch -c chore/safe-refactor
git add -A
git commit -m "checkpoint before refactor"

git reflog --date=local | head -n 10

If you break something, recover with git reflog and reset to a known good commit.

Guide: Linux VM Lab for Skill Building

A cheap way to practice dangerous commands safely.

  1. Create two VMs: one stable distro, one rolling distro.
  2. Snapshot baseline after first boot and updates.
  3. Practice package installs, broken configs, and recovery.
  4. Write a short log after each failure: cause, fix, prevention.

That habit compounds fast. Within a month, troubleshooting becomes pattern recognition instead of panic.