Awesome CLI Tools
First of all, I prefer CLI tools over anything else because they feel snappier and faster to me.
Helix
In February 2024, I challenged myself to use only an editor inside my terminal—no VSCode or Sublime anymore. After a bit of research, I discovered Helix, and, uh boy, do I like it.
I’m still using Helix as my main editor and do everything with it. The support for language servers is fantastic, making tasks like linting and autocompletion a breeze. Plus, the configuration is straightforward and intuitive, which is a huge win for me. Whether it’s coding, editing config files, or just writing notes, Helix handles it all effortlessly.
Url: https://helix-editor.com/
bottom
Most of us are familiar with top or htop, but I wanted something that gives me a more comprehensive view of my system at a glance. Enter bottom.
With bottom, you see CPU performance, RAM usage, network traffic, disk usage, and even system temperatures—all laid out in an intuitive interface. It’s clean, responsive, and incredibly useful for monitoring everything important in real-time.
Url: https://github.com/ClementTsang/bottom
fd
I used to spend way too much time double-checking the syntax of find, so discovering fd was a game-changer for me. It’s user-friendly, fast, and way more intuitive than find.
Whether I’m looking for files in a large project or just trying to quickly navigate directories, fd gets the job done without the headache.
Url: https://github.com/sharkdp/fd
ripgrep
ripgrep has completely replaced grep on my machines, and honestly, I don’t know how I managed without it. It’s lightning-fast and so much more convenient for searching through codebases or logs. It’s one of those tools I’ve come to rely on daily, and I wouldn’t want to go back.
Url: https://github.com/BurntSushi/ripgrep
dyff
I work with Kubernetes and YAML files a lot, and dyff has been a lifesaver for comparing large, messy files. Running dyff bw -i -c on file-A.yaml file-B.yaml has saved me more times than I’d like to admit.
It highlights the differences clearly and supports a variety of comparison options, making it an indispensable tool when dealing with complex configurations.
Url: https://github.com/homeport/dyff
k9s
Speaking of Kubernetes, k9s is an absolute must-have in my opinion. I used Lens before, but it felt clunky and slow compared to k9s.
With k9s, I can manage Kubernetes clusters directly from the terminal. It’s fast, efficient, and has all the features I need without the bloat.
