moreutils

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$ tldr [ifne|mispipe|pee|sponge|vipe|vidir]

$ tldr [combine|errno|ifdata|isutt8|lckdo|parallel|zrun]

moreutils is a software package, not a single command with its own synopsis. It provides a suite of individual commands. Each command within the moreutils package has its own specific syntax and usage.

Examples of command usage from moreutils:

ts [-r] [-i] [-s] [-z] [format]
vipe [command...]
vidir [directory...]

Note:
    moreutils itself is a package and does not accept command-line parameters. Instead, it provides a set of individual commands, each with its own parameters and options. Below are some of the notable commands included in the moreutils package:

ts
    Prefixes standard input with timestamps. Useful for logging and analyzing output.

vipe
    Allows you to edit a pipe. Input to a command is sent to an editor, and the editor's output is then sent to the original command.

vidir
    Edits a directory as text. Files and directories can be renamed, deleted, or created by editing a list in your $EDITOR.

ifne
    Executes a command only if the standard input is not empty, useful in scripting conditional actions.

isutf8
    Checks if standard input or a file is UTF-8 encoded.

sponge
    Sucks up all standard input before writing it to a file. Useful for overwriting a file with the output of a command that reads from that same file (e.g., grep ... file | sponge file).

pee
    Tees standard input to multiple pipes. Like tee but for pipes, allowing simultaneous processing by multiple commands.

combine
    Combines two files based on common fields, similar to join but more flexible.

mispipe
    Pipes two commands together but allows the exit status of the first command to be preserved, unlike standard piping.

zrun
    Automatically decompresses files and runs a command on the decompressed content, handling various compression formats transparently.

moreutils is a package containing a collection of small, focused, and incredibly useful Unix utilities that often fill gaps left by standard tools or provide more efficient ways to accomplish common tasks. These utilities are designed to be simple, standalone, and easily scriptable, adhering to the Unix philosophy of doing one thing well. They enhance productivity by providing tools for tasks like editing pipes, managing directories as text, timestamping output, or conditionally executing commands. It's an essential toolkit for any command-line user or script developer looking for pragmatic enhancements to their workflow.

Since moreutils is a collection, understanding its full utility requires familiarity with each individual command it provides. Some commands might have slight overlaps in functionality with existing utilities, but typically offer a more streamlined or specific solution. The parallel command in moreutils is distinct from GNU parallel, which is a much more comprehensive job runner for parallel execution.

moreutils is available in the package repositories of most Linux distributions and macOS via Homebrew.

To install on Debian/Ubuntu: sudo apt-get install moreutils
To install on Fedora/RHEL/CentOS: sudo dnf install moreutils (or yum for older versions)
To install on Arch Linux: sudo pacman -S moreutils
To install on macOS with Homebrew: brew install moreutils

The moreutils package was created by Joey Hess, a prominent Debian developer, to address common needs and simplify scripting tasks that often required complex combinations of standard utilities. It started as a collection of small, personal scripts and grew into a widely adopted package due to the practical usefulness and adherence to the Unix philosophy of its tools. The development focuses on creating robust, efficient, and highly scriptable commands that seamlessly integrate into the Unix environment.

awk(1), sed(1), grep(1), tee(1), xargs(1), find(1)