The Top 20 Little Known Command Line Tools for Linux

Are you a Linux user who loves to tinker with the command line interface? Do you want to discover some new and exciting tools that can make your life easier and more productive? Look no further! In this article, we will explore the top 20 little known command line tools for Linux that you may not have heard of before.

1. Ack

Have you ever struggled to find a specific string of text in a large codebase? Ack is a powerful tool that can search through your files and directories quickly and efficiently. It is designed to be faster than grep and can handle regular expressions with ease.

2. Cmatrix

Do you want to add some visual flair to your terminal? Cmatrix is a fun little tool that displays a scrolling matrix of characters on your screen. It may not be the most practical tool, but it is sure to impress your friends.

3. Fzf

Do you find yourself constantly typing out long file paths or commands? Fzf is a command-line fuzzy finder that can help you quickly navigate your file system and history. It can also be used to search through your command history and open files with your favorite editor.

4. Htop

Do you want to monitor your system's performance in real-time? Htop is a powerful process manager that provides a more user-friendly interface than the default top command. It allows you to view and manage your system's processes, CPU usage, memory usage, and more.

5. Iotop

Do you want to monitor your system's disk I/O in real-time? Iotop is a command-line tool that displays the I/O usage of your processes. It can help you identify which processes are causing high disk usage and troubleshoot performance issues.

6. Jq

Do you work with JSON data frequently? Jq is a lightweight and flexible command-line JSON processor that allows you to manipulate and transform JSON data with ease. It can be used to extract specific data, filter data, and even create new JSON objects.

7. Mtr

Do you want to troubleshoot network connectivity issues? Mtr is a powerful network diagnostic tool that combines the functionality of traceroute and ping. It provides real-time statistics on packet loss, latency, and jitter, making it an essential tool for network administrators.

8. Ncdu

Do you want to free up disk space on your system? Ncdu is a disk usage analyzer that provides a user-friendly interface for navigating and analyzing your file system. It allows you to quickly identify large files and directories that are taking up valuable disk space.

9. Nethogs

Do you want to monitor your network bandwidth usage in real-time? Nethogs is a command-line tool that displays the network bandwidth usage of your processes. It can help you identify which processes are using the most bandwidth and troubleshoot network performance issues.

10. Rsync

Do you want to synchronize files and directories between two systems? Rsync is a powerful and versatile file transfer tool that can transfer files over SSH, FTP, and more. It can also be used to backup and restore files, making it an essential tool for system administrators.

11. Screen

Do you want to run multiple terminal sessions in a single window? Screen is a terminal multiplexer that allows you to create and manage multiple terminal sessions within a single window. It can also be used to detach and reattach sessions, making it a great tool for remote administration.

12. Tcpdump

Do you want to capture and analyze network traffic? Tcpdump is a powerful network packet analyzer that allows you to capture and analyze network traffic in real-time. It can be used to troubleshoot network issues, monitor network security, and more.

13. Tmux

Do you want to manage multiple terminal sessions in a single window? Tmux is a terminal multiplexer that allows you to create and manage multiple terminal sessions within a single window. It can also be used to detach and reattach sessions, making it a great tool for remote administration.

14. Tree

Do you want to visualize your file system hierarchy? Tree is a command-line tool that displays the directory structure of your file system in a tree-like format. It can help you navigate and understand your file system more easily.

15. Uptime

Do you want to monitor your system's uptime and load average? Uptime is a command-line tool that displays your system's uptime, load average, and number of users currently logged in. It can help you identify performance issues and troubleshoot system crashes.

16. Vimdiff

Do you want to compare and merge files? Vimdiff is a powerful file comparison tool that allows you to compare and merge files within the Vim text editor. It provides a user-friendly interface for identifying and resolving differences between files.

17. Wget

Do you want to download files from the internet? Wget is a command-line tool that allows you to download files from the internet using HTTP, HTTPS, and FTP protocols. It can be used to download entire websites, mirror websites, and more.

18. Z

Do you want to quickly navigate your file system? Z is a command-line tool that allows you to jump to directories that you frequently visit. It uses a ranking system to determine which directories you visit most frequently and allows you to jump to them with a single command.

19. Zsh

Do you want to customize your command-line interface? Zsh is a powerful and customizable shell that provides a wide range of features and plugins. It allows you to customize your prompt, autocomplete commands, and more.

20. 7z

Do you want to compress and decompress files? 7z is a powerful and versatile file compression tool that supports a wide range of compression formats. It can be used to compress and decompress files, create archives, and more.

In conclusion, these are just a few of the many little known command line tools for Linux that can make your life easier and more productive. Whether you are a system administrator, developer, or just a Linux enthusiast, these tools are sure to impress and enhance your command line experience. So why not give them a try and see how they can improve your workflow?

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