Difference between revisions of "Category:List of Linux Programmes"

Latest revision as of 22:39, 6 September 2006

This is a list of Linux programmes. I use many of these programmes on a daily basis. However, I have not mastered all of these just yet. I will provide links to individual programmes for further information, tutorials, and examples.

Some of these programs are standard utilities that will be found on any Unix or Unix-like operating system; indeed a system without such basic components as ls or sh could scarcely be described as truly Unix-like. Others are more special-purpose and may not be installed by default. Finally, some items on this list are simply separate applications which happen to have been written for Unix.

System software

General user

• dirname – Strip non–directory suffixes from a path
• dd – Convert and copy a file (Disk Dump)
• echo – Print to standard output
• env – Show environment variables; run a program with altered environment variables
• nohup – Run a command with immunity to hangups outputting to non–tty
• file (or stat) – Determine the type of a file
• strip – Discard symbols from object files
• uptime – Print how long the system has been running
• sh – The Bourne shell, the standard Unix shell

System Management

• fuser – Identify processes by files or sockets
• newgrp (or sg) – Log in to a new group
• pathchk – Check the validity/portability of filenames
• logger – Make entries in the system log

Kernel specific

• ipcs – Provide information on IPC facilities
• ipcrm – Remove a message queue, semaphore set or shared memory id
• date – Print or set the system date and/or time
• uname – Print assorted system statistics
• dmesg – Print the kernel message buffer

Processes and tasks management

• nice – Alter priorities for processes
• time – Time a command
• top – Produce a dynamic list of all resident processes
• wait – Wait for the specified process
• renice – Alter the priorities of an already running process
• chroot – Change the system root directory for all child processes
• timex – Time process shell execution, measure process data and system activity
• kill – Send a signal to process, or terminate a process (by PID)
• killall – Terminate all processes (in Linux, it's kill by name)
• crontab – Crontab file editor
• at – Single–time command scheduler
• cron – Periodic command scheduler
• daemonic – Interface to daemon init scripts
• sleep – Delay for specified time
• pgrep – Find PIDs of processes by name
• pidof – Linux equivalent of pgrep
• pkill – Send a signal to process, or terminate a process (by name). Equivalent to Linux killall
• ps – Report process status
• anacron – Periodic command scheduler

User management and support

• su – Start a new process (defaults to shell) as a different user (defaults to root)
• logname – Print user's login name
• passwd – User and group entries for daemons
• write – Send a message to another user
• mesg – Control write access to your terminal
• who – Show who is logged on
• w – Show logged-in users and their current tasks
• id – Print real/effective UIDs/GIDs
• man – Manual browser
• locale – Get locale specific information
• localedef – Compile locale definitions
• sudo – Used to grant permission to carry out specific operations for specific users or groups.

Terminal configuration

• stty – Change and print terminal line settings
• tty – Print filename of terminal connected to standard input
• tput – Initialize a terminal/query terminfo database

Files and texts

• man – The standard unix documentation system
• info – The GNU/Linux alternative to man

Filesystem Utilities

• chgrp – Change the group of a file or directory
• chmod – Change the permissions of a file or directory
• chown – Change the owner of a file or directory
• cp – Copy a file or directory to another location
• df – Report disk space
• du – Calculate used disk space
• fdupes – Find or remove duplicate files within a directory
• find – Search for files through a directory hierarchy
• fsck – Filesystem check
• ln – Link one file/directory to another
• ls – List directory contents
• mkdir – Make a directory
• mkfifo – Make a named pipe
• mount – Mount a filesystem
• mv – Move or rename a file or directory
• pwd – Print the current working directory
• rm – Delete a file or directory tree
• rmdir – Delete an empty directory
• touch – Create a new file or update its modification time
• tree – Print a depth-indented tree of a given directory
• unlink – System call to remove a file or directory
• lsof – list open files

Archivers and compression

• afio – Compatible superset of cpio with added functionality
• ar – Maintain, modify, and extract from archives. Now largely obsoleted by tar
• bzip2 – Block–sorting file compressor
• compress – Traditional compressor using the LZW algorithm
• cpio – A traditional archiving tool/format
• gzip – The gzip file compressor
• pax – POSIX archive tool that handles multiple formats.
• tar – Tape ARchiver, concatenates files
• uncompress – Uncompresses files compressed with compress.
• zcat – Prints files to stdout from gzip archives without unpacking them to separate file(s)

Text Processing

• awk – A pattern scanning and processing language
• banner – Creates ascii art version of an input string for printing large banners
• cat – Concatenate files to standard output
• cksum – Print the CRC checksum and bytecount of a file (see also MD5)
• cmp – Compare two files byte for byte
• comm – Sort two files and compare them line for line
• csplit – Split a file into sections determined by context lines
• cut – Remove sections from each line of a file or standard input
• diff – Compare two files line by line
• expand – Convert tabs to spaces
• fc – Processes the command history list
• fold – Wrap each input line to fit within the given width
• grep – Print lines matching a pattern (now largely superseded by egrep)
• head – Output the first parts of a file
• iconv – Convert the encoding of the specified files
• join – Join lines of two files on a common field
• less – Improved more–like text pager
• merge – Three way merge of files (see also paste)
• more – Pager
• nkf – Convert Japanese characters
• nl – Number the lines of a file
• od – Dump files in various formats, e.g. octal
• paste – Merge lines of files
• patch – Change files based on a patch file
• rev – reverse lines of a file
• sed – Stream EDitor
• sort – Sort lines of text files
• split – Split a file into pieces
• tac – cat in reverse — displays files to standard output in reverse order starting at the end of the file
• tail – Output the tail end of files
• tee – Read from standard input, write to standard output and files
• tr – Translate characters
• tsort – Perform a topological sort
• unexpand – Convert spaces to tabs
• uniq – Remove duplicate lines from a sorted file
• uudecode – Decodes a binary file that was used for transmission using electronic mail
• uuencode – Encodes a binary file for transmission using electronic mail
• wc – Word/line/byte count

Editors

• ed – Traditional line-based Unix text editor
• emacs – Powerful Lisp–based text editor and general computing environment
• ex – Text editor, often a symbolic link to vi (or vim) which causes it to run in ex emulation mode
• NEdit – The multi-purpose X11 editor
• nano – Clone of pico
• pico – PIne's message COmposition editor
• sam – Bitmapped text editor with client-server design, by Rob Pike
• vi – Visual text editor
• vim – Vi IMproved, vi clone with syntax highlighting and many other enhancements
• XEmacs – Popular version of emacs that is derived from GNU emacs

Communication, networking and remote access

• Apache webserver
• NFS – Network filesystem
• OpenVPN
• rsh, SSH, telnet – Remote consoles
• Samba – SMB and CIFS client and server for UNIX
• talk – Talk to another logged-in user
• uux – Remote command execution over UUCP
• uustat – a Basic Networking Utilities (BNU) command that displays status information about several types of BNU operations

Email programs

• elm – Unix mail utility program
• mail – Original Email utility
• mailx – Improved Email utility
• Mutt – Curses based mail reader

Network system services

• xinetd – replacement for inetd
• fingerd – a daemon for finger – a program used return a human-readable status report on either the system at the moment or a particular person in depth
• inetd – a daemon on many Unix systems that manages Internet services

Network Utilities

• dhcpd – the DHCP daemon
• ifconfig – a tool used to configure a network interface for TCP/IP
• ping – a network tool that tests of whether a particular host is up and reachable on the network
• pppd – Point-to-Point protocol daemon
• tcpd – Secures programs launched from inetd

Network monitoring and security

• Ethereal – a protocol analyzer, or "packet sniffer", similar to tcpdump, that adds a GUI frontend, and more sorting and filtering options
• Tethereal – text based version of "Ethereal"
• ettercap – a tool for network protocol analysis
• John the Ripper – password cracking software
• Nmap – free port scanning software
• Nessus – a comprehensive open-source network vulnerability scanning program
• SATAN – the Security Administrator Tool for Analyzing Networks – a testing and reporting tool that collects information about networked hosts
• Snort – an open source network intrusion detection system
• tcpdump – a computer network debugging tool that intercepts and displays TCP/IP packets being transmitted or received

Programming tools

Script Interpreters

• awk – Standard Unix scripting and text manipulation tool.
• perl – Perl scripting language.
• Python – Python scripting language.
• bash – Bourne Again SHell, standard shell and a script interpreter on Linux systems.

Compilers and programming tools

The classic UNIX environment includes a basic set of broadly available programming tools, but in the 21st century this classic environment is increasingly rare, as Unix-like operating system distributions diversify. Some include vastly more, and more modern and sophisticated, programming tools and environments, whereas others, focussing on serving a less technical audience, may disinclude even the most rudimentary programming utilities. Commands most familiar to a prior generation of UNIX users include:

• admin – Administer SCCS files.
• c99 – C programming language.
• cc – C compiler.
• ld – Program linker.
• ctags – Generate tags file summarising location of objects in source files.
• distcc – Tool for distributing compiles across multiple machines.
• f77 – Fortran 77 compiler.
• gcc – GNU Compiler Collection C frontend (also known as GNU C Compiler)
• dbx – (System V and BSD) Symbolic debugger.
• gdb – GNU symbolic debugger.
• lex – Lexical scanner generator.
• yacc – LALR parser generator.
• m4 – Macro language.
• make – Automate builds.
• nm – List symbols from object files.
• rmdel – remove a delta from an SCCS file.
• strip – Remove debugging symbols from object files.
• strace – (Linux) or truss (Solaris) Trace system calls with their arguments and signals. Useful debugging tool, but does not trace calls outside the kernel, in the address space of the process(es) being watched.
• ltrace – (Linux) Trace dynamic library calls in the address space of the watched process.
• ktrace – (BSD) Analogous to strace.

Scripting utilities

• expr – Evaluate expressions
• exit – Exit shell, optionally with return code
• return – Return from shell function
• false – Return a value that evaluates as False
• true – Return a value that evaluates as True
• xargs – Build and execute command lines from standard input
• basename – Returns the final component of a path
• batch – Runs jobs when the system load level permits
• unset – Unsets a shell variable
• break – terminate a loop before maturity
• continue – Skip the current iteration of a loop
• strings – Print strings of printable characters found in a file
• times
• test – Test an expression
• hash – Command that remembers or reports command path names
• shift

User interfaces

• X11 – Graphical user interface (GUI)

Desktops/Graphical User Interfaces

• Blackbox and its variants (including Fluxbox and Waimea)
• CDE – Common Desktop Environment, most commonly found on proprietary UNIX systems
• Enlightenment – an open source window manager for the X Window System
• Fvwm and its variant Fvwm95, which has been modified to behave like Windows 95
• GNOME – GNU Network Object Model Environment
• IceWM – ICE Window Manager
• JWM – Joe's Window Manager
• KDE – K Desktop Environment
• Quartz Compositor – Apple's GUI interface for the Darwin BSD based operating system Mac OS X
• Window Maker
• WMI – Window Manager Improved
• XFce – a desktop environment for Unix and other Unix-like platforms

Shells

• bash – Bourne Again SHell, standard shell on Linux systems.
• csh – C shell.
• ksh – Korn shell, standard shell on most proprietary Unix systems.
• rc – originally written for Plan 9.
• sh – Bourne shell, only shell present on all UNIX and Unix-like systems.
• tcsh – TENEX C shell, standard shell on BSD systems.
• zsh – Z shell.

Computer security

Antivirus software

• ClamAV – E-mail virus scanner.

Cryptography

• Enigmail – Graphical interface to gpg for Mozilla Application Suite and Mozilla Thunderbird.
• gpg – GNU Privacy Guard, a complete and free replacement for PGP (to do file and email encryption and signature)
• openssl – Secure Sockets Layer and general crypto library.
• pinepgp – Filters which enable pine to use signed/encrypted email.
• mcrypt -- Replacement for the legacy crypt program, can also make OpenPGP-compatible files.

Linux specific programs

• apt – Front–end for dpkg or rpm
• debconf – Debian package configuration management system
• drakconf – Front–end configuration utility for Mandriva Linux
• dpkg – The Debian package manager
• emerge – A frontend to portage
• rpm – Originally the package manager for Red Hat Linux, now used by several distributions including Mandriva Linux
• portage – The Gentoo Linux package manager
• urpmi – Front–end to rpm, used by Mandriva Linux
• pacman – A package manager used primarily by Arch Linux
• YaST - System management utility mainly used by SuSE

Application software

Office suite

• Gnumeric
• OpenOffice.org
• KOffice

Multimedia

• amaroK – Audio jukebox
• Ardour – Digital audio workstation for multitrack HD recording and editing
• Audacity – Sound recording and editing program
• Baudline – Audio recorder, analyzer, and player
• GIMP – Powerful image manipulation package
• GStreamer – Plugin-based multimedia framework
• ImageMagick – Image conversion library
• Inkscape – Vector graphics editor
• mpg123 – MP3 player
• MPlayer – Video player
• Rhythmbox – Audio jukebox similar to Apple's iTunes
• Rosegarden – Powerful digital audio workstation
• SoX – Sound conversion tool
• Totem – Media player
• transcode – Flexible command-line media encoding tool
• VLC media player – Video player
• xine – Video Player
• XMMS – Winamp-like multimedia player

Web browsers

• Dillo – Extremely light–weight web browser
• Galeon – Light–weight old GNOME web browser
• Epiphany – Light–weight GNOME web browser
• Konqueror – KDE web browser
• Links – Console based web browser
• ELinks – Enhanced links
• lynx – Console based web browser
• Mozilla Application Suite – Graphical cross platform web browser & email client
• Mozilla Firefox – Extensible Web browser from Mozilla
• Mozilla Thunderbird – Extensible Email client from Mozilla

Desktop Publishing

• Groff – Traditional typesetting system
• LaTeX – Popular TeX macro package for higher–level typesetting
• lp – Print a file (on a line printer)
• Passepartout – Desktop publishing program
• pr – Convert text files for printing
• printf – Format and print data
• Scribus – Desktop publishing program
• TeX – High–quality macro–based typesetting system
• troff – The original and standard Unix typesetting system

Database management systems

• MySQL
• SQLite

Mathematical and scientific software

• maxima – Symbol manipulation program.
• units – Unit conversion program.
• octave – Numerical computing language (mostly compatible with Matlab) and environment.[1]
• R – Statistical programming language.

Desktop utilities

• dc – Reverse-Polish desk calculator which supports unlimited precision arithmetic
• fortune – Fortune cookie program that prints a random quote
• bc – An arbitrary precision calculator language with syntax similar to the C programming language.
• cal – Displays a calendar

See also

• Linux command line tools
• Coreutils
• List of Unix daemons
• List of GNU packages
• List of open source software packages
• List of KDE applications
• List of GNOME applications

External links

• FSF/UNESCO Free Software Directory – A catalog of useful free software
• Freshmeat software catalog – The Web's largest index of Unix and cross-platform software
• SourceForge – The world's largest development and download repository of Open Source code and applications
• Linux Links: Software – Linux software catalog
• Linux Online - Applications – Linux software catalog
• SuSE Linux Package Descriptions — by Novell