LQ Poll: What's your favorite Linux terminal trick?

rokytnji · 05-17-2019, 09:27 AM

Up and down keyboard keys to search for previous command prompts in terminal. Edit. Only good for each session.

allend · 05-17-2019, 10:48 AM

Apart from the many times mentioned Ctrl-R, I like being able to run a command in a subshell by wrapping it in parentheses. Very useful for temporarily setting a shell option. (My thanks to MadeinGermany for teaching me this trick.)
For example, to show long directory listings of all .txt files in or below the current directory.

Code:

(shopt -s globstar; ls -l ./**/*.txt)

DavidMcCann · 05-17-2019, 10:55 AM

This is something I often find handy

Code:

for file in path/*.odt; do unzip -c $file | grep -iq searchtext && echo $file; done

It searches all Writer documents in the folder path for searchtext and lists those which have it.

linustalman · 05-17-2019, 11:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rezadarzi

ctrl + r
i love it

+1 Damn handy, this is.

linustalman · 05-17-2019, 11:50 AM

Do all of these hotkeys work in all shells?

typewar · 05-17-2019, 12:26 PM

The shortest command I know:

Code:

> filename

It simply clears a file

aveatch · 05-17-2019, 01:40 PM

To gain a quick understanding of some shell commands check out:
https://explainshell.com/
For example check:
https://explainshell.com/explain?cmd=ps+aux

pmv · 05-17-2019, 04:31 PM

1) lynx www.google.de/?q=qdvdauthor
2) history|grep qdvdauthor
3) !848

lax luthier · 05-18-2019, 01:49 AM

firefox -safe-mode

Starts without add-ons and allows access to more streamed video content from many big-name providers. I just have to watch the commercials, no biggie.

Since changing to Mint Mate 64 from Ubuntu, my system has been so stable I have not needed to learn many terminal commands. I do use package manager in Terminal to repair the inevitable damage done by unapproved "Updates" that manage to sneak past my settings. Downdates if you ask me.

Linux saved my computing life, post windows. Thanks to all who made it happen.

ondoho · 05-18-2019, 03:14 AM

Lots of good stuff here.
Some tricks are so obvious to me by now, I don't perceive them as tricks... like piping in general and to grep in particular... using aliases...

here's something I find very important:

Quote:

Originally Posted by tshikose

I cannot live without the below in my ~root/.bash_profile

Code:

export HISTTIMEFORMAT='%F %T  '
export HISTSIZE=1000000
export HISTCONTROL=ignoreboth

have a huge history!
Put that into /etc/bash.bashrc (one of various valid locations under /etc) to be valid for all users!
I also have this in /etc/bash.bashrc:

Code:

alias hf='history|grep'

# (...)

# as big as possible!!!
HISTSIZE=1000000
HISTFILESIZE=2000000
HISTIGNORE='hf *'
# unix.stackexchange.com/a/18443
# history: erase duplicates...
HISTCONTROL=ignoreboth:erasedups
shopt -s histappend

______________________

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tux!

alias a=alias

how simple, how useful!
added.

______________________

Quote:

Originally Posted by frankbell

Let me add

Code:

CTRL-r [string]

to search for previous commands.

huh.
i've seen this recommendation dozens of times, but for some reason it clicked only just now.
i'll be using this a lot more from now on. special thanks to frankbell for mentioning it one more time!

______________________

Quote:

Originally Posted by aveatch

One that I use often when I want to dump some text in to a new text file quickly.
cat - > test.txt
enter or paste text
CTRL d when done.

that looks useful.
i'll make it an alias for now, see how it goes.

______________________

Quote:

Originally Posted by sailslack

; play lion.wav

to add a sound (lion.wav) after long command execution.

i sometimes use this variation:

Code:

some --long --command; espeak "I'm finished!"

______________________________________

But my favorite trick is my terminal-based screensaver. Here's a screencast.
One could also run asciiquarium there

nypaulie · 05-18-2019, 07:18 AM

Thanks sailslack! Never heard of "espeak" until now. What a hoot!

marav · 05-18-2019, 08:43 AM

zshrc change my life

gramofenomeno · 05-18-2019, 10:53 PM

du -sm * | sort -nbr

In order to know where which file or directory is filling the filesystem

Bnkelley43 · 05-19-2019, 12:22 PM

ctrl-alt-backspace key sequence to auto log off those who forgot to log out when I need to patch. Or just sit -to my userid while they are logged in so I can traverse the network of servers to do my work.

LMINTUSER · 05-20-2019, 02:27 AM

rm -rf <path to windows's sda drive> lol