Linux command-line tools I keep installing

core utilities

Tool	Description
eza	ls replacement with git status, tree view, icons, and extended attribute support.
bat	cat with syntax highlighting, git markers, and paging.
fd	find alternative with sane defaults. Respects .gitignore and supports regex or glob searches.
ripgrep	Recursive grep that is usually the first tool I reach for when I need to find text in a repo.
zoxide	cd replacement that learns which directories I actually use.
fzf	Fuzzy finder for shell history, files, processes, or whatever else I pipe into it.

system monitoring

Tool	Description
btop	Resource monitor with CPU, memory, disk, and network views in one terminal screen.
procs	ps with tree view, search, and per-process ports.

disk analysis

Tool	Description
dust	du output that makes it obvious which directories are taking space.
duf	df replacement with device grouping and JSON output.
gdu	Terminal disk analyzer for finding and deleting large paths.
broot	Tree navigation with fuzzy search, previews, and command execution.

text processing

Tool	Description
sd	sed for the common replace cases, with less escaping pain.
choose	Column selection when cut or awk feels heavier than the job needs.
jq	JSON queries and transforms.
delta	Git diffs with syntax highlighting, side-by-side view, and hunk navigation.

network tools

Tool	Description
gping	ping with a graph, useful when latency changes matter more than single samples.
xh	httpie-style HTTP client with quick startup and good JSON defaults.
dog	DNS lookup tool with readable output and DoH/DoT support.
trippy	traceroute/mtr style tool with packet loss and per-hop latency views.
aria2	Downloader with resume support and connection splitting.

development tools

Tool	Description
lazygit	Terminal Git UI for staging, rebasing, conflict resolution, and quick repo inspection.
lazydocker	Container TUI for logs, stats, shell access, and cleanup.
just	Command runner like Make, minus the makefile insanity.
hyperfine	Command benchmarking with warmup runs, statistics, and JSON output.

shell

Tool	Description
starship	Shell prompt with Git status, language versions, timing, and a TOML config.

documentation

Tool	Description
tealdeer	tldr client for quick command examples.
lnav	Log viewer that merges files by timestamp and understands common log formats.
tailspin	Log colorizer for severity, timestamps, IPs, UUIDs, and similar patterns.

nix-specific

Tool	Description
nh	Nix helper with nicer defaults and diffs before system switches.
nom	Nix output monitor that groups build stages and makes warnings easier to see.

resources

• modern-unix - curated CLI alternatives
• Arch utilities list - long reference list