My 2024 Macbook setup

---
title: '2023 - A year in review'
slug: 'year-in-review-2021'
date: '2024-02-02'
thumbnail: '/thumbnails/writing.png'
tag: 'year-review'
canonicalUrl: 'https://amanhimself.dev/blog/year-in-review-2023/'
---

I must admit that I'm late to the yearly review party this time. The calendar has already flipped to the end of January, yet here I find myself, typing away.

## App.js conf 2023

This year's [App.js conference](https://appjs.co/) wasn't just an event. It was a reunion of mind and spirits. So many amazing people sharing their expert knowledge to make our developer lives better.

I'm extremely thankful for the opportunity I got this year to give an in-person workshop. Giving a workshop at my favorite conference was surreal and exciting. I caught a glimpse of familiar faces in the crowd and loved every bit of it.

![Workshop at App.js with Alek](/images/year-2023/b0.jpeg)

Thankful to the conference organizers at Software Mansion and my team at Expo for this opportunity. And of course, to [Aleksander Mikucki](https://twitter.com/aleqsio) who was my partner in crime.

![Customary photo with Catalin Miron and David Leuliette](/images/year-2023/b12.jpeg)

[It was a wonderful experience to attend it in person](https://twitter.com/amanhimself/status/1535694759653740547), meet old friends, make new ones and travel once again. Everything from the venue, the beautiful city of Krakow, and quality talks, was a great experience. Kudos to the organizers for hosting it and providing that altogether!

I can also officially say I met my colleagues in person since I started working at Expo, mostly after a year and to many, for the first time. The conference just feels different when you are surrounded by people whose avatars you interact with all the time and once a day or week, meet them in a huddle or a Zoom call.

## Blog

Writing is also the primary part of my day job. Occupied in personal and professional life, finding that thin line in between was absent for most of this year. This year, I found myself pulled away from my keyboard on multiple occasions and for the majority of the year, my blog remained silent.

I also didn't mingle with the design of the blog as it has been customary in the past. I did contemplate re-designing it or moving to a newer framework (just for the sake of learning it) but it didn't happen. I've settled on this layout and the functionality of the blog for the time being.

### I wrote 15 posts

It turns out that folks still visit and want to read. Here are some of the most popular posts I wrote or updated this year:

- [Setup Macbook M1 for Web and React Native development](https://amanhimself.dev/blog/setup-macbook-m1/): Even though, this post was Originally published in 2021, I updated the whole post and re-published it again. It's been a popular post once again and I hope it helped folks to get started with their new Macbooks.
- [Set default location for images, files and attachments in Obsidian](https://amanhimself.dev/blog/set-default-folder-for-images-files-and-attachments-in-obsidian/): This post was a result of necessity. Over the last year, I've settled on how to organize my notes and other files in the Obsidian vault. The post gives a brief overview.
- [How to configure ESLint and Prettier in an Expo project](https://amanhimself.dev/blog/configure-eslint-prettier-expo-project/): Wrote this one for myself. Even though [Expo documentation](https://docs.expo.dev/guides/using-eslint/) covers this in detail (after I published this post), I wanted to collect these configuration steps so that I don't lose track of them.

### My blog in numbers

In 2022, I [moved away from Google Universal Analytics](https://amanhimself.dev/blog/year-in-review-2022/) and moved to using Fathom. I really like their minimal interface. It is not overwhelming and shows me what I want to see.

Since my lack of writing and absolutely not sharing any posts on any media platforms or external sites it took a fall in June, but, overall it has been consistent for the rest of the year:

![Yearly blog stats](/images/year-2023/b1.png)

It is also interesting to see that what's driving most of the traffic are old posts:

![Yearly blog stats part 2](/images/year-2023/b2.png)

Also, most visitors are coming mostly through search engines:

![Yearly blog stats part 3](/images/year-2023/b3.png)

For the lack of time and energy, I also stopped contributing to external publications or cross-posting to other sites. That said, this blog has been my primary interface to talk about or share something.

## Newsletter saga finally comes to an end

Last year, after Revue got closed and I jumped to the Substack wagon, I decided to not pursue it further. Mostly, it was because I didn't have much to share. Although I think some of my friends and regular readers would love to get my posts delivered straight to their inbox.

I'm not sure if I'll start one in the future yet.

## Highlights from my GitHub

A couple of years back, I started to maintain a [single repo](https://github.com/amandeepmittal/react-native-examples) for all the demos and example apps I write using React Native and Expo. These example apps are mostly part of the tutorials you see on this blog. To my surprise, it reached 850+ stars. It's still being actively maintained.

I did not maintain the  [Expo Community project that integrates Firebase JS SDK in an Expo app](https://github.com/expo-community/expo-firebase-starter). However, I do have plans to update it this year with a new Expo SDK release.

### I did make a lot of commits

I maintain and work on Expo docs among other things, all of them are open source. The green chart below is mainly work:

![Yearly GitHub stats](/images/year-2023/b4.png)

_A big shout and a huge thanks to folks who [sponsored me on GitHub](https://github.com/sponsors/amandeepmittal) this year!_

## Reading

I did manage to go through some good books this year. Here are some of my picks that I enjoyed reading:

- Tao of Seneca [vol. 1](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36130406-the-tao-of-seneca) & [2](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36130410-the-tao-of-seneca): I've read other translations and this one is not easy, though, I'd recommend this over any other translation unless I come across a better one. The letters are well-organized and appended based on a theme sometimes. It is also available in the public domain (thanks to Tim Ferriss!). A must-read because life is like a sine wave.
- [Seven and a Half Lessons About the Brain](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56319768-seven-and-a-half-lessons-about-the-brain): Sometimes I wonder why I do a particular thing and what drives out. This book made me realize a lot is going on behind that. It is also like a getting-started guide to learning about brains.
- [Intimacies by Kitamura Katie](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59539686-intimacies): Beautiful, unique, thought-provoking and one of those that I wish was longer. Completely character-driven and with doses of realism.
- [How to Be an Adult by David Richo](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/978759.How_to_Be_an_Adult): I wish I had known about this one five years ago. Now is also not a bad time to read it. I first heard about it on the podcast and checked it out, and has been helpful. Can get overwhelming if you try to read it cover from cover (like I did), so don't forget to take your time with this one.

## Traveling

I didn't travel as to my liking and only managed to escape on a couple of occasions.

## Wrapping up

I struggled mostly with anxiety. I've always repeatedly heard this saying, "Go with the flow...". I think I finally had a glimpse of it for a while.

I have been writing [yearly reviews](https://amanhimself.dev/tags/year-review/) since 2020. It's fun for me to look back over what I did and what I focused on last year or where my time went.

That's it for now. If you made it so far, I appreciate you!


2023 - A year in review

---
title: 'Overview most used commands with zsh_stats'
date: '2024-01-01'
thumbnail: '/thumbnails/terminal.png'
slug: 'zsh-stats'
tag: 'tools'
canonicalUrl: 'https://amanhimself.dev/blog/zsh-stats/'
---

[ZSH](https://github.com/zsh-users/zsh) is the default shell in macOS. If you use [Oh my Zsh](https://ohmyz.sh/) to manage the ZSH configuration plugins and a theme to prettify the terminal, you can also use several built-in utilities.

One such utility is the `zsh_stats` command, which provides a list of your top twenty most frequently used commands and how many times each command has run. To use it, run the following command from a terminal window:

```shell
zsh_stats
```

This command will display an output like this:

![zsh_stats running inside a terminal window.](/images/zsh-stats.png)

It is useful for analyzing your command usage patterns.


Overview most used commands with zsh_stats

---
title: 'Pomodoro technique with CLI on macOS'
date: '2023-12-28'
slug: 'pomodoro-with-cli'
thumbnail: '/thumbnails/terminal.png'
tag: 'tools'
canonicalUrl: 'https://amanhimself.dev/blog/pomodoro-with-cli/'
---

I often turn to the [Pomodoro Technique](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomodoro_Technique) when I'm overwhelmed by my to-do list. This method involves working for a set period (X minutes), followed by a short break (Y minutes), promoting focused sessions.

After trying various apps that lacked the simplicity I desired, I discovered a straightforward command line tool.

## Prerequisites

Before diving into the specifics, here is what you will need:

- Install [timer](https://github.com/caarlos0/timer) &mdash; a small utility written in Go that has features such as displaying progress using a progress bar, showing remaining time and named timers.
- Make sure that you are using a terminal app (such as iTerm) with alert notifications enabled.

## Using timer

The timer command accepts a duration argument with a unit specifier (`s` for seconds, `m` for minutes, `h` for hours, and so on). For example, to set a timer for 30 seconds:

```shell
timer 30s
```

![Executing the timer command with a duration of 30 seconds.](/images/pomodoro-1.png)

You can also add a description to your timer using the `-n` flag:

```shell
timer 30s -n "Some task"
```

## Notification using tput bel

[`tput`](https://www.gnu.org/software/termutils/manual/termutils-2.0/html_chapter/tput_1.html) is a versatile command that allows shell scripts to perform things such as clear the screen, underline the text, or ring a bell (beep).

You can combine it with `timer` to get an alert when your session ends.

```shell
timer 30s -n "Short break" && tput bel
```

If your terminal window is in the background and alerts are enabled, you will receive a notification as shown below:

![A notification is sent by tput command after the timer is complete.](/images/pomodoro-2.png)

## Conclusion

This setup offers a minimalistic approach to a commonly used technique to manage your focus sessions.


Pomodoro technique with CLI on macOS

---
title: 'Hide and unhide files or directories visibility with chflags on macOS'
date: '2023-12-25'
slug: 'hide-unhide-files-or-directories-with-chflags'
thumbnail: '/thumbnails/terminal.png'
tag: 'tools'
canonicalUrl: 'https://amanhimself.dev/blog/hide-unhide-files-or-directories-with-chflags/'
---

The `chflags` command in macOS is a command for quickly hiding or unhiding files and directories. It is particularly useful for managing the visibility of files by altering their flags.

## Unhiding files or Directories

You might need to access files located in the `Library` directory. On a new Mac setup, this directory is hidden by default, making it less accessible for everyday users.

To make a hidden file or directory visible, use the `nohidden` flag with the `chflags` command. For example, to unhide the `Library` directory:

```shell
chflags nohidden ~/Library
```

This command removes the `hidden` attribute and makes the `Library` directory visible in the Finder.

## Hiding files or directories

If you want to hide a file or directory, use the `hidden` flag. This is useful for decluttering your view or protecting sensitive files from accidental access. For example, to hide the `Library` directory again:

```shell
chflags hidden ~/Library
```

By using the `hidden` flag, the `Library` directory will no longer be visible in the Finder.

## Conclusion

The `chflags` command is powerful for managing file visibility on macOS.


Hide and unhide files or directories visibility with chflags on macOS

---
title: 'Change comment color visibility in a VS Code theme'
date: '2023-12-21'
slug: 'change-comment-color-visibility-in-a-vs-code-theme'
thumbnail: '/thumbnails/vscode.png'
tag: 'vscode'
canonicalUrl: 'https://amanhimself.dev/blog/change-comment-color-visibility-in-a-vs-code-theme/'
---

Switching to a different theme in VS Code can often lead to a mismatch in personal preferences. I enjoy personalizing themes with subtle modifications, especially when I find one theme that suits my taste.

I recently started using [Digi-Angler Dark theme](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=Digi-Angler.digi-angler-dark-theme), a variant of the renowned [Dracula color scheme](https://draculatheme.com/). Returning to a dark theme after a while felt like familiar territory, reminiscent of my years using the Dracula theme in VS Code.

## The issue with the comment color

Using Digi-Angler, one thing that is a bit too much for me is the color value used for code comments. I prefer comment colors that blend into the background, a preference shaped by my experiences across various code editors, terminal apps, and even while reading code on documentation sites. The sharp, eye-catching color used for comments in this theme didn't sit well with me.

## Customizing comment color in VS Code

To address this, I stumbled upon `editor.tokenColorCustomizations` in VS Code. It is a feature that allows altering specific color values in the active theme. You add this property to your editor's `settings.json` file and specify the scope for the desired change.

## Using textMateRules for Token Customization

VS Code's tokenization engine is based on [TextMate grammars](https://macromates.com/manual/en/language_grammars), and the customization is done within `textMateRules`. Here's how you can change the comment color:

```json
{
  "editor.tokenColorCustomizations": {
    "textMateRules": [
      {
        "scope": "comment",
        "settings": {
          "foreground": "#9c9c9c"
        }
      }
    ]
  }
}
```

The above code snippet applies the comment color `#9c9c9c` to all themes you use inside VS Code. It also means when you switch from one theme to another, this comment will remain consistent.

## Theme specific customization

To tweak the token value for a particular theme, wrap `textMateRules` with the theme name. The following examples demonstrate defining the name of the `[theme]` only applies the comment color `#9c9c9c` for that theme.

```json
{
  "editor.tokenColorCustomizations": {
    "[Digi-Angler Dark Theme]": {
      "textMateRules": [
        {
          "scope": "comment",
          "settings": {
            "foreground": "#9c9c9c"
          }
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}
```

## Conclusion

VS Code's flexibility in customization is a significant advantage. It allows you to tailor any theme to your liking. To learn more about syntax highlighting, tokens, and scopes, see [VS Code documentation](https://code.visualstudio.com/api/language-extensions/syntax-highlight-guide#textmate-tokens-and-scopes).


Change comment color visibility in a VS Code theme

---
title: 'My default apps in 2023'
date: '2023-12-16'
slug: 'default-apps-2023'
thumbnail: '/thumbnails/apple.png'
tag: 'tools'
canonicalUrl: 'https://amanhimself.dev/blog/default-apps-2023/'
---

Read about the ongoing [Default Apps](https://defaults.rknight.me/) project first at [Chris Coyier's](https://chriscoyier.net/2023/11/25/default-apps-2023/) blog. Tracing back to where it started seems to be the [Hemispheric Views](https://listen.hemisphericviews.com/097) podcast. During this back and forth of opening links on a Friday night, I got to discover so many new cool personalized blogs through the "Default Apps" list. Decided to jot down my own.

- 📨 **Mail Client:** Gmail
- 📮 **Mail Server:** [Google](https://www.google.com/gmail/about/)
- 📝 **Notes:** [Notion](https://notion.so/) professionally, [Obsidian](https://obsidian.md/)
- ✅ **To-Do:** [Obsidian](https://obsidian.md/)
- 📷 **Photo Shooting:** [iPhone 12 mini](https://www.apple.com/by/iphone-12/specs/) Camera app
- 🟦 **Photo Management:** [iCloud](https://icloud.com/)
- 📆 **Calendar:** [Apple Calendar](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/calendar/id1108185179) and [Google Calendar](https://calendar.google.com/) (professionally)
- 📁 **Cloud File Storage:** [iCloud](https://icloud.com/) for some applications to sync between both phone and laptop
- 📖 **RSS:** N/A
- 🙍🏻‍♂️ **Contacts:** [Contacts](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/contacts/id1069512615)
- 🌐 **Browser:** [Chrome](https://www.google.com/chrome/) professionally on desktop and iOS, [Brave](https://brave.com/) and [Safari](https://www.apple.com/in/safari/) personal
- 💬 **Chat:** [Slack](https://slack.com/), [Telegram](https://web.telegram.org/)
- 🔖 **Bookmarks:** [Obsidian](https://obsidian.md/)
- 📑 **Read It Later:** [Obsidian](https://obsidian.md/)
- 📜 **Word Processing:** [Google Docs](https://docs.google.com/) and (rarely) [Pages](https://www.apple.com/pages/)
- 📈 **Spreadsheets:** [Google Sheets](https://sheets.google.com/) and Numbers
- 📊 **Presentations:** (rarely) [Google Slides](https://slides.google.com)
- 🛒 **Shopping Lists:** [Apple Notes](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/notes/id1110145109)
- 🍴 **Meal Planning:** N/A
- 💰 **Budgeting and Personal Finance:** N/A
- 📰 **News:** N/A
- 🎵 **Music:** (used to be) Spotify
- 🎤 **Podcasts:** (used to be) Spotify, now [Apple Podcasts](https://www.apple.com/in/apple-podcasts/)
- 🔐 **Password Management:** [1Password](https://1password.com/)

**Now, there are a few categories I want to add myself:**

- 🧑‍💻 **Code Editor:** [VS Code](https://code.visualstudio.com/)
- 👾 **Terminal Emulator:** [iTerm](https://iterm2.com/)
- 🌌 **(Annotated) Screenshots and quick videos:** [CleanShot X](https://cleanshot.com/)

This covers app the list of apps that I use almost daily either for work or for personal use.


My default apps in 2023

---
title: 'Stash changes in a git repository with VS Code'
date: '2023-10-26'
slug: 'stash-changes-with-vscode'
thumbnail: '/thumbnails/vscode.png'
tag: 'vscode'
canonicalUrl: 'https://amanhimself.dev/blog/stash-changes-with-vscode/'
---

> Updated on March 12, 2024.

`git stash` is a useful command that temporarily stores current changes in a Git repository without committing them, making it possible to return to them later.

## Stash using VS Code

Visual Studio Code (VS Code) is a highly capable code editor that offers many well-thought-out functionalities. Even after using it for years, I still find new things about it.

Using in-built **Source Control**, you can quickly view the modified files and temporarily save them by stashing them:

- In VS Code, go to the Source Control tab.
- Click the three-dotted menu (`...`) next to Source Control to open a dropdown menu.
- In the menu, select **Stash** > **Stash (Include Untracked)**.
- That's it. The file changes are now stashed locally.

![Stashing changes locally using VS Code](/images/stash-option-vscode.png)

## Bring the latest stashed changes to a branch

Let's assume you've now created a new branch where you want to bring those changes that are saved temporarily.

- In VS Code's Source Control, open the dropdown menu.
- Select **Stash** > **Apply Latest Stash**.

![Stashing changes locally using VS Code](/images/apply-stash-in-branch.png)

You can now bring those changes to the current branch and commit them.

## Conclusion

Stashing is particularly useful when you want to fix something and keep those changes around so you can return to them later. Collecting the stashed changes can result in a new branch, where local changes can be brought later.


Stash changes in a git repository with VS Code

---
title: 'Remove bottom border or shadow on header in React Navigation or Expo Router'
slug: 'remove-bottom-border-shadow-on-header-in-react-navigation'
date: '2023-09-24'
thumbnail: '/thumbnails/react-navigation.png'
tag: 'react-native'
canonicalUrl: 'https://amanhimself.dev/blog/remove-bottom-border-shadow-on-header-in-react-navigation/'
---

> **Update:** This blog post was originally written on June 5, 2022. It is now up-to-date to include Expo Router relevant information.

Expo Router and React Navigation are both amazing navigation libraries in the React Native ecosystem. I have been a big fan of React Navigation as I have used it for a while but lately, I have started using Expo Router.

Both libraries share `screenOptions` since Expo Router is built on top of React Navigation. Using these options, the border at the bottom of the header can be removed. By default, the Stack and Tab Navigators in the React Navigation library add a header on the screen. Expo Router version 2 also follows the same pattern. The example described on this blog post applies to both libraries.

## Header with a shadow

The header has a default bottom border or shadow. Here is an example of a border on the header on iOS:

![ss1](https://i.imgur.com/PnxIHxT.png)

The orange arrows are used to highlight the shadow. Similarly, on Android, the width is thin and hard to notice.

![ss2](https://i.imgur.com/MoP6J0t.png)

To make it more visible, you can populate the `screenOptions` of the navigator as shown below:

```js
screenOptions={{
  headerStyle: {
    borderBottomWidth: 4,
  },
}}
```

Increasing the value of the property `borderBottomWidth` will make the border thicker.

![ss3](https://i.imgur.com/I7l8INR.png)

## Disable the shadow

At times, the UI of the screen might not require a header border or shadow at all. In such cases, you can always customize the `screenOptions` by adding the property `headerShadowVisible` and setting it to `false`.

```js
screenOptions={{
  headerShadowVisible: false,
}}
```

You will get the desired output both on iOS and Android:

![ss4](https://i.imgur.com/bBQuIJJ.png)

![ss5](https://i.imgur.com/NId2zbQ.png)

## Conclusion

To learn more about navigation in React Native apps, [React Navigation docs](https://reactnavigation.org/) are a great asset for learning more about the library and what customization options it provides. Also, see [Expo Router](https://docs.expo.dev/routing/introduction/) documentation if you want to implement file-based routing.

Also, check out my other post on [how to remove the bottom tab bar border in React Navigation](https://amanhimself.dev/blog/react-navigation-remove-tab-bar-border/).

> [Source code available at GitHub.](https://github.com/amandeepmittal/react-native-examples/tree/main/remove-header-border-react-navigation)


Remove bottom border or shadow on header in React Navigation or Expo Router

---
title: 'How to configure ESLint and Prettier in an Expo project'
date: '2023-07-25'
slug: 'configure-eslint-prettier-expo-project'
thumbnail: '/thumbnails/expo.png'
tag: 'expo'
canonicalUrl: 'https://amanhimself.dev/blog/configure-eslint-prettier-expo-project/'
---

> Make sure to see the official Expo documentation on using [ESLint](https://docs.expo.dev/guides/using-eslint/) in your React Native project.

When writing JavaScript, I spend a good amount of time fixing basic mistakes. Different project files sometimes end up following different syntax and formatting conventions.

Using ESLint rescues me from those mistakes. It is a linter for the JavaScript programming language that helps keep the code syntax consistent and match conventions and warns against the possible source of problems. It is written in Node.js.

Also, I like to use some specific set of Prettier rules in my projects. ESLint configures well with it.

## Create a new project

To create a new React Native project, I use `create-expo-app`:

```shell
npx create-expo-app projectName

# Navigate inside the project folder
cd projectName
```

## Install ESLint and Prettier dev dependencies

After creating a new project, the next step is to install ESLint and Prettier as dev dependencies.

The Expo team has been awesome to provide a package called [eslint-config-universe](https://github.com/expo/expo/tree/master/packages/eslint-config-universe) that comes with basic and shared ESLint configuration for Node.js, React Native and web projects. This is useful because I don't have to set up and define the ESLint configuration from scratch.

Run the following command in the terminal:

```shell
yarn add --dev eslint-config-universe eslint prettier
```

These packages are installed as `devDependencies` since they are only required during the development of the project.

## Configure ESLint

Start by creating a new file called `.eslintrc.js` at the root of the project. This file is responsible to contain all the configuration and linting rules.

Here is the minimal configuration I use:

```js
module.exports = {
  extends: ['universe', 'universe/native'],
  rules: {
    'import/order': 0,
    'react-native/no-inline-styles': 0,
    'import/namespace': 0,
    'no-duplicate-imports': 'error'
  }
};
```

Sometimes I extend this configuration or tweak with rules but for most of the projects I start with this configuration.

In the above snippet, the `extends` is used to apply the pre-defined set of rules from `universe` and `universe/native`.

The `universe` contains basic config JavaScript projects. The `universe/native` contains the config for React Native and Expo projects, with support for React and JSX.

## Configure Prettier

Prettier is a code formatter that ensures that all the code files follow a consistent styling. If you are into Web development, chances are you are already using it.

Create a new file called `.prettierrc` and inside it add the following (_minimal_) configuration:

```json
{
  "printWidth": 100,
  "tabWidth": 2,
  "singleQuote": true,
  "bracketSameLine": true,
  "trailingComma": "es5",
  "arrowParens": "avoid"
}
```

## Ignore files

I also created two new files to ignore trivial or other configurable files and folders from both linting and formatting. Both `.eslintignore` and `.prettierignore` have the following snippet:

```shell
node_modules/**
package.json
yarn.lock
ios/**
android/**
assets/**
.vscode
.expo-shared
.prettirrc
.eslintrc.js
```

## Conclusion

There are about a dozen ways one can configure ESLint rules. However, in this post, I wanted to share this minimal configuration for my future self.


How to configure ESLint and Prettier in an Expo project

---
title: 'Resolve merge conflicts with git rebase'
date: '2023-06-23'
slug: 'resolve-merge-conflicts-with-git-rebase'
thumbnail: '/thumbnails/git.png'
tag: 'git'
canonicalUrl: 'https://amanhimself.dev/blog/resolve-merge-conflicts-with-git-rebase/'
---

Resolving merge conflicts can sometimes be difficult, and using the GitHub UI may not always be the most effective solution. As the complexity of the conflicts increases, it may be necessary to rely on tools on your local machine rather than the web interface provided by GitHub.

I have discovered that using the `git rebase` command is a useful method for resolving merge conflicts in my feature branch before merging it into the `main` branch. Although it took some time to fully understand the process and the necessary steps.

## Problem

I have been working on a `feature-branch` in an open-source repository for work for quite some time. However, recent commits merged into the main branch have caused conflicts in my branch, preventing me from merging my own commit. I have two options to proceed:

- Resolve the conflicts to merge the branches.
- Create a new pull request if the conflicts are too complex and my changes are of low priority.

## Solution: Resolve conflicts with git rebase

Using `git rebase` in the `feature-branch` allows to bring changes from the `main`, and resolve the merge conflicts. Then, I can use VS Code (which has a Resolve merge conflict editor and is pretty handy) and push the changes back to my feature branch. Once the conflicts are resolved, I can merge my branch into the `main` without any issues which will make GitHub happy.

### 1: Fetch the latest changes from the main

Open a fresh terminal tab, and navigate into the repository. On the `main` branch, run:

```shell
git pull
```

This makes sure that the local copy of the `main` branch on my machine has all the latest changes.

### 2: Run git log to verify

Running `git log` helps verifying that `main` branch has all the latest commits:

```shell
git log --oneline --graph --decorate --color

# I use an alias: glog
```

### 3: Checkout to the feature-branch

Time to switch to the `feature-branch`:

```shell
git checkout feature-branch

# I use an alias: gck feature-branch
```

### 4: Run git rebase to bring changes from the main

To bring changes from the `main` to the `feature-branch`, run:

```shell
git rebase main
```

Then run `git status` to know the status of the branch:

```shell
git status

# I use an alias: gs
```

### 5: Resolve merge conflicts

If there are merge conflicts, running `git status` will let you know. Open VS Code, click on open Resolve Merge Conflict editor and you can now accept changes in the left tab which shows the latest changes from `main` branch.

On the right side, changes from the current `feature-branch` (probably the ones that are causing conflicts) are shown.

After resolving conflicts, save the file and from the terminal run the following command to stage the modified files:

```shell
git add file-name

# I use an alias: ga file-name

# In case, multiple files modified and need to be staged, run:
git add .
```

Then, run `git status` once again to see if the modified files are staged.

Then run the following command to commit those changes:

```shell
git commit -m "commit message..."

# I use an alias: gc "commit message..."
```

### 6: Continue the rebase

Run `git rebase` command with `--continue` flag to continue the rebase process:

```shell
git rebase --continue
```

> **Tip:** If required, save changes by pressing `:wq!` in the terminal.

### 7: Verify new commits

Run the following command to verify that the new commits from `feature-branch` are at the top of the commit history and changes from the `main`:

```shell
git log --oneline --graph --decorate --color

# I use an alias: glog
```

### 8: Commit changes from local to remote

Finally, push the changes from the local `feature-branch` to the remote `feature-branch`:

```shell
git push --force
```

## Summary

A few added rules I think are worth mentioning in this process:

- Only use rebase for local branches and if you are the owner of that branch.
- If you anticipate that the conflicts can become messy, use the strategy described above at regular intervals to avoid a lot of conflicts.

> A big thank you to my colleague [Sundeep Peswani](https://www.sundeeppeswani.com/) for teaching this via live coding and jumping on a call to help me understand the process and making my life easier.


Resolve merge conflicts with git rebase

---
title: 'How to clear global npx cache'
date: '2023-05-30'
slug: 'clear-global-npx-cache'
thumbnail: '/thumbnails/terminal.png'
tag: 'tools'
canonicalUrl: 'https://amanhimself.dev/blog/clear-global-npx-cache'
---

Recently, I've seen myself running into the following message whenever I'm using a certain CLI tool with `npx`.

```bash
A new version of "x-package" is available
You can update by running: npm install -g x-package
```

I don't want to install the CLI tool globally and go into the rabbit hole of maintaining it as a dependency.

One way I've found that works on macOS to clear the global `npx` cache:

```bash
rm -rf ~/.npm/_npx
```

This will clear the global `npx` cache and you'll be able to use the latest version of the CLI tool.

Also, you can add an alias to your `.zshrc` or `.bashrc` file to make it easier to run:

```bash
alias clearnpx="rm -rf ~/.npm/_npx"
```

If you've trouble finding where npm stores `npx` cache on your system, run the following command to find out the exact path to the `_npx` directory:

```bash
npm config get cache
```


How to clear global npx cache

---
title: 'Bypass CORS to fetch files when working with localhost'
date: '2023-05-24'
thumbnail: '/thumbnails/terminal.png'
slug: 'bypass-cors-when-working-with-localhost'
tag: 'tools'
canonicalUrl: 'https://amanhimself.dev/blog/bypass-cors-when-working-with-localhost/'
---

Sometime back I learned about [opening files or directories using the `open` command from the CLI on a Mac](/blog/how-to-open-any-folder-from-terminal-in-finder-on-mac/). It's simple yet effective.

Another use case that I've been using it for is to open the current project when in `localhost` in the browser and bypass the CORS policy to fetch files that are also available locally.

```shell
open -a "Google Chrome Canary"  --args --user-data-dir="/tmp/chrome_dev_test" --disable-web-security
```

The argument passed in the above command overrides the browser's default behavior.


Bypass CORS to fetch files when working with localhost

Setup Macbook M1 for Web and React Native development

---
date: '2023-05-02'
title: 'Set default location for images, files and attachments in Obsidian'
thumbnail: '/thumbnails/ob.png'
slug: 'set-default-folder-for-images-files-and-attachments-in-obsidian'
tag: 'obsidian'
canonicalUrl: 'https://amanhimself.dev/blog/set-default-folder-for-images-files-and-attachments-in-obsidian/'
---

I've used Obsidian as my primary note-taking app for over six months. One thing I've found myself often doing (either work or personal) is using screenshots as images in my notes.

Now, if you have used Obsidian or started using it, all images or attachments are stored in the root vault folder. If you are fine with it, you can skip reading this article and spend your time on something more useful. However, if you are like me, and want to stick to using a note-taking app and keep things organized, then keep reading.
I organize my notes into two top-level folders:

I organize my notes into two top level folders:

- `Areas`: Notes on stuff related to my personal life, books I read, and things I'm learning.
- `Inbox`: Notes on work, meetings, people, and the articles I'm working on.

I wanted a separate folder for images and attachments that could serve both folders and keep things organized in the vault. In Obsidian, it's doable by changing one setting:

- Click **Settings** in the Obsidian desktop app and in the Settings menu, click **Files & Links**.
- In the **Default location for new attachments**, in the dropdown, select **In the folder specified below**.
- In the **Attachment folder path**, choose the path of the folder you want to save all images and other files.

![ss1](https://i.imgur.com/D2AyGqt.png)


👋 Hey, I'm Aman

I'm a software developer and a technical writer. I love working with open source technologies and writing about what I learn.

I mainly enjoy working with React Native and Expo. Currently working as a documentation lead at 𝝠 Expo among other hats.

I've been writing online since 2017, mostly cross-platform mobile development and sometimes on web. I've written over 150 articles and tutorials for more than 30 publications and organizations across the internet. Hence, I started this blog to share my software development journey.

Previously, I've worked as Developer Advocate at Draftbit, and Senior Content Developer at Vercel.

Read more about me on the About page.

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