Stop opening your browser for these 8 tasks, the terminal does them better
Stop opening your browser for these 8 tasks, the terminal does them better
https://www.howtogeek.com/dont-use-your-browser-for-these-tasks-the-terminal-is-better/
Publish Date: 2026-07-07 14:45:00
Source Domain: www.howtogeek.com
Summary
- Terminal is approachable, faster, and ad-free—learn it to get things done.
- Use built-in CLI tools for passwords, weather, IP, speed tests, conversions, translations, and downloads.
- Install tools (openssl, yt-dlp, ffmpeg, qalc, speedtest-cli) to supercharge workflows on Linux or Windows.
The terminal looks like an unassuming (sometimes intimidating) black box and feels like it’s only meant for pros or experts. It’s not as inscrutable as it seems though. Anybody can learn to use it and get stuff done. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll often find yourself launching a terminal instead of opening a new browser tab. That’s because the terminal is faster, reliable, and never shows ads.
Wherever possible, I’ve included tools that are available on Windows, so you can run them directly within the Windows Powershell terminal or Command Prompt. However, Linux has much wider support for command-line tools, which is why I recommend following along on a Linux desktop or setting up a WSL box on your Windows machine.
Credit: Microsoft
