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Search for a string inside all files in the current directory
options: -n line nbrs, -i ignore case, -s no "doesn't exist", -I ignore binary args: * for all files of current dir (not hidden), .[!.]* for all hidden files I don't include by default the -R (recursive) option, which is not always useful. You add it by hand when needed.

Find dupe files by checking md5sum

Convert the output of one or more (log, source code ...) files into html,
Requires the "enscript" package. frank@zappa:~# sudo apt-get install enscript Or http://www.codento.com/people/mtr/genscript/ "use your head"

Append stdout and stderr to a file, and print stderr to the screen [bash]
Useful for cron jobs -- all output will be logged but only errors will cause email to be sent. NB the order of "2>&1" and ">> logfile" is important, it doesn't work if you reverse them (everything goes to the logfile, nothing left for tee).

Change the ownership of all files owned by one user.
Finds all files in /home owned by UID 1056 and changes to 2056.

check open ports without netstat or lsof

Display rows and columns of random numbers with awk
Displays six rows and five columns of random numbers between 0 and 1. If you need only one column, you can dispense with the "for" loop.

floating point operations in shell scripts
Calculator for shell. Similar performance and basic usage as 'bc', but with more advanced features. Not installed on most systems by default.

Play all files in the directory using MPlayer
Skip forward and back using the < and > keys. Display the file title with I.

tail: watch a filelog
-f file(s) to be monitorized -n number of last line to be printed on the screen in this example, the content of two files are displayed


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