Some newish CLI tools I use on a regular basis

A collection of command line tools I keep installed on most machines. Each tool has a short description, the easiest install commands, and links.

Install commands: apt is for Debian/Ubuntu, brew works on macOS and Linux, cargo needs Rust installed, and go install needs Go installed.

Replacements for standard Linux commands

Finding files & listing directories

fd -- find files

A simple, fast and user-friendly alternative to find. On Debian/Ubuntu the command is installed as fdfind.

• sudo apt install fd-find
• brew install fd
• GitHub

eza -- modern replacement for ls

The maintained fork of exa.

• brew install eza
• cargo install eza
• main site
• GitHub

grep like search

silver searcher (ag) and RipGREP (rg) do about the same thing with different syntaxes. I prefer silver searcher personally but RipGrep is required by some NeoVIM plugins I like, so I have both installed.

the_silver_searcher (ag) -- code searching tool similar to ack, but faster

• sudo apt install silversearcher-ag
• brew install the_silver_searcher
• GitHub

ripgrep (rg) -- fast recursive grep that respects .gitignore

• sudo apt install ripgrep
• brew install ripgrep
• GitHub

DNS

dog -- command-line DNS client

• GitHub

Disk usage

duf -- a better df alternative

• sudo apt install duf
• brew install duf
• GitHub

dust -- a friendlier du utility

• cargo install du-dust
• brew install dust
• GitHub

System monitors -- nice top like tools

btop -- monitor of resources

• sudo apt install btop
• brew install btop
• GitHub

bottom -- cross-platform graphical process/system monitor

The command is btm.

• cargo install bottom --locked
• brew install bottom
• GitHub

gtop -- system monitoring dashboard for terminal

• npm install -g gtop
• GitHub

gotop -- terminal based graphical activity monitor

• GitHub

kmon -- Linux kernel manager and activity monitor

• cargo install kmon
• GitHub

Help pages

tldr -- sort of a man replacement

Simplified and community-driven man pages that give practical examples for common commands. Much faster to read than traditional man pages, and there are multiple clients available (Node.js, Python, Rust, etc.).

• npm install -g tldr
• brew install tlrc
• tldr.sh
• GitHub

Tools that aren't really replacements for anything

File managers & navigation

ranger -- VIM-inspired file manager for the console

• sudo apt install ranger
• brew install ranger
• GitHub

lf -- CLI file manager written in Go

Written with full concurrency so it is crazy fast.

• go install github.com/gokcehan/lf@latest
• brew install lf
• GitHub

fzf -- command-line fuzzy finder

• sudo apt install fzf
• brew install fzf
• GitHub

zoxide -- quick navigation to commonly used directories

• sudo apt install zoxide
• brew install zoxide
• GitHub

Networking, file transfer & APIs

croc -- easily and securely send things from one computer to another

Easy to install and use. A great simple way to transfer files between two computers fairly securely. The sender and the receiver must both be online at the same time.

• brew install croc
• curl https://getcroc.schollz.com | bash
• GitHub

httpie -- test APIs (written in Python)

Simple to use, JSON keys are presented sorted, well tested and well documented. There is also a GUI version available now.

• pipx install httpie
• brew install httpie
• main site
• HTTPie GUI

xh -- test APIs (written in Rust)

Written to be similar in use to httpie. Faster than httpie, but not all features are available and the documentation is not as full featured.

• cargo install xh --locked
• brew install xh
• GitHub

trippy -- network trip diagnostic tool (written in Rust)

Combines traceroute and ping. The command is trip.

• cargo install trippy --locked
• brew install trippy
• main site

wishlist -- SSH manager (written in Go)

• GitHub

TUIs for git

I personally prefer lazygit but gitui is also good.

lazygit -- simple terminal UI for git commands (written in Go)

• brew install lazygit
• go install github.com/jesseduffield/lazygit@latest
• GitHub

gitui -- terminal UI for git (written in Rust)

• cargo install gitui --locked
• brew install gitui
• GitHub

Data & JSON

jq -- command-line JSON processor

• sudo apt install jq
• brew install jq
• main site

fx -- interactive JSON viewer

• brew install fx
• go install github.com/antonmedv/fx@latest
• GitHub

jless -- simple JSON viewer with vim friendly keybindings

• cargo install jless
• brew install jless
• main site

serpl -- TUI search and replace across a project

• cargo install serpl
• GitHub

Markdown & presentations

glow -- CLI markdown viewer (written in Go)

• brew install glow
• go install github.com/charmbracelet/glow@latest
• GitHub

Marp -- markdown presentation ecosystem

• npm install -g @marp-team/marp-cli
• brew install marp-cli
• main site
• GitHub

Basic system info

fastfetch -- fast, highly customizable neofetch replacement

• sudo apt install fastfetch
• brew install fastfetch
• GitHub

macchina -- fast system info (written in Rust)

• cargo install macchina
• brew install macchina
• GitHub

NerdFetch -- tiny system info fetch script using Nerd Font icons

• GitHub

Music

kew -- TUI music player

• sudo apt install kew
• brew install kew
• GitHub

Pomodoro & time tracking

Focus -- pomodoro timer written in Go

• GitHub

pomo -- simple CLI pomodoro timer

• GitHub

timer -- simple CLI countdown timer

• go install github.com/caarlos0/timer@latest
• GitHub

pydoro -- minimal pomodoro timer

• pipx install pydoro
• GitHub

uair -- minimalist pomodoro timer

• cargo install uair
• GitHub

furtherance -- time tracking app

This one is a GUI app rather than a CLI.

• flatpak install flathub io.unobserved.furtherance
• brew install --cask furtherance
• GitHub

Goodtime -- Android pomodoro app

• F-Droid store
• Google Play store
• website

Other

starship -- cross-shell prompt

• curl -sS https://starship.rs/install.sh | sh
• brew install starship
• main site

muffet -- website link checker

• brew install muffet
• GitHub

Bulk rename

Several of these tools open a list of filenames in $EDITOR (nvim, emacs, and so on). You edit the names, save and quit, and the files get renamed.

Quick picks: vidir is the zero-friction choice from apt. mmv fits if you'd rather have a Go tool with safe swap handling. Since I use Doom Emacs, wdired is probably the most powerful of all, because you get the full editor (regex replace, macros, rectangles) while renaming.

Edit filenames in your editor

vidir -- the classic edit-filenames-in-your-editor tool

Part of moreutils. Running vidir or vidir *.jpg opens a numbered list. Edit a line to rename that file, or delete the line to delete the file. It can also be piped: fd -e md | vidir -.

• sudo apt install moreutils
• brew install moreutils

qmv / qcp -- quick move and copy from renameutils

qmv -f do *.txt gives a single-column "destination only" view. It handles swaps and cycles safely, and qcp does the same for copies.

• sudo apt install renameutils
• brew install renameutils
• main site

vimv -- bulk rename files using vim

Tiny tool that does the same job as vidir, with optional git mv support.

• cargo install vimv
• GitHub

mmv -- rename multiple files using your editor (written in Go)

Minimal and fast, and it correctly handles swaps (a→b, b→a) and renames that create directories.

• go install github.com/itchyny/mmv/cmd/mmv@latest
• GitHub

massren -- editor based renaming with undo (written in Go)

Keeps an undo history (massren --undo), which is handy if you make a mistake.

• GitHub

edir -- vidir with extras (written in Python)

It can move files to trash instead of deleting them, it is git-aware (git mv), and it can recurse.

• pipx install edir
• GitHub

pipe-rename -- rename with a diff preview (written in Rust)

The command is renamer. It shows a diff and asks you to confirm before applying, and you can pass it a substitution command instead of an editor.

• cargo install pipe-rename
• GitHub

Rename with patterns and rules

rnr -- command-line tool to batch rename files and directories

• cargo install rnr
• brew install rnr
• GitHub

nomino -- batch rename utility (written in Rust)

• cargo install nomino
• GitHub

brename -- cross-platform tool for safely batch renaming files/directories

• GitHub

F2 -- cross-platform tool for batch renaming files and directories quickly and safely

• brew install f2
• GitHub

Inside the editors themselves

Often nicer than any of the tools above.

Emacs: wdired

In Dired, press C-x C-q (in Doom: i or C-c C-e in evil mode) to make the buffer editable. You can then use multiple cursors, query-replace-regexp, or macros, and commit with C-c C-c. Pair it with find-name-dired to rename recursively.

Neovim: oil.nvim

It edits a directory like a buffer, renames and moves files across directories, and commits on :w. Other options are mini.files or vim-renamer.

File managers that call $EDITOR

yazi, lf, ranger, and nnn all have a bulk-rename command that hands your selection to your editor. In ranger it's :bulkrename; in yazi, select files and press r.