8 Unusual Linux Commands You Probably Haven’t Tried Yet

Here’s a look at eight unconventional Linux commands that can enhance your command-line skills. Discover something new and useful for your everyday tasks.

Checking for Installed Commands

Before diving into the commands, you can check if these commands are installed on your system by running the following:

for cmd in yes shuf column pv tldr stat namei revdo  which $cmddone

If installed, the output will display the paths for each command.

1. The yes Command

The yes command outputs the word "yes" (or any string you provide) continuously until interrupted. This can be helpful for automatically responding to prompts in a script:

yes | scriptname

2. The shuf Command

The shuf command randomly shuffles the lines of a file. This is excellent for generating random test data:

shuf staff

3. The column Command

The column command organizes text into columns, making your output easier to read:

cat staff | column

4. The pv Command

The pv (pipe viewer) command shows the progress of data moving through a pipe. You can see how much data has been processed and at what speed:

pv largefile.zip | tar xzf -

5. The tldr Command

This command offers simplified man pages with practical examples on how to use commands, making it easier for newcomers to understand:

tldr date

6. The stat Command

The stat command presents detailed information about a file, beyond what ls -l shows, including access times and file size:

stat staff

7. The namei Command

The namei command breaks down a pathname into its components, showing each directory level:

namei -lx /usr/bin

8. The rev Command

The rev command reverses the characters in each line of a standard input:

echo Hello, World! | rev

Wrap-up

Working in the Linux command line can be both enjoyable and productive; experimenting with these commands can enhance your overall efficiency and command-line prowess.

More Linux Tips

• 7 time-saving Linux commands
• Easy command line Linux tricks
• Getting started with pipes, aliases and scripts on Linux

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