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Using tput to save, clear and restore the terminal contents
Very useful for interactive scripts where you would like to return the terminal contents to its original state before the script was run. This would be similar to how vi exits and returns you to your original terminal screen. Save and clear the terminal contents with: $tput smcup Execute some commands, then restore the saved terminal contents with: $tput rmcup

Test sendmail
test if sendmail is installed and working.

Recursive Line Count

convert filenames in current directory to lowercase
The simplest way I know.

Find the package that installed a command

Monitor all DNS queries made by Firefox

list block devices
Shows all block devices in a tree with descruptions of what they are.

Change Gnome wallpaper
You can use this in a script which rotates wallpapers from a directory at each login.

Create a .png from a command output and upload to ompdlr.org, give URI
Create a .png from output command or whatever, the upload and give URI from ompdlr.org

On screen display of a command.
This is very useful if you need to show someone some text from a distance. (Like someone standing over your shoulder...) I'd recommend aliasing it to something like: alias osd_cat="osd_cat -o 400 -s 8 -c blue -d 60 -f -*-bitstream\ vera\ sans-*-*-*--200-*-*-*-*-*-*-*" xosd is the utility that provides osd_cat.


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Follow the Tweets.

Every new command is wrapped in a tweet and posted to Twitter. Following the stream is a great way of staying abreast of the latest commands. For the more discerning, there are Twitter accounts for commands that get a minimum of 3 and 10 votes - that way only the great commands get tweeted.

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