# linux-philosophy

> Unix/Linux design principles for CLI tools and system architecture.

- Author: Xantibody
- Repository: Xantibody/dotfiles
- Version: 20260119150933
- Stars: 1
- Forks: 0
- Last Updated: 2026-02-06
- Source: https://github.com/Xantibody/dotfiles
- Web: https://mule.run/skillshub/@@Xantibody/dotfiles~linux-philosophy:20260119150933

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---
name: linux-philosophy
description: Unix/Linux design principles for CLI tools and system architecture.
---

# Unix/Linux Philosophy

## Core Principles

1. **Do one thing well** - Each program/function should have a single purpose
2. **Compose with others** - Design for pipelines and composition
3. **Text streams** - Use text as universal interface
4. **Small, sharp tools** - Prefer focused tools over monolithic solutions
5. **Fail fast, fail loudly** - Exit on error with clear messages

## Design Guidelines

- Prefer explicit over implicit behavior
- Make default behavior safe; require flags for dangerous operations
- Support stdin/stdout for composition
- Use exit codes meaningfully (0=success, non-zero=error)
- Write to stderr for diagnostics, stdout for output

## Checklist

- [ ] Single responsibility per module/function
- [ ] Composable via standard I/O
- [ ] Clear error messages to stderr
- [ ] Meaningful exit codes
- [ ] No hidden side effects