Beyond Bash: Exploring Modern Rust-Based Command-Line Utilities
Rust’s emphasis on safety and speed has inspired a new wave of CLI replacements. Here are a few worth adding to your toolbox.
Text & Search
- ripgrep (
rg
) – blazing-fast recursive search with sensible defaults and.gitignore
awareness. - bat –
cat
alternative with syntax highlighting and Git blame integration. - fd – user-friendly
find
substitute with smart globbing and parallel traversal. - delta – syntax-highlighted pager for
git diff
output; drop it into your Git config.
Files & System Insight
- exa – modern
ls
with tree view, icons, and Git status indicators. - broot – interactive directory navigator with fuzzy filtering.
- dust – visual disk-usage reporter that condenses
du
output. - hyperfine – command benchmarking utility that handles warmups and statistical summaries.
Networking & Sharing
- miniserve – single-binary HTTP file server for quick sharing.
- erdtree – enhanced tree viewer showing file sizes and permissions (handy for audits).
Getting Started
Most tools install via cargo install <crate>
or your package manager (Homebrew, apt, nix). Keep binaries in ~/.cargo/bin
on your PATH.
Tips
- Alias new tools cautiously; run side-by-side with their Unix counterparts until your team adopts them.
- Check licensing before bundling binaries in enterprise images.
- Monitor releases—Rust projects iterate quickly, so automate upgrades through Renovate or Dependabot.