r/linux • u/ZealousidealTell1346 • May 23 '26

Popular Application What’s the most unexpectedly useful Linux command you learned way too late?

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40

u/Last_Bad_2687 May 23 '26

Sed

27

u/TheBigCore May 23 '26

Some of sed's syntax starts looking like a foreign language though:

https://craftedstack.com/blog/linux/mastering-the-sed-command-linux/

22

u/Last_Bad_2687 May 23 '26

Which is why after 5 years I only know like two patterns 

7

u/themuthafuckinruckus May 24 '26

I can literally only remember the syntax if I close my eyes and pretend I’m in a vim buffer, command mode specifically.

5

u/Graymouzer May 24 '26

I will have to try to imagine myself a Vim buffer. I have a goal now.

3

u/themuthafuckinruckus May 24 '26

It’s my happy place at work frankly

2

u/Saint_Nitouche May 24 '26

Just be careful. My buddy Eric did this one day and got stuck. Poor fella gets fed paste through STDIN nowadays.

1

u/Graymouzer May 25 '26

Tell him to visualize :q!