Speaking UNIX: 10 great tools for any UNIX system
Much like a vernacular, the universe of UNIX tools changes almost perpetually. New tools crop up frequently, while others are eternally modernized and adapted to suit emerging best practices. Certain tools are used commonly; others are used more infrequently. Some tools are perennial; occasionally, some are obsoleted outright. To speak UNIX fluently, you have to keep up with the "lingo."
Table 1 lists 11 of the significant packages previously discussed in the
Speaking UNIX series.
Table 1. Prominent UNIX tools
NamePurposeCygwinA UNIX-like shell and build environment for the Windows® operating system. fishA highly interactive shell with automatic expansion and colored syntax for command names, options, and file names. locateBuild and search a database of all filesrenameRename large collections of files en massersyncEfficiently synchronize files and directories, locally and remotelyScreenCreate and manage virtual, persistent consolesSquirrelA cross-platform scripting shelltacPrint input in reverse order, last line first (tac is the reverse of cat) typeReveal whether a command is an alias, an executable, a shell built in, or a script wgetDownload files using the command linezshAn advanced shell featuring automatic completion, advanced redirection operands, and advanced substitutions
This month, let's look at 10 more utilities and applications that expand or improve on an existing or better-known UNIX package. The list runs a wide gamut, from a universal archive translator to a high-speed Web server.
In some cases, depending on your flavor of UNIX, you will have to install a new software package. You can build from source as instructed, or you can save time and effort if your package-management software provides an equivalent binary bundle. For example, if you use a Debian flavor of Linux®, many of the utilities mentioned this month can be installed directly using apt-get.
