Recommended Free Tools
Linux command-line tools can make routine terminal work more convenient, but each solves a different problem: tmux manages terminal sessions, fzf helps find and select items, and zoxide speeds up navigation to familiar directories. Choose tools around the task that slows you down; there is no need to install the whole list.
The recommendations below are from Haroon Javed’s How-To Geek article dated October 3, 2026. They describe practical uses, not results from timed trials or a measured productivity comparison.
Choose a tool for the task you want to improve
| Tool | Useful for | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| tmux | Keeping terminal work organized | Creates sessions, windows, and panes that can be detached and reattached. |
| tldr | Quick command reminders | Shows concise, community-driven command examples. |
| Vim | Editing in the terminal | Provides a keyboard-driven, modal text editor. |
| Fastfetch | Checking system details | Displays a compact overview including CPU, memory, disk use, kernel, uptime, and architecture. |
| fzf | Finding and selecting items | Interactively filters lists such as files, directories, and command history using fuzzy matching. |
| bat | Reading text files | Displays file contents with syntax highlighting. |
| Oh My Zsh | Customizing a Zsh shell | Adds a configuration framework with themes and plugins. |
| htop | Inspecting running processes | Provides an interactive view of processes and CPU and memory use. |
| zoxide | Returning to familiar directories | Learns frequently visited locations and lets you jump to them with shorter queries. |
Manage persistent terminal work with tmux
tmux is a terminal multiplexer: it lets you organize work into sessions, windows, and panes. You can detach from a session and reconnect later while programs in it continue running. That can be useful for long-running jobs or when switching between local and remote work.
For example, you might keep separate sessions for coding, investigating a bug, and monitoring logs. This is about preserving and organizing terminal work, not finding a command or changing directories.
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Find commands, files, and selections with tldr and fzf
Use tldr for a quick syntax reminder
Traditional manual pages are detailed references, but they can be more than you need when you have forgotten a command’s basic syntax. tldr offers concise, community-driven examples for common tasks. Use it as a quick reminder; it is not a replacement for a full manual when you need complete options or behavior.
Use fzf to search a list interactively
fzf filters a list as you type, so you can select an item without knowing or entering its exact name. Depending on how it is configured, it can help search files, directories, command history, or other lists. Javed’s article gives an example of piping Debian package selections into fzf to choose among them.
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These tools address different friction: tldr presents command examples, while fzf helps narrow and select items from a list.
Read files and edit text with bat and Vim
Use bat for more readable file output
bat is an alternative to cat that adds syntax highlighting when displaying text files. That can make code and configuration files easier to scan in the terminal. On some Debian and Ubuntu installations, the executable may be named batcat because of a naming conflict; check the command name available in your distribution.
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- Flawless 4K@60Hz Video with HDMI: Delivers exceptional clarity and smoothness with its 4K@60Hz HDMI port, making it ideal for high-definition presentations and entertainment. (Note: Only the HDMI port supports video projection; the USB-C port is for data transfer only.)
- Double Up on Efficiency: The two USB-A 3.0 ports and a USB-C port support a fast 5Gbps data rate, significantly boosting your transfer speeds and improving productivity.
- Fast and Reliable 85W Charging: Offers high-capacity, speedy charging for laptops up to 85W, so you spend less time tethered to an outlet and more time being productive.
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Use Vim for keyboard-based editing
Vim is a modal editor for code, configuration files, and other text. Its keyboard-oriented navigation and editing can be especially useful when working in a terminal on a remote server. It may feel unfamiliar at first, so it is a better fit if you are willing to learn its editing model rather than expecting an immediately intuitive interface.
Inspect the system with Fastfetch and htop
Use Fastfetch for a system overview
Fastfetch presents system information in a compact display, including details such as CPU, memory, disk use, kernel version, uptime, and architecture. It is suited to a quick overview rather than interactive investigation of running processes.
Rank #4
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Use htop to examine processes and resource use
htop provides an interactive process view for checking CPU and memory use and identifying resource-heavy processes. Choose it when the question is what is running or consuming resources, rather than a broader summary of system information.
Navigate familiar directories with zoxide
zoxide learns which directories you visit often and uses a ranking approach to let you jump back with shorter queries. It is complementary to fzf: zoxide focuses on moving to frequently used locations, while fzf interactively filters and selects items from lists.
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Using zoxide involves adding its shell initialization to a shell configuration file. The exact setup depends on your shell, so follow instructions that match the shell you use rather than copying a generic configuration line.
Customize Zsh with Oh My Zsh
Oh My Zsh is a framework for configuring the Zsh shell, not a shell itself. It offers themes and plugins for features such as prompt customization, completion, syntax highlighting, and version-control integration. Zsh must be installed first, and configuring a framework adds another layer to maintain. It makes sense if you want a customized Zsh setup; it is unnecessary if your current shell already meets your needs.
Install for your distribution and shell
Package names, repositories, and installation methods vary by distribution and release, while shell-specific setup depends on whether you use Bash, Zsh, or another shell. Check current official project instructions or your distribution’s package repository before installing. Pay particular attention to the command name for bat on Debian- and Ubuntu-based systems, and make sure Zsh is installed before setting up Oh My Zsh.
Start with the source of friction
- For sessions that need to keep running after you disconnect, try tmux.
- For a quick reminder of command syntax, try tldr; for searching and selecting from a list, try fzf.
- For syntax-highlighted file output, try bat; for keyboard-driven editing, consider Vim.
- For a system overview, use Fastfetch; for interactive process inspection, use htop.
- For frequent trips to familiar directories, try zoxide; for Zsh themes and plugins, consider Oh My Zsh.
These are task-specific suggestions rather than a tested ranking. The cited article reports no benchmark or measured time savings, so the practical benefit depends on your workflow and whether a tool’s setup and learning effort are worthwhile for you.
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