Linux is a treasure trove of powerful tools, many of which remain undiscovered by casual users. While staples like grep, awk, sed, and top dominate tutorials and guides, there's a second layer of utilities—lesser-known yet immensely powerful—that can dramatically improve your daily efficiency and control over your system.

In this article, we dive into 10 underrated Linux tools that can help you streamline your workflow, improve productivity, and unlock new levels of system mastery. Whether you’re a developer, sysadmin, or Linux hobbyist, these tools deserve a place in your arsenal.

1. fd: Find Files Fast with Simplicity

The traditional find command is incredibly powerful but notoriously verbose and complex. Enter fd, a modern, user-friendly alternative.

• Cleaner syntax (fd pattern instead of find . -name pattern)

• Recursive by default

• Colorized output

• Ignores .gitignore files for cleaner results

fd ".conf"

Finds all files containing .conf in the name, starting from the current directory.

Quickly locate configuration files, scripts, or assets without navigating nested directories or crafting complex expressions.

2. bat: cat on Steroids

bat is a drop-in replacement for cat with superpowers. It adds syntax highlighting, Git integration, and line numbers to your file viewing experience.

• Syntax highlighting for dozens of languages

• Git blame annotations

• Works as a pager with automatic line wrapping

bat /etc/ssh/sshd_config

You’ll get a beautifully highlighted and numbered output, much easier to parse than with cat.

Perfect for reading scripts, configs, and logs with visual clarity—especially helpful during debugging or code reviews.

3. ripgrep: Blazing-Fast Text Search

Also known as rg, ripgrep is a command-line search tool that recursively searches your current directory for a regex pattern, similar to grep—but much faster and more intuitive.

• Speed: built in Rust and optimized for performance

• Automatically respects .gitignore

• Colored and context-aware results

rg "password"

Quickly finds all instances of the word “password” across your project.

A developer’s best friend for digging through large codebases or config directories with minimal overhead.

4. broot: Tree Navigation Reimagined

Navigating a deep directory structure? broot lets you explore your filesystem in a dynamic, tree-based view with fuzzy search and previews.

• Interactive terminal file browser

• Keyboard-driven UI with search-as-you-type

• Can perform file operations (copy, move, delete)

broot

Launches a navigable file tree, allowing you to filter and open files rapidly.

Ideal for system administrators or developers working on sprawling directory trees who want a bird’s-eye view of their project.

5. tldr: Commands Without the Overwhelm

Even seasoned users occasionally blank on command flags. tldr—short for “too long; didn’t read”—gives concise command examples without the man-page overload.

• Simplified syntax with practical use cases

• Community-contributed and regularly updated

• Works offline after initial install

tldr tar

Gives you a quick rundown of the most common tar options with real-world examples.

Super handy for recalling infrequent command options or quickly onboarding new team members to Linux.

6. entr: Automate on File Change

entr monitors files and runs a command when they change—essentially, a watch-and-react utility for developers and sysadmins.

• Lightweight and simple

• Pairs well with build/test scripts

• Can monitor multiple files

ls *.md | entr make

Automatically rebuilds documentation when any Markdown file changes.

Automatically recompile code, sync files, or run tests when something changes—perfect for CI/CD pipelines or local development.

7. httpie: cURL’s Friendlier Cousin

Need to test an API endpoint or HTTP request? httpie provides a human-readable, colorized alternative to curl.

• Clean syntax (e.g., http GET https://api.example.com)

• JSON support with automatic formatting

• Authentication support built-in

http GET https://api.github.com/repos/torvalds/linux

API developers and testers can interact with web services more intuitively and debug faster than with curl.

8. fzf: The Ultimate Fuzzy Finder

fzf turns your terminal into a fuzzy search engine—for files, processes, command history, Git commits, and more.

• Blazing fast fuzzy matching

• Pluggable into any command

• Can filter almost anything (SSH hosts, processes, files)

vim $(fzf)

Let fzf help you choose which file to edit via an interactive prompt.

Command-line ninjas and automation junkies can use it to replace clunky menus or GUIs in scripts and toolchains.

9. exa: A Modern Replacement for ls

Tired of ls? exa is a colorful, feature-rich alternative that adds Git integration and tree views.

• Displays permissions, sizes, dates, and Git status

• Supports tree structures with --tree

• Color-coded output makes parsing easy

exa -la --tree

Lists all files and directories recursively in a clean, readable format.

Sysadmins and developers who want more visual clarity and Git context when browsing directories.

10. asciinema: Record and Share Terminal Sessions

Whether you're creating a tutorial or reproducing a bug, asciinema records terminal sessions as lightweight text files that you can play back and share.

• Produces small, shareable recordings

• Replays exactly as typed—no video overhead

• Can embed in documentation or websites

asciinema rec

Records everything until you exit, creating an interactive playback file.

Great for creating training material, documenting installations, or sharing reproducible bugs with your team.

Conclusion: Small Tools, Massive Impact

These 10 Linux tools may fly under the radar, but each holds the potential to drastically elevate your command-line experience. They embody the Unix philosophy of doing one thing well—often better than their more famous counterparts. Once incorporated into your daily workflow, you'll wonder how you ever lived without them.

Bonus Tip: Most of these tools are available through package managers like apt, dnf, brew, or yay. For example:

sudo apt install fd-find bat ripgrep exa tldr httpie

Ready to supercharge your Linux workflow? Start with one or two of these tools and gradually integrate them into your daily routine. Your future self will thank you.

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