These 6 tools provided the terminal functions I believed I required a GUI for

Science

Released Sep 20, 2026, 12:00 PM EDT

Afam’s experience in tech publishing go back to 2018, when he worked for Make Tech Easier. Throughout the years, he has actually constructed a track record for releasing top quality guides, evaluations, pointers, and explainer short articles, covering Windows, Linux, and open source tools. His work has actually been included on the top sites, consisting of Technical Ustad, Windows Report, Guiding Tech, Alphr, and Next of Windows.

He holds a very first degree in Computer Science and is a strong supporter for information personal privacy and security, with numerous suggestions, videos, and tutorials on the subject released on the Fuzo Tech YouTube channel.

When he is not working, he likes to hang out with his household, biking, or tending to his garden.

For the longest time, I presumed the terminal was where you go if you required something done the tough, geeky method. My day-to-day regimens, like searching files, discovering something I ‘d forgotten, or making sense of a log, generally prevented the terminal. Without hesitating, I ‘d open a GUI.

<p>This state of mind began altering when I started utilizing specific terminal tools, since they made my workflows less laborious. I still utilize GUI apps, however these tools make me grab them far less regularly.</p>    

Yazi

Submit management was the GUI routine I anticipated to keep

Conventional terminal file commands provide me filenames and courses, however file management typically feels simpler when I can see what I’m handling. Seeing simply the file names does not constantly suffice, specifically when there are a number of files with comparable names, or when you require to move a group of them. Naturally, I leaned towards File Explorer.

<p>Yazinevertheless, turns my terminal into an interactive file supervisor, enabling me to move through folders, choose files, and sneak peek them. It even lets me carry out typical file operations in the very same window. Its sneak peek function is the most considerable for me, due to the fact that even before choosing what to do with an image, PDF, archive, or piece of code, I can check it.</p>    <p>There are events when I 'd rather utilize a mouse, so I still need to open File Explorer. My workflow consists of a number of file jobs that I begin on the terminal, and now I prevent context changing by finishing the exact same jobs on the terminal.</p>    























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Yazi

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                    <strong>OS</strong>                     </dt>
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                                        Windows, Linux, macOS


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                        </dd>


            <p>
                </p><dt>
                    <strong>Designer</strong>                   </dt>
                                                                    <dd>
                            <span>





                                        sxyazi


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            <p>
                </p><dt>
                    <strong>Cost design</strong>                    </dt>
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                                        Free, Open-source


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                        <p><span><span>Yazi</span></span>  is a quickly, open-source terminal file supervisor composed in Rust that integrates a three-pane user interface, Vim-style navigation, and extensible plugins for effective keyboard-driven file management.















fzf

Searching stopped needing me to bear in mind precisely what I desired

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I typically keep in mind a particular file exists without remembering its name. In some cases, I keep in mind simply a couple of letters, part of a word, or slightly what it associates with. In these scenarios, I can’t advance by typing the precise course.

This is when I turn to fzfand it feels less like a command. It ends up being more of a search box that I ‘d usually try to find in a GUI. Simply by typing a rough pattern, fzf narrows a list interactively as I go. Before I begin my search, I do not require to get the filename completely.

While files appear like an apparent example, fzf likewise deals with command history, procedures, Git dedicates, bookmarks, and other lists too, making it helpful for far more than discovering files.

While I utilize Yazi to search around and see what’s there, I fall back to fzf when I do not wish to search at all and currently have an unclear concept of what I’m trying to find.

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fzf

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                    <strong>OS</strong>                     </dt>
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                                        Linux, macOS, Windows, and BSD running systems


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                    <strong>Cost</strong>                   </dt>
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                                        Free


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                        <p>fzf is a general-purpose command-line fuzzy finder. This interactive terminal toolkit lets you choose files, search command history, and sneak peek information.















lnav

The terminal lastly made logs seem like info

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The terminal typically seems like the incorrect tool when you need to open a big log file. It outputs numerous lines of text, and it’s simply difficult to discover the vital part.

lnav makes logs more friendly by treating them as logs. It finds log formats and filters messages. I likewise utilize it to integrate entries from several log files into a single sequential view when an application has a number of logs and I require to find out an incident around the exact same time.

I frequently utilize its pie chart and sequential views to identify patterns without exceedingly scrolling through raw text. It has actually minimized my practice of opening several files and psychologically comparing timestamps.

It’s capable of more innovative functions. You can even query log information utilizing SQL, although that’s not why I advise it here. I do not have to reach for a devoted visual log audience when something goes incorrect since I can examine utilizing lnav.

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lnav

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                                        Linux, macOS, and FreeBSD os[<sourcemedia data-srcset="https://pmnsports.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/localimages/using-trash-cli.png?q=49&fit=crop&w=800&dpr=2"> <source media="(max-width: 1023px)" data-srcset="https://pmnsports.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/localimages/using-trash-cli.png?q=49&fit=crop&w=825&dpr=2"> <img width="1650" height="670" loading="lazy" decoding="async" alt="science Using trash cli" src="https://pmnsports.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/localimages/using-trash-cli.png?q=49&fit=crop&w=825&dpr=2" previous-src="https://pmnsports.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/localimages/using-trash-cli.png?q=49&fit=crop&w=825&dpr=2"> 19659040]Rate                    
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                            <span>





                                        Free


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                        </dd>

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                        <p>Lnav is a log file audience for the terminal that enables you leap rapidly to the previous/next mistakes, adnnavigate more effortlessly.















Atuin

My command history ended up being something I might really browse

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Keeping in mind a command isn’t precisely the like discovering a command, a minimum of that’s what my substantial usage of shell history has actually taught me. I might remember I ran a command recently, without keeping in mind the specific command. Often, I understand I utilized it for a job however can’t rather keep in mind where I ran it.

Atuin makes this history much easier to deal with. I utilize its interactive search to filter commands by context, such as the existing directory site, Git work area, session, or host. Since it supports fuzzy search, I can discover commands without rebuilding the whole command.

As soon as I have some context, like the job I ran a particular long command, it’s better to explore that task’s history than exploring all the commands that I’ve run.

My shell history does not have to be a scrollback list. Utilizing Ctrl + R, I’m able to question my history, specifically when I keep in mind just parts of what I did.

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Atuin

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                                        macOS, Linux, Windows, and WSL-2


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                </p><dt>
                    <strong>Rate</strong>                   </dt>
                                                                    <dd>
                            <span>





                                        Free


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                        <p>Antuin is an excellent replacement for your existing shell history which utilizes a SQLite database, and records extra context for your commands.















trash-cli

Erasing files no longer needed to indicate erasing them permanently

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The garbage is a useful safeguard that I’m utilized to having in a visual file supervisor. rm does not supply that exact same garbage workflow. The garbage provides someplace to try to find an erased file if you slipped up.

With trash-cliI can send out files to the garbage from the command line, then list or restore them if required.

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                <table summary readabilitydatatable="1">

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<p>Method</p>    












<p>What occurs</p>    



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<td>


<p>rm</p>    

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<td>


<p>Eliminates the file through the regular removal procedure</p>    

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<p>trash-cli</p>    

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<td>


<p>Sends it to a garbage workflow where it can later on be noted or brought back</p>    

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