Julien Dambron

Essential Command Line Tools for Productivity and Efficiency

Introduction

Welcome to my list of command line tools that I use. These tools are not part of a standard POSIX environment, but I find them invaluable for their simplicity, speed, and minimal dependencies. In this post, I'll introduce you to each tool and explain why I prefer them in my command-line environment. So, let's dive in!

My CLI environement:

I use Fish inside Alacritty, a fast and simple terminal emulator, with the elegant Monaspace font for enhanced readability.

aria2: Multi-protocol downloader

I rely on aria2, a versatile and efficient multi-protocol downloader, to fetch files from the internet, whether it's HTTP, FTP, or BitTorrent.

bat: The cool cat replacement

When it comes to viewing and managing file content, I've swapped the traditional cat command for bat. It offers syntax highlighting and Git integration, making it a more user-friendly experience.

chezmoi: Dotfile management

For keeping my dotfiles in check, I entrust chezmoi. It ensures my configurations and customizations remain consistent and easily shareable. You can find my configuration files here.

delta: Syntax-highlighting pager

delta transforms how I view git, diff, and grep output with syntax highlighting. It makes code diffs more accessible and visually appealing.

eza: ls on steroids

I've replaced ls with eza, a feature-rich alternative that provides better defaults, improved visuals, and additional functionalities.

fd: A more natural find

I've found fd to be a faster, more intuitive and user-friendly alternative to find for searching files and navigating my directory structure.

restic: Excellent backup tool

For protecting my data, I rely on restic, a reliable backup tool that's efficient and easy to use.

ripgrep: Turbocharged grep

My go-to tool for lightning-fast codebase searches is ripgrep, which outperforms the standard grep.

Syncthing: Decentralized file synchronization

To keep my files in sync across devices while maintaining privacy, I use syncthing.