Linux life isn’t all about ls and grep. Sure, you’ve probably used those tools to quickly find things and solve simple problems, but that’s only the beginning. Most Linux distributions have a plethora of tools built-in that are easy to miss at first glance. Under the surface Linux has some of the most specific, concise programs to accomplish everything from basic text manipulation to complex network traffic engineering.

If you spend time Googling tutorials or guides on mastering Linux you will be presented with some great material that covers the basics. Learning the foundational knowledge of how to navigate on the command-line using cd and ls is a must, but there is so much more you can accomplish without ever reaching for another third-party tool or language.

Engineers can be too quick to jump to a high-level programming language when they think something can’t be accomplished through focused programs and pipes. Sure, in most cases switching to a language like Python may be simpler and faster but there is something to be said for achieving the same result without it. You cut out a massive dependency, the programming language, and immediately gain a wider range of compatibility. You may not be able to guarantee a particular language version is available across different systems you interact with. Furthermore, you might also be limited in what you can install on these system . Learning to work with the native OS tools you’ve got is a sharp skill that will serve you well.

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