Command line utilities

last modified

2025–11–12

File name parts with basename

Filename without path:

FILENAME=`basename /usr/bin/sort`

sets FILENAME to sort.

Filename without path and specified extension:

FILENAME=`basename include/stdio.h .h`

sets FILENAME to stdio.

String formatting with printf

E.g. print arguments as shell-escaped string:

printf "%q " $*

Temporary file or directory with mktemp

The (empty) file or directory is created, with a random name in the temporary directory.

TMPFILE=`mktemp`
TMPDIR=`mktemp -d`

To only generate the name but not create the file or directory, add -u.

Follow file from start

tail -n +1 -f
tail -n +1 -f | cmd

Run command preventing sleep

systemd-inhibit <command>

Convert scans to PDF

convert <images> <output>.pdf

The print size can be controlled via -density 150, uniform size in pixels induced via -extent "2476x3503" -gravity Center.

Distinguish between executable, alias, and function

type <cmd>

Edit input lines (e.g. in bash)

Many terminal programs use the readline library for editing input. Options including key bindings are defined in ~/.inputrc:

$include /etc/inputrc

# use arrow up/down to search history
"\e[A": history-search-backward
"\e[B": history-search-forward

# from <https://www.topbug.net/blog/2017/07/31/inputrc-for-humans/>
# and <https://datacadamia.com/lang/bash/edition/inputrc>
set colored-stats On
set completion-ignore-case On
set completion-prefix-display-length 3
set mark-symlinked-directories On
set show-all-if-ambiguous On
set show-all-if-unmodified On
set visible-stats On
set skip-completed-text on

This configuration makes search the history backwards and forwards based on the text before the cursor position.

delete the input before the cursor position

delete the input after the cursor position

The combination can therefore be used to delete the entire input.

TODO: tr, sed, awk, jq, regex-rename, fd, rg, bat, fzf