18 Interesting Linux Commands in Terminal

Terminal is a software program pre-installed on Linux operating systems that allows users to communicate with computers by running commands. The role of Terminal is very powerful, but it can become 'interesting' through a few Bash commands that TipsMake.com will introduce to you below. Let's follow and learn because some commands are quite useful.

1. Cal

It's a fact that not many people know about this command, but any Unix system has a built-in calendar.

To query this command, we use the following:

cal

Cal will display the calendar for the current month. If you want to select a specific month and year, pass this data to the parameter of cal to get the output you need.

To display the month of the year, use the -m command along with the month you want to display.

cal -m1

The above command returns the current year's January.

Similarly, the complete 12-month calendar can be displayed using the -y command.

cal -y [year]

There are many other ways to work with cal , TipsMake.com will introduce them to you later!

2. sl

Sl stands for Steam Locomotive and is often confused with ls. Run this command and you will see a steam locomotive running across the screen.

Sl was not created to bring any specific benefits to users, but only to entertain and remind you when you make a 'mistake' of confusing the ls command with sl. It can be considered a very 'cool' program to remind you to fix errors.

To install this command, type into your Terminal:

sudo apt install sl

Then 'mistyped' ls as sl like this:

sl

3. yes

The yes command is very special, it has only one effect, which is to repeat the chain continuously, generating an infinite chain that continues, of course, until it is commanded to stop.

Yes it's simple, just type this:

yes

For example:

yes i did it

You use Ctrl + C to stop the string, otherwise it will go on forever without stopping.

While yes doesn't do anything in general , it's handy when you're running a script that displays a reminder and you want to automatically respond. For example:

yes /path/to/script

This command will output the y character from the yes command to automatically answer "yes" to each y/n question.

4. rev

The rev command is used to reverse all input characters. This means, if the input you pass is 'Linux' , through the rev command it will become 'xuniL' . Quite strange!

rev

To exit the command, use the shortcut Ctrl + C.

Additionally, rev is also used to reverse an entire file.

rev [file path]

5. aafire

Aafire gives you the fun of 'creating fire' on the black interface of Terminal.

First you install aafire with the following code on your Terminal:

sudo apt install libaa-bin

Then run the command:

aafire

6. eSpeak

You work with your computer every day but never hear it speak? This is no longer impossible with the espeak command. Turn on your speakers or put on your headphones, run the espeak command and listen to your 'friend' speak.

Install this command into Terminal:

sudo apt install espeak

Then run espeak:

espeak "Write here what you want the computer to say"

Whatever you write in quotes will be what the computer 'talks' to you.

7. figlets

Figlet is a simple command line to generate ASCII text banners. Figlet comes with default fonts stored as .flf or .tlf in /usr/share/figlet/fonts/. Use -f to change the fonts.

figlet [-f font change path] [string]

Example of figlet:

Figlet Welcome

8. banner

Banners are similar to figlets that display text in a large banner format. Install banners using the following command:

sudo apt install banner

Then use the syntax:

banner text

9. cowsay

This command displays a cow in ASCII characters and will say whatever you want.

First you install cowsay with this script:

sudo apt install cowsay

Next you enter in Terminal:

cowsay text

Enter in 'text' what you want to display via the ASCII cow speech image.

If you want to display a colorful Pony instead of a cow, install ponysay and run the same command as cowsay.

Pony Say Text

10. cowthink

This command is similar to cowsay, the only difference is that the screen will display the text you enter as the cow's ASCII thoughts instead of speech like the above command.

Cowthink text

11. fortune

Fortune is a command to automatically display random 'cool' quotes.

sudo apt install fortune 
fortune

You can use -s to have Terminal 'give' you shorter quotes.

fortune [-s]

12. oneko

oneko is quite 'cute'. This command adds a cat running on your screen, it will chase the mouse cursor when moving.

Install oneko by running this script:

sudo apt install oneko 
oneko

13. matrix

If you have watched the Hollywood movie Matrix, you will easily remember this command. Install cmatrix using script:

sudo apt install cmatrix

Run the command by typing cmatrix in your Terminal.

14. factor

This command is related to mathematics. Factor will divide a given number into prime factors.

factor [number to be divided into large integers]

15. xeyes

If you are the type of person who wants a pair of eyes watching over you, urging you on all the time until you get down to business, xeyes is the Linux tool for you. xeyes literally displays a pair of eyes on your screen and what's even more impressive is that those eyes will move according to the position of your mouse cursor.

Running this tool is pretty simple, just type xeyes into Terminal and press Enter. By default, the eyes will be in the top left corner of the screen but you can easily change it using the -geometry flag.

On Ubuntu and Debian distros, you can install xeyes with APT:

sudo apt install x11-apps

On Arch distro, you install xeyes with the following command:

sudo pacman -S xorg-xeyes 

On Fedora, CentOS and RHEL:

sudo dnf install xeyes

16. asciiquarium

Ever dreamed of having an aquarium in your home? If you can't afford one, try Linux's Terminal Aquarium first. As the name suggests, asciiquarium creates a virtual aquarium in your Terminal using ASCII characters.

Aquatic plants, fish. will be colored to look more realistic. Sometimes you will even see a duck swimming on the water.

How to install asciiquarium on Ubuntu and Debian:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ytvwld/asciiquarium sudo apt install asciiquarium

How to install asciiquarium on Arch distro:

sudo pacman -S asciiquarium

How to install asciiquarium on RHEL distro

sudo dnf install asciiquarium

17. rig

Need a fake identity for some purpose? Don't worry, rig will help you solve this problem quickly. rig will return the result in a form that is easy for both humans and computers to read. You can implement the functionality of rig in scripts to test functions that require a lot of user information.

How to install the rig on Ubuntu and Debian:

sudo apt install rig

How to install rig on Arch distro:

yay -S rig

How to install rig on RHEL distros like Fedora and CentOS:

sudo dnf install rig

18. Telnet

Telnet is a network protocol that allows you to establish a text-based communication channel between two computers. But beyond just accessing a computer remotely, you can do a lot of cool things with Telnet on the Linux Terminal.

Want to play chess inside Terminal? Enter the following command:

telnet freechess.org

If you are a die-hard Star Wars fan and want to experience it on Linux, you enter the command:

telnet towel.blinkenlights.nl 23

If the above command does not work, you can use the following command instead:

telnet telehack.com starwars

You can even view the entire world map on Linux using Telnet with the command:

telnet mapscii.me

These are some interesting commands in Linux. We know that working with Terminal and command lines, the tasks are quite complicated, so it would be great if we occasionally take a break and relax with some interesting and light things like this, right?

See also:

1. Some basic Terminal commands in Linux Mint 11
2. 4 Quick Ways to Access a Terminal in Linux
3. How to Run 2 or More Terminal Commands at Once on Linux
4. How to delete user and hostname in Terminal Prompt

Isabella Humphrey

Update 25 May 2025