Valnet on Terminal Commands or Programs in GNU/Linux

posted by Roy Schestowitz on Jan 19, 2026

• XDA ☛ 5 terminal tools that make learning commands easier

  If you're new to Linux, especially coming from Windows, the terminal can feel intimidating. However, there is no doubt that the terminal holds immense power; it can customize your system in many ways that a GUI can't. But one wrong command can cause real damage, so the key is to master an understanding of what each command actually does before you hit Enter.

  Over time, I discovered a few terminal tools that make learning commands feel natural, even fun. And the good thing is that most tools are terminal-based; that means you don't have to leave your terminal just to check how a command works.

• XDA ☛ 5 terminal applications that will make you think twice about a GUI

  If you spend most of your time in graphical apps, it is easy to assume that serious productivity depends on windows, buttons, and menus. Once you start living in the terminal, though, a different picture emerges. Modern command-line tools are fast, scriptable, and surprisingly pleasant to use once you get past the first hour of the learning curve. These five applications show how far a terminal workflow can go and might convince you that you do not always need a GUI to get real work done.

• XDA ☛ 6 CLI tools I install before anything else on a new Linux machine

  With Ubuntu, Debian, and other popular distributions shipping with stable desktop environments, the Linux ecosystem is more approachable than ever. But as much as I love the GUI enhancements to my favorite distros, I rely on the all-powerful Linux terminal a lot during my coding tasks and virtualization experiments. As such, I also keep my Linux virtual machines and bare-metal setups equipped with a couple of CLI tools, even when the system in question has a proper graphical interface.

• Make Use Of ☛ I laughed at this terminal browser—until I actually used it

  The terminal is excellent for a surprising number of tasks. Whether you're running cron scripts or using a shockingly efficient text-based calendar, the command-line always has a way of surprising you.

  But when I saw a terminal-based browser, I chuckled at my screen. Who would even use a terminal-based browser in 2026? Turns out, I would. And it might just be the most absurdly ambitious terminal application I've encountered so far.