Over at Hacker News there are often threads about less-traveled UNIX and Linux commands. One particular comment collected a few of the posts, and I decided to parse all of those threads’ commands, plus my own favorite list of obscure entries, and put them in one place.

Somewhat obscure UNIX commands

column : create columns from text input

: create columns from text input tr : translate/substitute/delete input

: translate/substitute/delete input join : like a database join but for text

: like a database join but for text comm : file comparison like a db join

: file comparison like a db join paste : put lines in a file next to each other

: put lines in a file next to each other rs : reshape arrays

: reshape arrays jot : generate data

: generate data expand : replace spaces and/or tabs

: replace spaces and/or tabs time : track time and resourcing

: track time and resourcing watch : execute something on a schedule in realtime

: execute something on a schedule in realtime xargs : execute something on all inputs

: execute something on all inputs iftop : visually show network traffic

: visually show network traffic jnettop a more detailed iftop

a more detailed iftop htop : show system stats more powerfully

: show system stats more powerfully xxd : manipulate files in hex

: manipulate files in hex mtr : powerful traceroute replacement

: powerful traceroute replacement mdfind : osx find replacement that uses spotlight

: osx find replacement that uses spotlight brew : osx package manager

: osx package manager df : disk free

: disk free du : disk usage

: disk usage iotop : i/o stats

: i/o stats dig : dns queries

: dns queries host : dns queries

: dns queries man ascii : lookup your ascii

: lookup your ascii sshfs : mount a directory through ssh

: mount a directory through ssh wget : get w’s

: get w’s dstat : powerful system statistics

: powerful system statistics tmux : a better screen

: a better screen jq : command line JSON parsing

: command line JSON parsing pushd : push your pwd to a stack

: push your pwd to a stack popd : pop pwd off your stack

: pop pwd off your stack lsof : godlike system information [*]

: godlike system information [*] ncat : nmap-based replacement for nc

: nmap-based replacement for nc fuser : kills locking processes

: kills locking processes vim : attack yourself

: attack yourself tac : cat in reverse

: cat in reverse slurm : network interface stats

: network interface stats rename : change spaces to underscores in names

: change spaces to underscores in names bmon : a simple bandwidth monitor

: a simple bandwidth monitor open .: in osx, open finder in the current dir

.: in osx, open finder in the current dir lsmod : show kernel modules

: show kernel modules printf : change the format of output

: change the format of output timeout : execute something and kill it soon after

: execute something and kill it soon after disown : protect a job from disconnect

: protect a job from disconnect fc : edit your last command in your editor and execute it

: edit your last command in your editor and execute it sudo !! : repeat last command with sudo

: repeat last command with sudo tee : send output to stdout as well

: send output to stdout as well pgrep : greps through processes

: greps through processes pkill : kills processes based on search

: kills processes based on search fmt : text formatter

: text formatter multitail : see logs in separate views

: see logs in separate views bc : an interactive calculator language

: an interactive calculator language apropos : info on commands

: info on commands strace : the uber debug tool

: the uber debug tool man units : interesting

: interesting pstree : shows processes in a…well…tree

: shows processes in a…well…tree pv : a progress bar for piped commands

: a progress bar for piped commands ddate : wtf

: wtf zgrep : grep within compressed files

: grep within compressed files zless : look at compressed files

: look at compressed files nping : nmap-based custom packet creation

: nmap-based custom packet creation readlink : read values of links

: read values of links iostate : look at your disk i/o

: look at your disk i/o atop : another top

: another top split : break a file into pieces

: break a file into pieces dd : disk writing

: disk writing ndiff : show differences in nmap scans

: show differences in nmap scans ss: socket statistics (show apps using the Internet)

Many thanks to those who have shared commands to add to the list.

Notes