The hottest Unix Substack posts right now

The 'ioctl' system call is used in Unix-like systems to communicate with the kernel in ways that go beyond normal file operations. It allows for special operations not covered by standard read/write calls.
Using 'ioctl' in Rust can be tricky. It often requires unsafe code blocks since it involves direct interactions with the kernel and can affect the running process in unpredictable ways.
There are multiple ways to call 'ioctl' in Rust, including using libraries like 'nix' and 'libc', or even creating custom C wrappers. Each method has its trade-offs in terms of complexity and code structure.

The Unix one-liner uses commands like find, grep, xargs, and math-sum to get total minutes of audio files.
The find command lists all files and directories in the current location.
The xargs -L 1 mp3-minutes command calculates the duration in minutes for each mp3 file and then sums up the total duration using math-sum.

The Unix 1-liner using jq efficiently filters and extracts specific data from a JSON response.
Creating a small script like get-all-accounts to gather data beforehand is crucial for this command to work effectively.
The jq command simplifies data processing by breaking down the process into four transformations.

The Unix one-liner uses commands like cat, tac, cut, and less to process a CSV file.
Using 'cat' reads the file, 'tac' prints it in reverse, 'cut' selects specific columns, and 'less' displays data page by page.
This one-liner is handy for quickly examining and navigating through large CSV files in the terminal.

The 'Dont' Tool is a proposed Unix-style CLI tool that does not run the requested command, but may or may not execute something else.
Use 'dont' with caution as it is recommended for advanced users due to its unpredictable behavior.
Future plans for the 'Dont' Tool include support for passing long lists of commands to not run.

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Computer enthusiasts often enjoy niche, specialized tools like Emacs and tiling window managers.
The appeal of coding fast and optimizing code has roots in past technological limitations like low RAM.
The future of programming may move towards more natural language interactions with machines, making traditional tools like Emacs less essential.

Heredoc is a way to write multiple lines of code in a clean format for Unix scripts. It makes your scripts easier to read and manage.
You can use heredoc with commands like ssh, sftp, and cat to run multiple instructions at once. This saves time and reduces the complexity of your scripts.
With heredoc, you can also add comments and organize your code better. Plus, it allows for things like parameter substitution to make your scripts even more powerful.

The 'disown' command helps keep a running process alive even after you close your terminal session. It allows you to remove jobs from the job table so they won’t get stopped when the shell closes.
The 'at' command is used to schedule a job to run just once at a specific time. It's great for when you need to execute something later without using a cron job.
The 'batch' command runs jobs when the system's load is low. It’s useful for scheduling tasks without overloading the system, ensuring smoother operation.

Expect is a tool that helps automate tasks in the terminal by handling inputs automatically. This means you don't have to type everything manually when running programs or scripts.
You can use Expect for common tasks like logging into remote servers or transferring files easily. It saves time by doing these repetitive tasks for you.
Setting up Expect is straightforward; you just need to install it on your Unix-based system and write a simple script to get started automating your commands.

The `xargs` command helps to build and run new commands by passing input from one command to another. It's particularly useful when you want to handle lots of files at once.
You can use `xargs` with commands like `find` to perform specific actions on multiple files, making tasks like deleting or renaming files easier.
By using options like `-p` and `-n`, you can interactively confirm actions and control how many arguments are processed at a time, allowing for safer execution of commands.