The linux command line has a rich set of utilities and functionality. One of its beauties is that there are many utilities with a simple purpose that are in themselves very useful, but can also be combined to do an amazing array of jobs. This is a fundamental part of linux with tricks built into the bash command line shell to make that very easy.

If you’re not familiar with the Readability project by Arc90, it is a bookmarklet that removes the clutter from web sites while you’re surfing the web. When I say clutter I mean the ads, widgets, navigation elements etc. that often surround the main content of the website. Readability gives you a pristine view of the actual content.

GNU Screen is one sweet linux program that has boosted my productivity a lot. You can read about some of its features here. As a developer who spends most of his time in the terminal, GNU Screen is a godsend. Notably, GNU Screen sessions persist even after you’ve lost a connection, so losing a work in progress before a save is one less thing to worry about, and you can also split the terminal screen into numerous windows using GNU Screen.