---
title: CLI Toolbox
url: https://doc.liz6.com/en/tools/cli-toolbox
locale: en
area: tools
tags:
- tools
date: null
modified: 2026-07-16
description: A few modern CLI replacements, and a git + delta setup truly worth configuring once.
---

# CLI Toolbox

These tools are basically common knowledge now, but the specific aspects that truly change daily workflows are often more nuanced than just "faster X." Let's go through the features I use every day.

**`rg` (ripgrep) replaces `grep`** — The biggest difference isn't speed, but **defaults**: it automatically respects `.gitignore`/`.ignore`, skips hidden files and binaries, so searching within a repo always hits only the source code you care about, without being drowned out by `node_modules` or `target/`. To also search ignored files, add `-uu` (add another `u` to include binaries). Commonly used flags include `-t rust` to filter by file type, `-g '*.toml'` for glob patterns, `-A/-B/-C` for context, and `rg foo -r bar` to preview replacements. It's fast because Rust's regex engine uses finite automata + multithreading + skipping irrelevant content, not brute force.

**`fd` replaces `find`** — `fd pattern` directly performs smart-case regex matching on filenames, sparing you from memorizing the `find . -name '*.x' -type f` syntax; it also respects `.gitignore` by default (`-H` to include hidden files, `-I` to ignore `.gitignore`). The real convenience lies in `-x`/`-X` for batch execution: `fd -e jpg -x convert {} {.}.png` runs in parallel for each result, while `-X` feeds all results at once to a single command.

**`bat` replaces `cat`** — Syntax highlighting is just the surface; it also shows git add/delete gutters next to line numbers and auto-paginates (using `less`). Crucially, it is **pipe-safe**: once it detects that output is not a terminal, it automatically falls back to plain `cat`, preventing escape codes from polluting downstream processes. So using it as an alias for `cat` is zero-friction, and it can also serve as the rendering backend for `MANPAGER` (`bat -l man`) and `fzf` previews.

**`eza` replaces `ls`** — `eza -l --git --icons` displays each file's git status directly in the list, and `--tree --level=2` acts as `tree` while respecting `.gitignore`. I've replaced my entire `ls` family (`ls`/`ll`/`tree`) with it; specific aliases are in the [Zsh](shell.md) post.

**`zoxide` makes `z` jump directories** — It maintains a directory table sorted by **frecency** (frequency × recency). `z dow` jumps to your most frequently visited `Downloads` directory, `z foo bar` narrows matches with multiple keywords, and `zi` brings up an interactive `fzf` selector. It learns entirely from your `cd` history, requiring no manual path configuration.

**`just` acts as `make` in projects** — It is **not a build system**: no file dependency graphs, no timestamp checks; it's simply a "project command alias table." Write those long, hard-to-remember commands as recipes, and run them with one line like `just deploy` or `just test --release`. It supports variables, `.env` files, and allows specifying shebangs for individual recipes to write them in other languages. It's less hassle than Makefiles because there's no tab hell, no `.PHONY` pitfalls, and no implicit rule traps.

**`fastfetch` / `tldr`** — The former is a faster `neofetch`, great for screenshotting system info; the latter provides **practical examples** for commands (`tldr tar` directly shows the most common usages), which is much faster than reading the full flag list in man pages, with offline caching.

Among these, `bat`, `eza`, and `fzf` also serve as the backend for [Zsh completion previews](shell.md).

The one thing truly worth spending a few minutes configuring is git's diff. I use `delta`:

```ini
[core]        pager = delta
[interactive] diffFilter = delta --color-only
[delta]       navigate = true        # n / N to jump between files
              line-numbers = true
[merge]       conflictStyle = zdiff3
[diff]        colorMoved = default
```

Two settings make a significant difference. `zdiff3` changes merge conflict markers from "side-by-side" to "three-way" — it displays an additional common ancestor section, making it immediately clear who changed what, reducing the effort needed to resolve conflicts. `colorMoved` gives moved blocks of code distinct coloring, preventing "relocation" from being misread as "rewrite" during code review. Using `delta` with `lazygit` makes viewing diffs in the terminal more comfortable than on the web.