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Create a tar of directory structure only
The original suggestion did not work for me, when operating on folders located on an external mount (ie other than the root device) in Ubuntu. A variation using xargs does the trick.

Summarize size of all files of given type in all subdirectories (in bytes)
This deals nicely with filenames containing special characters and can deal with more files than can fit on a commandline. It also avoids spawning du.

Keep track of diff progress
When running a long `diff -r` over folders, this simulates a "verbose" mode where you can see where diff is in the tree. Replace $file with the first part of the path being compared.

Create a mirror of a local folder, on a remote server
Create a exact mirror of the local folder "/root/files", on remote server 'remote_server' using SSH command (listening on port 22) (all files & folders on destination server/folder will be deleted)

Batch Convert SVG to PNG (in parallel)
Use GNU Parallel: short, easy to read, and will run one job per core.

function to edit your history file
eh stands for Edit History . Frequently, I'll mistype a command, and then step back through my history and correct the command. As a result, both the correct and incorrect commands are in my history file. I wanted a simple way to remove the incorrect command so I don't run it by mistake. . When running this function, first the ~/bash_history file is updated, then you edit the file in vi, and then the saved history file is loaded back into memory for current usage. . while in vi, remember that `Shift-G` sends you to the bottom of the file, and `dd` removes a line. . this command is different than bash built-in `fc` because it does not run the command after editing.

Backup a file with a date-time stamp
Appends the input file with the date format YYYY-MM-DD.bak. Also runs silently if you remove the -v on the cp at the end of the function.

resize(1/2) the image using imagemagick

HourGlass
Displays an animated hourglass for x amount of seconds

Tired of switching between proxy and no proxy? here's the solution.
Replace 10.0.0.0/8 with your largest local subnet. replace 10.1.1.123:3128 with your proxy information.. Note this only works with a proxy server configured for passive setup.. Now your firefox transparently proxy's stuff destined outside your network.. and Doesn't proxy stuff inside your network. as well as all your other favorite web applications. curl, wget, aria2 ect.


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