Learning Modern Linux

Appendix B. Modern Linux Tools

In this appendix, we focus on modern Linux tools and commands. Some of the commands are drop-in replacements of existing commands; others are new ones. Most of the tools listed here improve on the user experience (UX), including simpler usage and making use of colored output, resulting in a more efficient flow.

I’ve compiled a list of relevant tools in Table B-1, showing features and potential replacement scenarios.

Table B-1. Modern Linux tools and commands

Command	License	Features	Can replace or enhance:
bat	MIT License and Apache License 2.0	Display, page, syntax highlighting	cat
envsubst	MIT License	Template-based env variables	N/A
exa	MIT License	Meaningful colored output, sane defaults	ls
dog	European Union Public Licence v1.2	Simple, powerful DNS lookups	dig
fx	MIT License	JSON processing tool	jq
fzf	MIT License	Command-line fuzzy finder	ls + find + grep
gping	MIT License	Multitarget, graphing	ping
httpie	BSD 3-Clause “New” or “Revised” License	Simple UX	curl (also note there is curlie)
jo	GPL	Generate JSON	N/A
jq	MIT License	Native JSON processor	sed, awk
rg	MIT License	Fast, sane defaults	find, grep
sysz	The Unlicense	fzf user interface for systemctl	systemctl
tldr	CC-BY (content) and MIT License (scripts)	Focus on usage examples of commands	man
zoxide	MIT License	Quickly change directories	cd

To learn more about the background and usage of many of the tools listed in this appendix, you can make use of ...