51 Lesser-Known Linux Commands for Power Users

Linux is known for its powerful set of command-line tools that allow users to interact with the system efficiently. While many Linux users are familiar with common commands such as ls , cd , or grep , there are also few lesser-known but extremely useful commands and shortcuts that can simplify and increase productivity.

We are excited to share our latest five articles on " less known Linux commands " with over 50 commands you may not know about.

You may also like:

• 11 little-known practical Linux commands – Part 1
• 10 little-known Linux commands – Part 2
• 10 little-known Linux commands – Part 3
• 10 little-known valid Linux commands – Part 4
• 10 little-known practical Linux commands – Part 5
• 24 funny commands to try in Linux – extra rewards

This article integrates these five articles into a simple guide, briefly summarizing the functions and examples of each command.

1. sudo !!

If you forget to run the command with sudo , you don't need to rewrite the entire command. Just type sudo !! and it will execute the last command using sudo .

 <code>apt update权限被拒绝**sudo !!** sudo apt update</code>

2. python -m SimpleHTTPServer

Create a simple web page for the current working directory on port 8000.

 <code>python -m SimpleHTTPServer Serving HTTP on 0.0.0.0 port 8000 ...</code>

3. mtr command

Combining ping and traceroute, display network status in real time.

 <code>mtr google.com</code>

4. Ctrl xe

Opens the terminal's default text editor, allowing you to edit the current command before running.

For example, press Ctrl x in the terminal and then e to open the command in the editor.

5. nl command

Output text file content with line number.

 <code>nl file.txt 1 这是第一行2 这是第二行</code>

6. shuf command

Randomly select lines or shuffle content in the file.

 <code>shuf -n 3 file.txt</code>

7. ss command

Shows socket statistics and active connections.

 <code>ss -tuln</code>

8. <code>last</code> command

Displays the history of the last logged in user.

 <code>last</code>

9. <code>curl ifconfig.me</code>

Displays the external IP address of the machine.

 <code>curl ifconfig.me</code>

10. <code>tree</code> command

Display files and directories in a tree structure.

 <code>tree</code>

11. <code>pstree</code>

Displays a hierarchical view of the running process.

 <code>pstree</code>

12. <space>命令<space></space></space>

Prevent commands from being saved to history.

<code><space> ls<space></space></space></code>

13. stat command

Displays detailed status information of the file or file system.

 <code>stat file.txt</code>

14. <alt>.</alt> <esc>.</esc>

Reuse the last parameter of the previous command.

 <code>echo foo<alt> .</alt></code>

15. pv command

Simulate Hollywood style text stream.

 <code>echo "正在加载..." | pv -qL 10</code>

16. <code>mount | column -t</code>

Displays mounted file systems in a well-formatted manner.

 <code>mount | column -t</code>

17. Ctrl l

Clear the terminal screen immediately by pressing Ctrl l in the terminal.

18. curl command

Get unread Gmail messages in the terminal.

 <code>curl -u username --silent "https://mail.google.com/mail/feed/atom" | perl -ne 'print "$1\n" if /</code> (.*)/'

19. screen command

Separate and reconnect long-running processes from the terminal.

 <code>screen -S session_name</code>

20. file command

Identify the type of file.

 <code>file file.txt</code>

21. <code>id</code> command

Print user and group ID information.

 <code>id</code>

22. ^foo^bar

Replace foo from the previous command with bar .

 <code>echo foo ^foo^bar</code>

23. <code>> file.txt</code>

Refresh the contents of the file from the command prompt.

 <code>> file.txt</code>

24. at command

Schedule the command to run later.

 <code>echo "shutdown now" | at 23:00</code>

25. du command

Displays the size of files and folders in the current directory.

 <code>du -h --max-depth=1</code>

26. expr command

Solve simple mathematical calculations in the terminal.

 <code>expr 3 5</code>

27. look command

Check the words in the dictionary.

 <code>look apple</code>

28. yes command

Repeat output string until interrupted.

 <code>yes "我将学习Linux！"</code>

29. factor command

Shows all factors of the given number.

 <code>factor 12</code>

30. ping command

When the host is online, use sound feedback to ping the host.

 <code>ping -i 60 -a 8.8.8.8</code>

31. tac command

Output the contents of the file in reverse order.

 <code>tac file.txt</code>

32. strace command

Debugging tool for tracking system calls.

 <code>strace ls</code>

33. disown command

Run commands in the background even after the terminal is closed.

 <code>sleep 1000 & disown -a && exit</code>

34. getconf command

Displays the system architecture (32-bit or 64-bit).

 <code>getconf LONG_BIT</code>

35. while command

Display the date and time in the upper right corner of the terminal.

 <code>while sleep 1; do tput sc; tput cup 0 $(($(tput cols)-29)); date; tput rc; done &</code>

36. convert command

Converts the output of the command to an image.

 <code>convert input.jpg output.png</code>

37. watch command

Display animated digital clock in the terminal.

 <code>watch -t -n1 "date %T|figlet"</code>

38. host and dig commands

DNS lookup utility.

 <code>host google.com dig google.com</code>

39. <code>dstat</code> command

Generate real-time system resource statistics.

 <code>dstat</code>

40. bind command

Shows all Bash key bindings.

 <code>bind -p</code>

41. touch command

Force file system checks on the next restart.

 <code>sudo touch /forcefsck</code>

42. lsb_release command

Print Linux distribution information.

 <code>lsb_release -a</code>

43. nc command

Check if a specific port is open.

 <code>nc -zv localhost 22</code>

44. <code>curl ipinfo.io</code>

Output geographic information about the IP address.

 <code>curl ipinfo.io</code>

45. find command

List all files owned by user xyz.

 <code>find . -user xyz</code>

46. apt command

Install all build dependencies for the package.

 <code>sudo apt build-dep vim</code>

47. lsof command

This command lists all services or processes currently listening on TCP port 80.

 <code>lsof -iTCP:80 -sTCP:LISTEN</code>

48. find -size 100M

This command searches all files and folders in the current directory and its subdirectories that are larger than 100 megabytes.

 <code>find . -size 100M</code>

49. pdftk command

pdftk is a powerful command line tool that allows you to manipulate PDF files, including merging multiple PDF files into one.

 <code>pdftk file1.pdf file2.pdf cat output combined.pdf</code>

50. ps -LF -u user_name

This command displays all processes and threads for the specified user, including detailed information about the status of each thread.

 <code>ps -LF -u john</code>

51. <code>startx -- :1</code>

This command starts a new X session on display :1 , which is useful for running multiple graphical user interfaces simultaneously on different screens.

 <code>startx -- :1</code>

That's all for the time being! Don't forget to share your thoughts in the comment section. This is not the end of the little-known Linux commands; we will continue to bring you more in the following articles.

I will soon return to our readers with another interesting and useful article. Until then, please continue to follow Tecmint.com!

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