15 Cool Linux Tricks to Boost Your Productivity

Linux is more than just an operating system it is a playground for productivity enthusiasts. Whether you are a seasoned sysadmin or a casual user, Linux offers a wealth of tools and tricks to help you work smarter, not harder. Over the years, I’ve discovered several techniques that have transformed how I use my computer, saving me time and effort in the process. Here are 10 cool Linux tricks to supercharge your productivity.

1. Master the Command Line with Aliases

The command line is one of Linuxs greatest strengths, but typing long commands can be tedious. Enter aliases a way to create shortcuts for frequently used commands. For example, instead of typing sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade, you can create an alias like this:

alias update='sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade'

Now, just type update to run both commands. To make the alias permanent, add it to your ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc file.

2. Use tmux for Multitasking

If you frequently work with multiple terminal sessions, tmux is a game changer. It allows you to split your terminal into panes, manage multiple windows and even detach and reattach sessions. Start by installing tmux:

sudo apt install tmux

Then, create a new session:

tmux new -s mysession

Use Ctrl+b % to split the window vertically and Ctrl+b " to split it horizontally. Detach with Ctrl+b d and reattach with tmux attach -t mysession.

3. Leverage cron for Automation

Why manually run repetitive tasks when you can automate them. The cron utility lets you schedule scripts or commands to run at specific times. For example, to back up a directory every day at midnight, open the crontab editor:

crontab -e

Add this line:

0 0 * * * tar -czf /backup/backup.tar.gz /path/to/directory

This will create a compressed backup of the directory every day at 12:00 AM.

4. Search Like a Pro with find and grep

Finding files or text within files is a breeze with find and grep. To search for a file named report.txt in the /home directory:

find /home -name report.txt

To search for the word “error” in all .log files:

grep -r "error" /var/log/*.log

Combine them to find files containing specific text:

find /home -type f -name "*.txt" -exec grep -l "important" {} +

5. Boost File Management with ranger

If you prefer a terminal based file manager, ranger is a must try. It provides a clean, keyboard driven interface for navigating directories, previewing files and performing actions. Install it with:

sudo apt install ranger

Launch it by typing ranger and use the arrow keys to navigate. Press ? to see a list of keybindings.

6. Speed Up Repetitive Tasks with Shell Scripts

Shell scripts are a powerful way to automate repetitive tasks. For example, if you often compress and move files, create a script like this:

#!/bin/bash
tar -czf $1.tar.gz $1
mv $1.tar.gz /backup/

Save it as backup.sh, make it executable:

chmod +x backup.sh

Now, run ./backup.sh myfolder to compress and move myfolder.

7. Use htop for System Monitoring

Forget top htop is a more user friendly and interactive system monitor. It provides a real time overview of your system’s resources, including CPU, memory and processes. Install it with:

sudo apt install htop

Run htop to see a colorful, interactive display. Use the arrow keys to navigate and F9 to kill processes.

8. Quickly Access Frequently Used Directories

If you often switch between specific directories, use the cd command with a bookmark system. Add this to your ~/.bashrc:

export projects="$HOME/projects"
export docs="$HOME/Documents"

Now, you can jump to your projects folder with:

cd $projects

9. Clipboard Magic with xclip

Working with the clipboard in the terminal is surprisingly easy with xclip. Install it with:

sudo apt install xclip

Copy a file’s contents to the clipboard:

cat file.txt | xclip -selection clipboard

Paste it elsewhere with Ctrl+V or:

xclip -selection clipboard -o

10. Customize Your Shell Prompt

A personalized shell prompt can make your terminal experience more enjoyable and informative. Use PS1 to customize your prompt. For example, add this to your ~/.bashrc:

export PS1="\u@\h:\w\$ "

This displays the username, hostname and current directory. For more advanced prompts, check out tools like Oh My Zsh or Starship.

11. Use Ctrl+R for Reverse Command Search

Ever typed a long command and wished you could reuse it without retyping? Linux has you covered. Press Ctrl+R in your terminal to start a reverse search through your command history. Start typing part of the command and it will autocomplete with the most recent match. Press Ctrl+R again to cycle through older matches.

For example, if you previously ran ssh user@remote server, just type Ctrl+R followed by ssh to quickly find and reuse the command

12. Create Keyboard Shortcuts with xbindkeys

If you frequently use certain commands or scripts, why not assign them to keyboard shortcuts? xbindkeys is a handy tool for creating custom keyboard bindings. First, install it:

sudo apt install xbindkeys

Then, generate a default configuration file:

xbindkeys --defaults > ~/.xbindkeysrc

Edit the file to add your shortcuts. For example, to open Firefox with Ctrl+Alt+F, add:

"firefox"
  Control+Alt + f

Save the file and run xbindkeys to enable your shortcuts.

13. Use rsync for Efficient File Syncing

rsync is a powerful tool for syncing files and directories, especially over a network. It’s faster and more efficient than cp because it only transfers changes. For example, to sync a local folder to a remote server:

rsync -avz /local/folder/ user@remote:/remote/folder/

The -a flag preserves permissions, -v enables verbose output and -z compresses data during transfer. Add --delete to remove files in the destination that no longer exist in the source.

14. Quickly Rename Multiple Files with rename

Renaming multiple files manually can be a pain. The rename command makes it easy to batch rename files using regular expressions. For example, to change all .txt files to .md:

rename 's/\.txt$/\.md/' *.txt

Or to add a prefix to all .jpg files:

rename 's/^/vacation_/' *.jpg

This renames photo1.jpg to vacation_photo1.jpg and so on.

15. Use at for One Time Task Scheduling

While cron is great for recurring tasks, at is perfect for scheduling one time commands. For example, to shut down your system in 2 hours:

echo "shutdown now" | at now + 2 hours

You can also schedule tasks at a specific time:

echo "tar -czf backup.tar.gz /home" | at 11:00 PM

View your scheduled tasks with atq and remove them with atrm <job_id>.

Bonus Tip: Use ncdu for Disk Usage Analysis

Running out of disk space? ncdu (NCurses Disk Usage) is a terminal based tool that helps you visualize and manage disk usage. Install it with:

sudo apt install ncdu

Run ncdu in a directory to see a breakdown of its contents:

ncdu /home

Use the arrow keys to navigate and d to delete files or directories.

Keep Exploring

Linux is a goldmine of productivity tools and tricks and these are just the tip of the iceberg. The more you explore, the more you’ll discover how flexible and powerful Linux can be. Whether you’re automating tasks, optimizing workflows, or just having fun with customization, these tricks will help you get the most out of your Linux experience.