As an experiment, I set up a laptop with what I call Linu (Linux without X).
Just wanted to see how much functionality I could get on a CLI/framebuffer-only system.
I was pretty surprised. It could browse the web (with graphics), manage e-mail, view pdf files, read e-books, listen to music, torrent and watch movies, play some games, multitask…
It wasn’t practical at all, but definitely turned my netbook into a fun toy.
You know what, i just drop my personal list of noteworthy shell-tools here (note directfb2 and twin). And edir, clipboard, pass and portal/croc for the win.
# alternatives[fd](https://github.com/sharkdp/fd): simpler find
[bat](https://github.com/sharkdp/bat): nicer cat
[lsd](https://github.com/Peltoche/lsd): ls with NerdFont icons
[broot](https://github.com/Canop/broot): smarter tree
# GUI alternatives
[draw](https://github.com/maaslalani/draw): mouse drawing on the shell!
[imgfb](https://github.com/mekb-turtle/imgfb): Draws a farbfeld or jpeg image to the Linux framebuffer
[baca](https://github.com/wustho/baca): TUI e-book reader
[Terminal Image Viewer (tiv)](https://github.com/stefanhaustein/TerminalImageViewer): what it says
[FIM](https://www.nongnu.org/fbi-improved/): framebuffer image viewer
[derasterize](https://github.com/csdvrx/derasterize): cli pixel to ANSI converter
cli video playing: mpv \--gpu-context=drm
[ts-polkitagent](https://github.com/vicr123/ts-polkitagent): Polkit Agent for the Shell (old)
[fbterm](https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Fbterm): framebuffer terminal
[twin](https://github.com/cosmos72/twin): Textmode WINdow environment
[directfb2](https://directfb2.github.io/): framebuffer desktop
[csv to ascii art table via python pandas](https://unix.stackexchange.com/questions/114333/create-an-ascii-art-table-from-tabular-data/335266#335266)
Task Management:
[dun](https://github.com/oliverfields/dun): note-taking & task manager
[cubby](https://github.com/jwvictor/cubby): encrypted note taking to cloud, with markdown
[girok](https://github.com/noisrucer/girok): TUI calendarServices:
[matrixcli](https://github.com/saadsolimanxyz/matrixcli#applications): what it says
[yewtube](https://github.com/mps-youtube/yewtube): Terminal based YouTube player and downloader
File Manager:
[clifm](https://github.com/leo-arch/clifm): nice shell file manager with tagging
[nnn](https://github.com/jarun/nnn): cli fm with split-view file preview
[TUIFI Manager](https://github.com/GiorgosXou/TUIFIManager): cli fm with rendered images in 2D layout
[xplr](https://github.com/sayanarijit/xplr): hackable, minimal, TUI fm
Login Manager:
[CDM](https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/CDM): shell login manager with history
[Qingy](https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Qingy): directfb login managerOthers:
[buku - shell bookmark-manager - GitHub](https://github.com/jarun/buku)
# ease of use
[edir](https://github.com/bulletmark/edir): rename with text file
[clipboard](https://github.com/Slackadays/Clipboard): shell clipboard manager & more
[portal](https://github.com/SpatiumPortae/portal): cli file transfer agent between computers
[croc](https://github.com/schollz/croc): simple file transfer tool via local server, [Android Appp](https://f-droid.org/packages/com.github.howeyc.crocgui/) too
[transfer.sh](https://github.com/dutchcoders/transfer.sh/): cli file sharing via cloud
[detox](https://github.com/dharple/detox): file name cleanup
[ouch](https://github.com/ouch-org/ouch): simple de/compressor
[mnamer](https://github.com/jkwill87/mnamer): intelligent video renamer
[gum](https://github.com/charmbracelet/gum): bells and whistles for shell scripters
[pytermgui](https://github.com/bczsalba/pytermgui): bells and whistles for python scripters
As an experiment, I set up a laptop with what I call Linu (Linux without X).
Just wanted to see how much functionality I could get on a CLI/framebuffer-only system.
I was pretty surprised. It could browse the web (with graphics), manage e-mail, view pdf files, read e-books, listen to music, torrent and watch movies, play some games, multitask…
It wasn’t practical at all, but definitely turned my netbook into a fun toy.
You know what, i just drop my personal list of noteworthy shell-tools here (note directfb2 and twin). And edir, clipboard, pass and portal/croc for the win.
# alternatives [fd](https://github.com/sharkdp/fd): simpler find [bat](https://github.com/sharkdp/bat): nicer cat [lsd](https://github.com/Peltoche/lsd): ls with NerdFont icons [broot](https://github.com/Canop/broot): smarter tree # GUI alternatives [draw](https://github.com/maaslalani/draw): mouse drawing on the shell! [imgfb](https://github.com/mekb-turtle/imgfb): Draws a farbfeld or jpeg image to the Linux framebuffer [baca](https://github.com/wustho/baca): TUI e-book reader [Terminal Image Viewer (tiv)](https://github.com/stefanhaustein/TerminalImageViewer): what it says [FIM](https://www.nongnu.org/fbi-improved/): framebuffer image viewer [derasterize](https://github.com/csdvrx/derasterize): cli pixel to ANSI converter cli video playing: mpv \--gpu-context=drm [ts-polkitagent](https://github.com/vicr123/ts-polkitagent): Polkit Agent for the Shell (old) [fbterm](https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Fbterm): framebuffer terminal [twin](https://github.com/cosmos72/twin): Textmode WINdow environment [directfb2](https://directfb2.github.io/): framebuffer desktop [csv to ascii art table via python pandas](https://unix.stackexchange.com/questions/114333/create-an-ascii-art-table-from-tabular-data/335266#335266) Task Management: [dun](https://github.com/oliverfields/dun): note-taking & task manager [cubby](https://github.com/jwvictor/cubby): encrypted note taking to cloud, with markdown [girok](https://github.com/noisrucer/girok): TUI calendar Services: [matrixcli](https://github.com/saadsolimanxyz/matrixcli#applications): what it says [yewtube](https://github.com/mps-youtube/yewtube): Terminal based YouTube player and downloader File Manager: [clifm](https://github.com/leo-arch/clifm): nice shell file manager with tagging [nnn](https://github.com/jarun/nnn): cli fm with split-view file preview [TUIFI Manager](https://github.com/GiorgosXou/TUIFIManager): cli fm with rendered images in 2D layout [xplr](https://github.com/sayanarijit/xplr): hackable, minimal, TUI fm Login Manager: [CDM](https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/CDM): shell login manager with history [Qingy](https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Qingy): directfb login manager Others: [buku - shell bookmark-manager - GitHub](https://github.com/jarun/buku) # ease of use [edir](https://github.com/bulletmark/edir): rename with text file [clipboard](https://github.com/Slackadays/Clipboard): shell clipboard manager & more [portal](https://github.com/SpatiumPortae/portal): cli file transfer agent between computers [croc](https://github.com/schollz/croc): simple file transfer tool via local server, [Android Appp](https://f-droid.org/packages/com.github.howeyc.crocgui/) too [transfer.sh](https://github.com/dutchcoders/transfer.sh/): cli file sharing via cloud [detox](https://github.com/dharple/detox): file name cleanup [ouch](https://github.com/ouch-org/ouch): simple de/compressor [mnamer](https://github.com/jkwill87/mnamer): intelligent video renamer [gum](https://github.com/charmbracelet/gum): bells and whistles for shell scripters [pytermgui](https://github.com/bczsalba/pytermgui): bells and whistles for python scriptersIf someone has more/better tools, please shout.