10 Little-Known Linux Commands That Boost Your Productivity

Linux offers great flexibility and control, and many useful utilities remain hidden from most users. Learning these lesser‑known commands can improve efficiency and make you a more proficient command‑line user.

1. look – fast dictionary lookup

The look command performs a binary search on a sorted file (usually a dictionary) and prints all lines that start with a given string, making it handy for autocomplete tools, word games, or term verification.

look pro

2. rev – reverse characters in each line

rev

reverses the characters of each input line. It is useful for tasks such as encrypting text transformations or palindrome algorithms.

echo "Linux" | rev

3. tac – reverse cat

While cat displays file contents from top to bottom, tac (cat spelled backwards) prints lines in reverse order, which is handy for reading logs from newest to oldest without using tail -r.

tac access.log

4. yes – repeat output generator

yes

repeatedly outputs a string until interrupted. It is often used in automation scripts to automatically confirm prompts, such as feeding yes into a package‑installation command.

yes | sudo apt install mypackage

5. nl – number lines

nl

is a more feature‑rich version of cat -n. It adds line numbers with powerful formatting options, supporting logical page delimiters and customizable line‑number styles.

nl file.txt

6. column – format output into columns

column

converts text data into aligned columns, improving readability, especially for CSV or tabular data.

cat data.txt | column -t -s,

7. shuf – shuffle lines randomly

shuf

randomizes the order of input lines, useful for creating random playlists, testing with unpredictable data, or in shell‑based games and statistical sampling.

shuf list.txt

8. comm – compare two sorted files line by line

comm

compares two pre‑sorted files line by line, outputting three columns: lines unique to the first file, lines unique to the second, and lines common to both. It is ideal for synchronizing data sets or identifying increments.

comm file1.txt file2.txt

9. chrt – control real‑time scheduling policy

For performance tuning, chrt adjusts a process's real‑time scheduling policy. Combined with tools like ps or top, it provides powerful control over process priority.

sudo chrt -f 99 ./my_program

10. watch – execute a program periodically

watch

runs a command at regular intervals, refreshing the terminal view. It is perfect for monitoring resource usage, service health, or file changes in near‑real‑time. watch -n 2 df -h Mastering these commands expands the Linux toolbox, helping developers, administrators, and enthusiasts work more efficiently.