Here, we introduce useful and lesser-known Linux tools that are not easily found with a simple search. Our goal is to familiarize you with tools that can make your Linux experience more engaging and efficient.
Hidden Utilities
| Command | Description | Use Case | Installation | Usage | Output |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
shuf |
Randomly shuffle lines of a file. | Shuffle the lines of a file to randomize their order. | Pre-installed in most distributions. | shuf file.txt |
Randomly shuffled lines from file.txt. |
tldr |
Simplified man pages for common commands. | Get quick, community-driven simplified examples of command usage. | sudo apt install tldr |
tldr tar |
A simple, quick summary of how to use the tar command. |
chattr |
Change file attributes on a Linux file system. | Make a file immutable (unable to be modified). | Pre-installed in most distributions. | sudo chattr +i file.txt |
The file becomes immutable, preventing modifications. |
nl |
Number the lines of a file. | Add line numbers at the beginning of each line in a file. | Pre-installed in most distributions. | nl file.txt |
File with line numbers at the beginning of each line. |
rev |
Reverse the lines of a file. | Reverse the characters of each line in a file. | Pre-installed in most distributions. | rev file.txt |
The content of file.txt reversed character by character. |
System Secrets
| Command | Description | Use Case | Installation | Usage | Output |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ncdu |
Disk usage analyzer with a text-based interface. | Quickly analyze disk usage to identify large files and directories. | sudo apt install ncdu | ncdu / |
A navigable interface showing disk usage by folder and file. |
htop |
Interactive process viewer for Unix systems. | Monitor system processes, memory usage, and CPU load in real-time. | sudo apt install htop | htop |
A color-coded, interactive display of system processes and resource usage. |
inotifywait |
Command-line utility to watch for file system changes. | Monitor file or directory changes in real-time, such as file creation or modification. | sudo apt install inotify-tools | inotifywait -m /path/to/dir |
Lists events such as file creation, modification, or deletion. |
lsblk |
Lists information about all available block devices. | View detailed information about your storage devices, partitions, and file systems. | Pre-installed in most distributions. | lsblk |
Displays a tree-like structure of your block devices, partitions, and mount points. |
auditd |
Linux audit daemon for logging system events. | Record system events, especially changes to critical files or directories. | sudo apt install auditd | auditctl -w /etc/passwd -p wa |
Logs all changes made to /etc/passwd, including writes and attribute changes. |
Network Ninja
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Shell Sorcery
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Fun and Terminal Delights
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