Terminal is a
text-based interface that grants users direct access to the UNIX system.
You can use Terminal to run some specific commands, create
files/folders, change system settings, and any other features that
aren't available via programs with GUI.
In this article, I have collected 20 tools and commands that can be
useful for Ubuntu/Linux Mint users. If you have more interesting
commands or tools, you can mention them below.
1. Make An ISO From A Folder
If you want to make an iso file from a directory containing other files
and sub-directories via the terminal, you can use the following command:
mkisofs -o image.iso -R /path/to/folder/
If you wish to backup the home folder, use this command:
mkisofs -o image.iso -R $HOME
2. Remove Non-Empty Folder
To remove a non-empty folder from the command line, you can use this command:
rm -rf /path/to/folder/
3. Checking Current CPU Architecture (32-bit or 64-bit)
To list your processor architecture in Ubuntu/Linux Mint, use one of these commands:
uname -m
or
arch
or
file /bin/bash | cut -d' ' -f3
4. Generate Random Passwords
To generate random passwords via the terminal, you can use the following commands:
a - makepasswd
makepasswd is a command line tool for generating passwords in Ubuntu/Linux Mint. Install it with this command:
sudo apt-get install makepasswd
To generate a password with 20 characters, enter this command:
makepasswd --chars=20
b- OpenSSL
You can also use
OpenSSL to generate random passwords using this simple command:
openssl rand -base64 20
5. Check Uptime
To check for how long your computer or laptop has been running since you powered it on, issue this command:
uptime
To monitor system uptime in real-time, use this command:
watch -n 1 uptime
6. Check Information About Your Video Card
To list information about your graphics card (Nvidia, AMD, Intel, etc.), enter this command:
lspci -v -s `lspci | awk '/VGA/{print $1}'`
7. Download And Extract Tar Files In One Command
If you want to extract an archive file after being downloaded in a
single command, you can use the following command for tar files:
wget URL-To-TAR-File -O - | tar xfz -
Here is an example:
wget http://garr.dl.sourceforge.net/project/multibootusb/MultiBootUSB_4.7.tar.gz -O - | tar xfz -
8. Block/Unblock Wifi/Bluetooth
To disable wifi or Bluetooth in Ubuntu/Linux Mint, we can simply use the
rfkill command line tool. To deactivate wifi, enter this command:
rfkill block wlan
For Bluetooth:
rfkill block bluetooth
To unblock WiFi, enter this command:
rfkill unblock wlan
For Bluetooth:
rfkill unblock bluetooth
9. Check CPU Temperature
To get the current temperature of your processor, issue this command:
acpi -t
To check CPU temp in real-time, run this command:
watch -n 1 acpi -t
10. Change Read Speed Of A CD/DVD
Let's first get the maximum read speed of your optical drive with this command:
eject -X
To increase/decrease read speed of a CD/DVD inserted into your optical drive, enter this command followed by the desired speed:
eject -x 4
For more than one optical disc drive, use this command:
eject /dev/cdrom -x 4
11. Check RAM Speed
To check memory speed from the command line, run this command:
sudo dmidecode -t 17 | awk -F":" '/Speed/ { print $2 }'
12. Read/Write Speed Of A Hard Disk
To check read/write speed of your hard drive on the terminal, use this command:
sudo hdparm -tT /dev/sda
13. Monitor Network Usage
IPTraf is a command line utility that allows to monitor network
activities in real-time. Install it in Ubuntu/Linux Mint with this
command:
sudo apt-get install iptraf
Start monitoring using this command:
sudo iptraf
14- Downloading Websites
If you want to download an entire website via the terminal, enter this command:
wget --recursive --page-requisites --convert-links www.domain.com
15. Check Gmail Unread Messages
To check for unread messages in your Gmail account, use this command:
curl -u GMAILUSER --silent
"https://mail.google.com/mail/feed/atom" | perl -ne 'print "\t" if //;
print "$2\n" if /<(title|name)>(.*)<\/\1>/;'
16. Monitor HDD Temperature
Use
hddtemp to monitor hard disk temperature on the terminal. Run these commands:
sudo apt-get install hddtemp
sudo hddtemp /dev/sda
17. Force Kill Apps
To force close an unresponsive software, run
xkill from the terminal then click the software's window to close it.
18. Screen Recording
To capture your screen and record it in a video, use
ffmpeg:
sudo apt-get install ffmpeg
ffmpeg -f x11grab -s wxga -r 25 -i :0.0 -sameq output.mpg
19. Check Current Kernel Version
You can simply use this command:
uname -r
20. Dtrx
The
dtrx tool allows to extract most archive files without the
hassle of memorizing the various extraction commands. To install it, run
this command:
sudo apt-get install dtrx
Here are some examples:
dtrx file.zip
dtrx file.tar.gz
dtrx file.7z
