diff --git a/functions.el b/functions.el
index e810858..26d0934 100644
--- a/functions.el
+++ b/functions.el
@@ -12,6 +12,20 @@
   (mapc 'kill-buffer (buffer-list)))
 (global-set-key (kbd "C-c k k") 'kill-all-buffers)
 
+(defun split-and-follow-horizontally ()
+  (interactive)
+  (split-window-below)
+  (balance-windows)
+  (other-window 1))
+(global-set-key (kbd "C-x 2") 'split-and-follow-horizontally)
+
+(defun split-and-follow-vertically ()
+  (interactive)
+  (split-window-right)
+  (balance-windows)
+  (other-window 1))
+(global-set-key (kbd "C-x 3") 'split-and-follow-vertically)
+
 ;; compilation
 (setq compile-command "make ")
 (global-set-key "\C-x\C-m" 'compile)
diff --git a/init.el b/init.el
index 328831b..696a85b 100644
--- a/init.el
+++ b/init.el
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
 (set-language-environment "UTF-8")
 
 ;; Appearance
-(set-frame-font "Terminus 12")
+(set-frame-font "DejaVu Sans Mono 10")
 (set-face-italic 'font-lock-comment-face nil)  ; disable italics
 ; theme set in packages.el
 (global-linum-mode)
@@ -30,8 +30,9 @@
 (setq display-time-24hr-format t)
 (display-time-mode t)
 
-;; Instead of leaving backup files everywhere, have them in this dir
-(setq backup-directory-alist `(("." . "~/.emacs.d/backups")))
+;; disable creation of backup files
+(setq make-backup-files nil)
+(setq auto-save-default nil)
 
 ;; Y or N instead of Yes or No
 (defalias 'yes-or-no-p 'y-or-n-p)
@@ -47,10 +48,10 @@
 
 ;; Electric pair mode
 (setq electric-pair-pairs '((?\( . ?\))
-			    (?\[ . ?\])
-			    (?\{ . ?\})
-			    (?\" . ?\")
-			    ))
+							(?\[ . ?\])
+							(?\{ . ?\})
+							(?\" . ?\")
+							))
 (electric-pair-mode t)
 
 ;; windmove
@@ -75,6 +76,9 @@
    (set-face-attribute face nil :weight 'normal))
  (face-list))
 
+;; Eshell
+(defalias 'open 'find-file-other-window)
+(defalias 'clean 'eshell/clear-scrollback)
 
 ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
 
@@ -84,7 +88,7 @@
  ;; Your init file should contain only one such instance.
  ;; If there is more than one, they won't work right.
  '(package-selected-packages
-   '(magit expand-region go-mode tao-themes tao-theme almost-mono-themes use-package)))
+   '(avy swiper auto-package-update magit expand-region go-mode tao-themes tao-theme almost-mono-themes use-package)))
 (custom-set-faces
  ;; custom-set-faces was added by Custom.
  ;; If you edit it by hand, you could mess it up, so be careful.
diff --git a/packages.el b/packages.el
index 60a7662..0bb0dbc 100644
--- a/packages.el
+++ b/packages.el
@@ -17,6 +17,19 @@
   (package-refresh-contents)
   (package-install 'use-package))
 
+;; auto-package-update automatically updates and removes old packages
+(use-package auto-package-update
+  :ensure t
+  :config
+  (setq auto-package-update-delete-old-versions t)
+  (setq auto-package-update-hide-results t)
+  (auto-package-update-maybe))
+
+;; better incremental search with minibuffer
+(use-package swiper
+  :ensure t
+  :bind ("C-s" . 'swiper))
+
 (use-package almost-mono-themes
   :ensure t
   :init
@@ -53,10 +66,17 @@
   (global-set-key (kbd "C-=") 'er/expand-region)
   (pending-delete-mode t)) ; if you start typing while a word is selected, overwrite it
 
+;; jump to definitions and files with M-.
 (use-package dumb-jump
   :ensure t
   :config
   (add-hook 'xref-backend-functions #'dumb-jump-xref-activate))
 
+;; avy - jump around files more easily
+(use-package avy
+  :ensure t
+  :bind ("M-s" . avy-goto-char))
+
+;; self explanatory
 (use-package magit
   :ensure t)