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Still using these obsolete Linux commands? They might be popular from the olden days but perhaps it is time to look for alternatives.

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[-] HeartyOfGlass@piefed.social 78 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Listed programs:

  • scp - "potentially deprecated"
  • e/fgrep - replaced with grep flags
  • net-tools, which includes
    • netstat
    • arp
    • route
    • iptunnel *nameif
  • ifconfig
  • iwconfig
  • iptables
[-] pkjqpg1h@lemmy.zip 104 points 1 month ago

Replacement:

  • scprsync or sftp

  • egrep --> grep -E

  • fgrep --> grep -F

  • netstat --> ss

    • arp --> ip n
    • route --> ip route
    • iptunnel --> ip tunnel
    • nameif --> ip link
  • ifconfig --> ip

  • iwconfig --> iw

  • iptables --> nftables

[-] lambalicious@lemmy.sdf.org 38 points 1 month ago

rsync is cool but is nowhere a replacement for scp's main use case. scp actually uses your SSH client settings file, whereas rsync doesn't (it does have the opportunity to use a SSH command, which you then have to setup separately).

[-] poinck@lemmy.world 5 points 1 month ago

I am guilty of using scp. Glad to see that there is a reimplementation going on.

[-] Brummbaer@pawb.social 4 points 1 month ago

I'm not sure I get what you mean. In every distro I used so far rsync did use ssh by default so it would honor everything I set in the ssh config.

[-] lambalicious@lemmy.sdf.org 3 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Not everything however. For it to catch some options , for example SOCKS bridges, you have to use the SSH passthrough notation aka rsync -e 'ssh bridgename...' --rsync-options.... And ofc if you have to load a different SSH conffile, you have to use the while passthrough for that as well, there's no rsync native option to load a SSH conffile: rsync -e 'ssh -F conffile ssh_options...' --rsync-options....

[-] Petter1@discuss.tchncs.de 25 points 1 month ago
[-] DmMacniel@feddit.org 21 points 1 month ago

Seriously who thought that ss is a good command name.

[-] Railcar8095@lemmy.world 14 points 1 month ago
[-] spicehoarder@lemmy.zip 8 points 1 month ago

I don't even want to know where this "rail car" is going 😫

[-] Feyd@programming.dev 3 points 1 month ago

Yeah! I'm scared of snakes and ss reminds me of them

[-] cupcakezealot@piefed.blahaj.zone 1 points 1 month ago

stephen miller

[-] stewie410@programming.dev 10 points 1 month ago

iptables --> nftables

And if you really want the iptables UX, iptables-nft is also an option (at least on Debian). While I prefer firewalld most of the time on a server, my boss really wants to stick with the same tools he's used for 20yr; so iptables-nft it is.

[-] KindaABigDyl@programming.dev 35 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

They can take ifconfig from my cold, dead hands. I will not learn ip

scp too. What even is an rsync? BS that's what!

[-] death_to_carrots@feddit.org 26 points 1 month ago

ifconfig actually uses a deprecated kernel interface and just can't do the things ip can.

[-] Flying_Penguin@lemmy.zip 7 points 1 month ago

Not with that attitude it can't.

[-] KindaABigDyl@programming.dev 2 points 1 month ago

But I don't need to do those things with ip

[-] vivendi@programming.dev 3 points 1 month ago
[-] racketlauncher831@lemmy.ml 1 points 1 month ago

To be fair, the title is "Deprecated Linux Commands". ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯

[-] ken@discuss.tchncs.de 17 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Just to be clear, most of these (think about egrep/fgrep for a moment) are deprecated and "shouldn't be used" in scripts for distribution. What's new is that you can't expect everyone else to have them and having dependency on them in shipped software is considered antipattern.

Nobody gives a shit what aliases and shims you use in your own shell.

On iptables: By now it's even gone from kernel and the turn tabled with the cli command now actually being a shim calling into its successor nft. IMO nft is much more approachable for beginners to pick up and the rules files become so much more readable and maintainable. If you're already committed to iptables syntax then cool - but with very few exceptions I don't think anyone needs to learn iptables today - just go straight to nft and you'll be happier for it. Similar for ifconfig.

[-] Sxan@piefed.zip 1 points 1 month ago

Utterly agree. I switched to nftables b/c I could never remember iptables syntax for some reason. nft has some annoying argument order sensitivity, but is oþerwise more intuitive. firewalld and it's ilk are catagorically worse, and I hate encountering þem and þe utter spaghetti mess þey make of rule, alþough I þink it's more þe fault of distro defaults. I hates the commands, my precious.

this post was submitted on 17 Feb 2026
105 points (86.2% liked)

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