raf

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👋 Hey!

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I'm raf, more commonly known as NotAShelf on various parts of the world wide
web. I am a sailor, sailmaker, political scientist, and an academic with a
particular interest in data privacy & cybersecurity.

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• 📅 Programming since ~2018
• ⛵ Professional Sailor
• 🏫 Part-time Political Scientist and lecturer, forever student
• 🖥️ NixOS / Hyprland / Neovim
• 🔧 Despite its shortcomings, Go is my _go-to_ language (pun _fully_ intended)
• 🌐 Frontend via React/NextJS used to be my primary stack, now I focus on

backend applications, applications security and system administration.

• ❄️ NixOS remains my favorite Linux distro for both personal and enterprise

use. I manage my own fleet of servers and virtual machines powered by it.

• 📫 Contact me by email via raf [at] notashelf [dot] dev or on Discord, by

sending a friend request to @notashelf I'm also available on Matrix, though downtimes may occur on my homeserver...

• 🎲 Fun fact: I have entered the world of Linux, programming and OSS through a

lengthy misadventure back in 2018 that involved a Linux VPS, a large Minecraft server and an imminent crisis that I found myself in. I have been passionate about Linux, FOSS and programming ever since.

Ever since my introduction to the world of FOSS and the Linux ecosystem in the
late 2010s, I have been deeply passionate about operating systems,
open-source software and system administration. I am particularly
interested in the role of information systems, data integrity, and privacy in
contemporary policymaking, a focus point that I have decided to base my
doctorate research on.

[solutions]: https://github.com/NotAShelf/licenseit
[to]: https://github.com/NotAShelf/watt
[small]: https://github.com/NotAShelf/mrc
[itches]: https://github.com/NotAShelf/flint
[expressed]: https://github.com/NotAShelf/syntax-gaslighting.nvim
[through]: https://github.com/NotAShelf/shitlist
[code]: https://github.com/NotAShelf/flipoff

Most of my code here are [solutions] [to] [small] [itches], my answers to
different curiosities, or humor [expressed] [through] [code]. Exploring
potential, or more optimized solutions to known pain points in software and
home-made CLI applications to make different components of my setups more
ergonomic are some of my pastime pastime activities. Reliable and
scalable systems are also within my area of interest, which I work to make
more achievable by creating simple, accessible and robust software.

[pieces]: https://github.com/feel-co/hjem
[of]: https://github.com/notashelf/nvf
[software]: https://github.com/nix-community/nh
[Nixpkgs]: https://github.com/NixOS
[my blog]: https://blog.notashelf.dev
[improve the NixOS ecosystem]: https://github.com/manic-systems/nixos-core

I work with, and contribute to [Nixpkgs] in my free time, and write various
[pieces] [of] [software] to [improve the NixOS ecosystem]. Sometimes I write
informative guides about NixOS (among other things) and opinion pieces on Nix on
[my blog]. You can find my last 5 posts below:

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• Nix's Substituter List Is Not a Routing Table
• Why I think Go is a Terrible Language
• The Nihilist's Guide to Cross-Compiling Dioxus for Windows
• 2025 Wrapped & 2026 Wishlist
• The Tradeoff Trap

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There are many means to my ends, and I work with _any and all languages_ that I
find interesting on the basis of scope My experience and knowledge span over
multiple languages, tools, frameworks and stacks; however, I work primarily with
Rust[^1], Zig and C for backend systems while I use Typescript
and Astro (or very rarely Svelte) for frontend. I also rely on Nix
and NixOS for infrastructure, deployments and distributing software with a
dash of Terraform where I can apply it.. See below for a list of languages
and tools that I work, or have worked with before. Take a look at the
[projects section](#-projects) if you are interested in seeing what I am
currently working on.

[^1]: This used to say "Go"

🫂 Affiliations

I'm "affiliated" with various FOSS communities, some of which that I have
founded personally. While you can see a more complete list on my personal
website's about page, here are some worth
mentioning:

feel-co

[NDG]: https://github.com/feel-co/ndg
[Hjem]: https://github.com/feel-co/hjem

An organization formed with people on the same bandwidth as me. A shared space
for Nix hackers, and where we come together to come up with practical solutions
to impractical problems within the Nix ecosystem.

We maintain [Hjem] and [NDG] under this organization, among less widely known
projects.

SNUG

[Hjem-Rum]: https://github.com/snugnug/hjem-rum
[MicrOS]: https://github.com/snugnug/micros

The Simple Nix User Group. An online cyber space I have formed
for Nix enjoyers from various backgrounds. This is more so a social space, but
has lead to the creation of great projects such as [Hjem-Rum] nevertheless. We
also work on an experimental, init-agnostic NixOS derivative called [MicrOS] for
a modern desktop experience.

Hyprland

[Hyprland]: https://github.com/Hyprland
[official forums]: https://forum.hypr.land/

I also take part in the [Hyprland] community, playing an active role in
community management and acting as a supporting developer for Nix. Do feel free
to [contact me](#-how-to-reach-me) for either of those matters. You'll have
better luck asking for technical help on the [official forums], though.

Manic Systems

[dix]: https://github.com/manic-systems/dix
[nixos-core]: https://github.com/manic-systems/nixos-core
[tack]: https://github.com/manic-systems/tack
[circus]: https://github.com/manic-systems/circus
[nh]: https://github.com/nix-community/nh

Brainchild of various Nix and Rust enthusiasts, and a focused "clique" bringing
together friends and likeminded individuals to work on shared projects for
modern desktops, efficient workflows and trying to make programming fun. We
don't have a Minecraft server yet.

Several active projects _such as, but not limited to_:

• [dix] - a blazingly fast tool to diff Nix related things, as featured in [nh]
• [nixos-core] - core NixOS utilities in safe, portable Rust for NixOS and

friends

• [tack] - flake-like TOML nix pins, lazily fetched and transformed
• [circus] - declarative Nix CI system for clowns

🔭 Projects

I have many projects, usually fruits of my most recent obsession. Almost all of
them are bootstrapped with Nix, but languages vary. Note that I am currently in
the process of moving beloved projects out of GitHub due to the increase in
automated scrapers and AI training. You mind find that some of the projects are
now missing, archived or are made private. Sponsors get access to private
projects. Please let me know if you would too.

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| Nix | Go, Rust, Python, JavaScript, TypeScript |
| --- | --- |
| • nvf - a highly extensible and distro agnostic configuration framework for Neovim using Nix• Nyx - the first child of Chaos and also an alias for my configuration for the ultimate declarative Linux distro, NixOS!• Nyxpkgs - collection of packages not found in Nixpkgs• Hjem - streamlined and modern home-management solution with Nix• MicrOS - Experimental operating system based on Nixpkgs module system, bringing Runit to NixOS• Basix - Purely functional collection of Base16/Base24 themes to be used with Nix• ndg - alternative documentation generation for any Nix based module system• Schizofox - privacy and security oriented Firefox configuration for Home-manager• Wallpkgs - easy-to-install wallpapers collections, designed to install with Nix• Nixpkgs - Nix Packages collection and NixOS | • CatApi - Minimal API for serving pictures of your cats. Now with a convenient frontend.• Hyprkeys - Powerful and easy to use keyboard utility designed for my favorite Wayland Compositor, Hyprland.• nff - experimental nftables configuration beautifier in Python.• batmon - Dead simple battery monitor in Go, with the ability to emit events on change.• Goblin - termbin-inspired paste service to replace Fiche, written in Go.• Tailray - Rust implementation of Tailscale systray.• Microfetch - Microscopic fetch tool in Rust, for NixOS systems.• SSA - Simple, streamlined and pretty aggregator for systemd-analyze security.• mrc - Minimalistic, yet robust API wrapper and remote controller for MPV, the video player.• watt - Modern CPU frequency and power management utility for Linux. |

| Neovim Plugins |
| --- |
| • direnv.nvim - Neovim companion for Direnv• syntax-gaslighting.nvim - Gaslighting is not even a real word, you're crazy.• sprint.nvim - Robust command runner for Neovim. |

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...and some projects I take part in co-maintaining. For more projects, active
or inactive, visit the repositories page. If you are interested in
supporting my work, then please consider
becoming a GitHub sponsor.
I appreciate everyone who actively sponsors me, or has sponsored me at some
point in time <3

Project Spotlight

[projects list on my website]: https://notashelf.dev/projects

Here are three random projects you might be interested in.

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Fortune

Spread: The Inversion (upright) / The Compositor (reversed) / The Vendor (reversed).Root: CatApi draws The Inversion (upright), grounding the spread in minimal API for serving pictures of your cats. Now with a convenient frontend. Crossing: ndg draws The Compositor (reversed), putting pressure on alternative documentation generation for any Nix based module system. Path: syntax-gaslighting.nvim draws The Vendor (reversed), turning the reading toward gaslighting is not even a real word, you&#x27;re crazy.

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This is updated from the [projects list on my website].

📫 How to reach me

Want to talk to me? Ask me a question? _Call me a nerd personally_? Sure! Feel
free to contact me from one of the links below. I am available most of the time,
but I sometimes take some time to reply. Prefer Matrix if you use it!

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Below is a poorly updated chart of my language used based on the GitHub API.
Some of the languages I use are excluded and some of them are incorrectly
reported... for whatever reason. In addition to what is _already_ here, I also
work with R and Julia for my academic endeavors, as well as Ruby,
Java, Kotlin and _copious_ amounts of Typescript that I am too ashamed
to make public.

I despise Javascript, Nix despises me

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No README is complete without a ratings chart.

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I like chess, but I'm not particularly good at it... Here is an ASCII tracker
of my 100 previous chess.com rapid games.

```plaintext
♟︎ | Chess.com Rapid Rating Chart

1150.00 ┤ ╭╮
1143.38 ┤ │╰╮╭╮ ╭╮ ╭╮╭╮╭╮
1136.75 ┤ ╭╯ ╰╯╰╮ ╭╯╰╮╭╯╰╯╰╯│
1130.12 ┤ ╭╯ │ │ ││ ╰╮╭╮
1123.50 ┤ ╭╮╭╮╭╮ ╭╯ ╰╮ ╭╯ ╰╯ │││
1116.88 ┤ ╭╯╰╯╰╯╰╮╭╮ ╭╮ ╭╯ ╰╮ ╭╯ ╰╯│
1110.25 ┤ ╭╯ ╰╯╰─╮ ╭─╮ ╭╯╰╮ ╭╯ ╰╮╭

…

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