7 Essential Tools for Improved Productivity and Workflow in Command Line

Fadel Pamungkas
7 min readJan 14, 2023

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The command line is a powerful tool for interacting with your computer, but many people only use it for running occasional commands. However, for those who want to take their command line usage to the next level, there are several tools that can greatly improve your productivity and workflow. In this article, we will be discussing 7 command line tools that are extremely useful for everyday use.

  1. Neovim

Neovim is a really cool text editor that’s perfect for people like us who want to work efficiently and effectively on the command line. It’s a fork of Vim, which is a well-known text editor used by developers and power users.

One of the things that sets Neovim apart from other text editors is its extensive plugin ecosystem. This means that you can customize it to your specific needs and preferences by adding various plugins, like syntax highlighting, code completion and multiple cursors. With these features, you’ll be able to write and edit code much faster and more efficiently.

Neovim

Another great thing about Neovim is that it’s user-friendly and easy to pick up, even if you’re new to text editors or the command line. You’ll be able to learn the basics quickly and start using it effectively. And as you become more comfortable with it, you can start exploring the more advanced features and customizing it to your liking. With Neovim, you’ll be able to work faster and more efficiently, and you’ll be able to take your coding skills to the next level.

So, if you’re looking for a powerful and customizable text editor that can help you work more efficiently on the command line, definitely give Neovim a try. It’s a great tool that’s definitely worth checking out, and you’ll be glad you did!

2. lf

lf

lf is a super cool tool for managing your files directly from the command line. It’s like the file explorer on your computer, but instead of using a GUI, you use commands. It’s super efficient and makes it easy to navigate through your files and folders. With lf, you can easily find, move, copy and delete files, and even create new folders. Plus, it has some awesome features like bookmarks, filtering, and previews that make it even more user-friendly. It’s perfect for people like us who want to work efficiently and effectively on the command line. It’s definitely worth giving it a try, you might find it more comfortable than the traditional way of navigating through your files.

3. lazygit:

lazygit is a really cool command-line tool that makes it easy to work with Git. For those who may not be familiar, Git is a version control system that helps keep track of changes made to your code, but it can be a bit intimidating to use, especially if you’re new to it. That’s where lazygit comes in, it provides a simple and user-friendly interface for managing your Git repositories, it can save you a lot of time and effort when it comes to Git operations. With lazygit, you can easily view the status of your repository, commit changes, push and pull changes, and even resolve merge conflicts, all directly from the command line.

Lazygit

It’s perfect for people like us who want to work efficiently and effectively on the command line. Even if you’re new to Git, you’ll be able to learn the basics quickly and start using lazygit effectively. Plus, it has some cool features that make it stand out, such as an interactive interface, and it’s easy to customize to your specific needs. It’s definitely worth giving it a try, it can make working with Git much more comfortable and efficient!

4. htop

htop

htop is a tool for monitoring your computer’s performance. It’s like a more advanced version of the traditional “top” command, which shows the processes running on your system and their resource usage. htop provides a real-time, scrolling view of system statistics, such as CPU usage, memory usage, and network activity, and it allows you to interactively scroll, search, and manage processes. It’s perfect for people like us who want to keep an eye on our computer’s performance and make sure that everything is running smoothly.

It’s user-friendly, even if you’re new to system monitoring tools, you’ll be able to learn the basics quickly and start using htop effectively. Plus, it’s easy to customize to your specific needs. It’s definitely worth giving it a try, you might find it more comfortable than the traditional way of monitoring your computer’s performance. Overall, htop is a great tool that can help you troubleshoot any performance issues you might encounter and optimize your computer’s performance.

5. ncdu

ncdu is a tool for analyzing disk usage on your computer. It’s a command-line tool that provides a simple and user-friendly interface for navigating through your file system and identifying large files and directories that are taking up a lot of space. It’s perfect for people like us who want to keep our computer’s storage organized and free up space when needed.

It’s user-friendly, even if you’re new to disk usage analysis tools, you’ll be able to learn the basics quickly and start using ncdu effectively. You can navigate through your file system using the arrow keys and use other keys to perform different operations like delete, sort, and mark files to be deleted later. It also allows you to filter files and directories by size and type and it also has a graph that shows the disk usage in a more visual way.

ncdu

ncdu is a very fast and efficient tool, it scans your file system quickly and it can be used in combination with other command-line tools. It’s definitely worth giving it a try, you might find it more comfortable than the traditional way of analyzing disk usage and it can help you free up space on your computer and optimize its performance.

6. gotop

gotop lets you check how your computer is doing in real-time. It’s like a dashboard for your computer’s performance, it shows you important information like how much your CPU and memory are being used, how fast your internet is, and what programs are running. It’s all in the command line and it’s perfect for people like us who want to make sure everything is running smoothly and quickly on our computer.

gotop

If you’re new to system monitoring tools, you’ll be able to learn the basics quickly and start using gotop effectively. Plus, it’s easy to customize to your specific needs, you can change the color scheme, the refresh rate, and more. It’s definitely worth giving it a try, you might find it more comfortable than the traditional way of monitoring your computer’s performance. Overall, gotop is a great tool that can help you troubleshoot any performance issues you might encounter and optimize your computer’s performance.

7. ImageMagick

ImageMagick is a command-line tool that allows you to manipulate images using a set of command-line utilities. These utilities can be used to perform a wide range of image editing tasks, such as cropping, resizing, and converting between different image formats. With ImageMagick, you can also apply various effects, such as adding text, overlays, and filters, as well as perform more advanced tasks like creating montages, compositing images, and creating animations. The ImageMagick command-line utilities are designed to be easy to use and automate repetitive image editing tasks, making it a powerful tool for developers, system administrators, and other users who work with images on the command line.

It’s worth nothing that these command line tools are not the only ones out there, and there are many other tools that can be just as useful depending on your specific needs. The important thing is to find the tools that work best for you and to take the time to learn how to use them effectively. The command line can be intimidating at first, but with a little practice and patience, you’ll be amazed at how much you can accomplish with just a few simple commands.

One of the best ways to learn more about these tools is to explore the documentation and tutorials available online. There are many resources available for learning about these and other command line tools, and you’ll be able to find a wealth of information with a quick search. Additionally, you can also join online communities, such as forums and social media groups, where you can ask questions, share tips and tricks, and learn from others who are also passionate about command line tools.

In conclusion, the command line is a powerful tool that can greatly improve your productivity and workflow. By familiarizing yourself with command line tools such as Neovim, lf, lazygit, htop, ncdu, gotop, and ImageMagick, you can take your command line usage to the next level and become a more efficient and effective user. With a little practice and patience, you’ll be amazed at how much you can accomplish with just a few simple commands.

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