Modern CLI Tools

Faster, friendlier replacements and add-ons for classic Unix commands. Package names are for Ubuntu 24.04 unless noted. Use Homebrew on macOS (and Linux), or cargo install for the Rust ones. See Linux Basics for classic commands.

TOOL	REPLACES	INSTALL (APT)
`ripgrep` (`rg`)	`grep -r`	`sudo apt install ripgrep`
`fd`	`find`	`sudo apt install fd-find` (binary is `fdfind`)
`fzf`	interactive filter	`sudo apt install fzf`
`bat`	`cat`	`sudo apt install bat` (binary is `batcat`)
`eza`	`ls`	`sudo apt install eza`
`zoxide`	`cd`	`sudo apt install zoxide`
`btop`	`top` / `htop`	`sudo apt install btop`
`ncdu`	`du`	`sudo apt install ncdu`
`tldr`	`man` summaries	`sudo apt install tldr`
`httpie` (`http`)	`curl` for APIs	`sudo apt install httpie`
`lazygit`	git TUI	`brew install lazygit`, or the release binary
`delta`	`git diff` pager	`brew install git-delta`
`dust`	`du` (visual tree)	`cargo install du-dust`, or `brew install dust`
`hyperfine`	`time` (benchmarking)	`sudo apt install hyperfine`

Some of these may be missing from older releases. Fall back to cargo install or a release binary. Aliases for Debian-renamed binaries:

bash
alias fd=fdfind
alias bat=batcat

ripgrep #

COMMAND	DESCRIPTION
`rg "text"`	Search recursively, respecting `.gitignore`
`rg -i "text"`	Ignore case
`rg -F "a.b"`	Fixed string, no regex
`rg -l "text"`	File names only
`rg -c "text"`	Count per file
`rg -t py "def "`	Only Python files (`rg --type-list`)
`rg -g '*.md' "text"`	Glob filter (`-g '!dist'` excludes)
`rg -C 3 "text"`	Context lines
`rg --hidden "text"`	Include hidden files
`rg -n -e "a" -e "b"`	Multiple patterns
`rg "foo" -r "bar"`	Show replacements (does not edit files)
`rg -w "word"`	Whole-word match
`rg -v "text"`	Invert: lines that do not match
`rg -o "[0-9.]+"`	Print only the matching part
`rg -U "start.\n.end"`	Multiline match
`rg --files`	List files that would be searched (like `fd` with ignore rules)
`rg --files -g '*.yml'`	List files matching a glob
`rg -z "text" file.gz`	Search inside compressed files
`rg --stats "text"`	Match and file counts
`rg --json "text"`	JSON output for scripts (jq)
`rg -uuu "text"`	Search everything: no ignore rules, hidden and binary files
`rg -A 2 -B 1 "text"`	Lines after and before

For classic tools see Grep, SED Cheat-Sheet and AWK. Put defaults in a file and point RIPGREP_CONFIG_PATH at it (one flag per line, for example --smart-case).

fd #

COMMAND	DESCRIPTION
`fd name`	Find by regex in file names
`fd -e md`	By extension
`fd -t d`	Directories only (`-t f` files)
`fd -H -I name`	Include hidden and ignored files
`fd -e log -x gzip {}`	Run a command on each match
`fd -e tmp -X rm`	One command with all matches
`fd -g '*.conf' /etc`	Glob instead of regex, in a given directory
`fd -d 2 name`	Limit search depth
`fd --changed-within 1d`	Modified in the last day (`--changed-before` too)
`fd -S +100M`	Larger than 100 MB (`-S -1k` for smaller)
`fd -E node_modules -E .git name`	Exclude paths
`fd -p 'src/.*test'`	Match against the full path
`fd -0 -e jpg \| xargs -0 ls -l`	NUL-separated output for safe piping

fzf #

COMMAND	DESCRIPTION
`fzf`	Pick a file interactively
`Ctrl`+`R`	Fuzzy search shell history (after the shell integration is enabled)
`Ctrl`+`T`	Paste a file path
`Alt`+`C`	`cd` into a directory
`git branch \| fzf \| xargs git checkout`	Pick a branch (Git)
`kubectl get pods -o name \| fzf`	Pick a resource (Kubectl)
`fzf --preview 'bat --color=always {}'`	File preview
`fzf -m`	Multi-select with `Tab`
`fzf --height 40% --reverse`	Compact inline layout
`fzf -e` / `fzf '^start'`	Exact match / anchor to start (`'word` for exact term, `!word` to exclude)
`fzf --bind 'enter:become(vim {})'`	Replace fzf with an editor on Enter

Enable key bindings in bash or zsh: eval "$(fzf --bash)" or source <(fzf --zsh) (fzf 0.48 and later; older packages ship a key-bindings.bash file instead).

Useful environment variables for your shell profile:

bash
export FZF_DEFAULT_COMMAND='fd --type f --hidden --exclude .git'
export FZF_CTRL_T_COMMAND="$FZF_DEFAULT_COMMAND"
export FZF_DEFAULT_OPTS='--height 40% --layout=reverse --border'
export FZF_CTRL_T_OPTS="--preview 'bat -n --color=always {}'"

fzf Combos #

COMMAND	DESCRIPTION
`git switch "$(git branch --all \| sed 's/^[* ]*//' \| fzf)"`	Pick and switch branch (Git)
`git log --oneline \| fzf --preview 'git show --color=always {1}'`	Browse commits with a diff preview
`git diff --name-only \| fzf -m \| xargs git add`	Stage chosen changed files
`docker ps -a --format '{{.Names}}' \| fzf \| xargs docker logs -f`	Follow logs of a chosen container (Docker)
`docker exec -it "$(docker ps --format '{{.Names}}' \| fzf)" sh`	Shell into a chosen container
`kubectl get pods -o name \| fzf \| xargs kubectl logs -f`	Logs of a chosen pod (Kubectl)
`kubectl config get-contexts -o name \| fzf \| xargs kubectl config use-context`	Switch cluster context
`kill -9 $(ps -ef \| sed 1d \| fzf -m \| awk '{print $2}')`	Pick processes to kill
`rg --line-number . \| fzf --delimiter : --preview 'bat --color=always --highlight-line {2} {1}'`	Search file contents interactively
`rg -l "text" \| fzf --preview 'bat --color=always {}'`	Files containing text, with preview
`fd -t d \| fzf`	Pick a directory
`cd "$(fd -t d \| fzf)"`	`cd` into a chosen directory
`ssh "$(grep '^Host ' ~/.ssh/config \| cut -d' ' -f2 \| fzf)"`	Pick an SSH host (OpenSSH Cheat-Sheet)
`systemctl list-units --type=service --no-legend \| fzf`	Browse services

bat, eza, zoxide #

COMMAND	DESCRIPTION
`bat file`	Show with syntax highlighting and line numbers
`bat -p file`	Plain output (no decorations), good for piping
`eza -lah --git`	Long list with git status
`eza --tree --level=2`	Tree view
`eval "$(zoxide init bash)"`	Enable `z` in your shell (`zsh` for zsh)
`z proj`	Jump to the most frequent matching directory
`zi`	Pick a directory interactively
`bat -r 10:20 file`	Show only lines 10 to 20
`bat -l yaml`	Force a language (useful when piping)
`bat --list-themes`	Available themes (set with `BAT_THEME` or `--theme`)
`bat -A file`	Show non-printable characters
`bat cache --build`	Rebuild the syntax cache after adding syntaxes
`eza -l --sort=modified`	Sort by modification time (`--sort=size`, `--reverse`)
`eza -T -L 2 --git-ignore`	Tree that respects `.gitignore`
`eza -la --icons --group-directories-first`	Icons (needs a Nerd Font) and directories first
`eza -D`	Directories only
`zoxide add <DIR>`	Add a directory to the database manually
`zoxide query -l`	List the database with scores
`zoxide remove <DIR>`	Drop a directory

Handy aliases:

bash
alias ls='eza --group-directories-first'
alias ll='eza -lah --git --group-directories-first'
alias cat='bat -pp'    # plain, no pager; use `command cat` for the real one
export MANPAGER="sh -c 'col -bx | bat -l man -p'"    # coloured man pages

eval "$(zoxide init bash --cmd cd)" replaces cd itself with the zoxide-aware version.

delta #

A syntax-highlighting pager for git diff, git log -p and git show (Git). Install with brew install git-delta, winget install dandavison.delta, or the .deb from its releases page. Add to ~/.gitconfig:

ini
[core]
    pager = delta
[interactive]
    diffFilter = delta --color-only
[delta]
    navigate = true     # n / N jump between files
    line-numbers = true
    side-by-side = false
[merge]
    conflictStyle = zdiff3

COMMAND	DESCRIPTION
`git diff`	Now rendered with delta
`git -c delta.side-by-side=true diff`	Side-by-side for one command
`delta file1 file2`	Diff two files without git
`git log -p`	Highlighted history with patches
`delta --show-config`	Print the active configuration

ncdu and dust #

Both find what is using disk space. ncdu is interactive; dust prints a tree with bars.

COMMAND	DESCRIPTION
`ncdu /var`	Scan a directory, browse with arrows, `d` deletes, `q` quits
`ncdu -x /`	Stay on one filesystem (skip mounts)
`ncdu -o scan.json /srv && ncdu -f scan.json`	Scan once, browse later (also over SSH)
`ncdu --exclude node_modules .`	Skip a pattern
`sudo ncdu -x /`	Include directories you cannot read as your user
`dust`	Tree of the current directory
`dust -d 2`	Limit depth
`dust -n 20`	Show 20 entries
`dust -r`	Reverse order (biggest at the bottom)
`dust -X .git`	Ignore a directory
`dust -e '\.log$'`	Only count names matching a regex
`dust -b`	Do not show percent bars
`du -sh * \| sort -h`	Classic fallback (Linux Basics)

btop #

COMMAND	DESCRIPTION
`btop`	Resource monitor for CPU, memory, disks, network and processes
`btop --utf-force`	Force UTF-8 symbols on a limited terminal
`btop --low-color`	16-colour mode (for example over a plain SSH session)
`Esc`	Open the menu and options
`f`	Filter processes
`t` / `k`	Toggle tree view / kill the selected process

Config lives in ~/.config/btop/btop.conf. For per-container usage see Docker (docker stats).

hyperfine #

Command-line benchmarking: runs a command many times and reports mean, spread and min/max.

COMMAND	DESCRIPTION
`hyperfine 'sleep 0.3'`	Benchmark one command
`hyperfine 'fd -e md' 'find . -name "*.md"'`	Compare commands
`hyperfine -w 3 '<CMD>'`	Three warm-up runs first
`hyperfine -r 50 '<CMD>'`	Exactly 50 runs
`hyperfine -p 'sync' '<CMD>'`	Run a prepare command before each timing
`hyperfine -L tool rg,grep '{tool} -r foo .'`	Parameter scan over a list
`hyperfine --export-markdown bench.md '<CMD>'`	Export results (also `--export-json`)
`hyperfine -i '<CMD>'`	Ignore non-zero exit codes
`hyperfine -N 'ls'`	No shell wrapper, for very fast commands

Combos #

COMMAND	DESCRIPTION
`rg -l "TODO" \| xargs bat`	View every file containing a string
`rg --files \| fzf --preview 'bat --color=always {}'`	Fuzzy open with preview
`fd -e log -x gzip`	Compress every log under the current directory
`fd -e jpg -x convert {} {.}.png`	Convert in bulk, `{.}` is the name without extension
`fd -t f -S +100M -x ls -lh`	List files bigger than 100 MB
`fd -H '^\.env$' -X rg -l "PASSWORD"`	Hunt for plaintext secrets in env files
`rg "ERROR" /var/log -g '*.log' --no-filename -o \| sort \| uniq -c \| sort -rn`	Count error lines by text
`fd -e md \| fzf -m \| xargs -o vim`	Pick Markdown files to edit
`dust -d 1 /var/lib/docker`	See what Docker is using (Docker)

Others Worth Knowing #

jq for JSON (jq), yq for YAML (yq).
tmux (tmux) and starship prompt (Starship Prompt).
curl (curl) and nmap (NMap).
direnv loads environment per directory; just and make run project tasks.
gh, glab, tea for Git hosts: GitHub and the gh CLI, GitLab and the glab CLI, Gitea (and Forgejo).

Not Verified #

Package names and availability vary by distro release and were not checked on a live system.