6 More Oddball Linux Utilities You Should Try

Returning to our favorite directory for some curious finds

Photo by Lukas on Unsplash

Once again we are plumbing the depths of /usr/bin for some hidden gems. Searching for interesting programs hidden within an ocean of options waiting to be dusted off and taken for a spin. This plethora of fascinating Linux utilities seems endless.

In this edition of: “hey, this looks neat!” we’re looking at some true oddballs whose usage errs more on the side of novelty vs. functionality. These utilities might be lesser-known and potentially outdated but they still have interesting uses and tend to teach us about the history of Linux itself.

Let’s take a look.

1. leave

No, wait don’t actually leave! I promise this one is cool.

The leave program was actually created as a way to notify a terminal user when they should leave for an appointment or take a break.

The usage is quite simple. You can either set the time you want to be notified directly by issuing:

leave 1050

This would notify you at 10:50 either am or pm, whichever falls within the next 12 hours.

Or, you can input the time as a number of hours and minutes from the current time by…