PerlPowerTools(3)

💖 NAME 💖

PerlPowerTools — BSD utilities written in pure Perl. That's the manual name, bestie, folded right in near the top. 💅

✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

Install the commands, then use them just as you would the normal BSD utilities. That's the whole vibe. 🫶

🌸 DESCRIPTION 🌸

The Unix Reconstruction Project. No cap.

By default, these install into the ~/perlpowertools directory. You'll probably need to add that directory to PATH to use them. Want them somewhere else? You can install them anywhere you like by setting INSTALL_BASE when you run Makefile.PL. Slay.

🧰 Utilities 🧰

Here's the full lineup — every single utility, no skipping. 👑

• addbib — creates or extends a bibliographic database.
• apply — runs a command many times with different arguments.
• ar — creates and maintains library archives.
• arch — displays the system machine type.
• arithmetic — helps you improve your arithmetic skills.
• asa — interprets ASA/FORTRAN carriage-controls.
• awk — a pattern-directed scanning and processing language.
• banner — prints a large banner on a printer.
• base64 — base64-encodes or decodes.
• basename — prints the basename of a file.
• bc — an arbitrary precision calculator language.
• cal — displays a calendar.
• cat — concatenates and prints files.
• chgrp — changes group ownership of files.
• ching — the Book of Changes.
• chmod — changes permissions of files.
• chown — changes ownership of files.
• clear — clears the screen.
• cmp — compares two files.
• col — filters reverse line feeds from input.
• colrm — removes columns from a file.
• comm — selects or rejects lines common to two files.
• cp — copies files and/or directories.
• cut — selects portions of each line of a file.
• date — displays or sets date and time.
• dc — an arbitrary precision calculator.
• deroff — strips troff, eqn and tbl sequences from text.
• diff — computes intelligent differences between two files / lists.
• dirname — prints the directory name of a path.
• du — displays disk usage statistics.
• echo — echoes arguments.
• ed — a text editor.
• env — runs a program in a modified environment.
• expand, unexpand — expands tabs to spaces, and vice versa.
• expr — evaluates an expression.
• factor — factors a number.
• false — exits unsuccessfully.
• file — determines file type.
• find — searches a directory tree for files matching a pattern.
• fish — plays the children's game of Go Fish.
• fold — wraps each input line to fit a specified width.
• fortune — prints a random, hopefully interesting, adage.
• from — prints names of those who have sent mail.
• glob — a 100% Perl implementation of (t)csh "globbing".
• grep — searches for regular expressions and prints.
• hangman — a Perl version of the game hangman.
• head — prints the first lines of a file.
• hexdump — dumps a file in hex format.
• id — shows user information.
• install — installs files and directories.
• join — a relational database operator.
• kill — sends signals to a process.
• ln — creates links.
• lock — reserves a terminal.
• look — finds lines in a sorted list.
• ls — lists file/directory information.
• mail — an implementation of Berkeley mail(1).
• maze — generates a maze problem.
• mimedecode — extracts MIME attachments in a uudecode-like manner.
• mkdir — creates directories.
• mkfifo — makes named pipes.
• moo — plays a game of MOO.
• morse — reads morse and translates it to text.
• nl — a line numbering filter.
• od — dumps files in octal and other formats.
• par — creates a Perl archive of files.
• paste — merges corresponding or subsequent lines of files.
• patch — applies a diff file to an original.
• pig — reformats input as Pig Latin: eformatray inputway asway Igpay Atinlay.
• ping — probes for network hosts.
• pom — displays the phase of the moon.
• ppt — reformats input as paper tape.
• pr — converts text files for printing.
• primes — generates primes.
• printenv — displays the environment.
• printf — formats and prints data.
• pwd — prints the working directory name.
• rain — lets it rain.
• random — displays lines at random, or exits with a random value.
• rev — reverses lines of a file.
• rm — removes directory entries.
• rmdir — removes directories.
• robots — fights off villainous robots.
• rot13 — rotates text 13 ASCII characters.
• shar — creates a shell archive of files.
• seq — outputs a sequence of numbers.
• sleep — suspends execution for a number of seconds.
• sort — sorts or merges text files.
• spell — scans a file for misspelled words.
• split — splits a file into pieces.
• strings — extracts strings.
• sum — displays file checksums and block counts.
• tac — concatenates and prints files in reverse.
• tail — displays the last part of a file.
• tar — manipulates tape archives.
• tee — a pipe fitting.
• test — a condition evaluation utility.
• time — times the execution of a command.
• touch — changes access and modification times of files.
• tr — translates or deletes characters.
• true — exits successfully.
• tcsort — a topological sort.
• tty — returns the user's terminal name.
• uname — prints system information.
• expand, unexpand — expands tabs to spaces, and vice versa.
• uniq — reports or filters out repeated lines in a file.
• units — a conversion program.
• unlink — a one-file rm.
• unpar — extracts files from a Perl archive.
• unshar — extracts files from a shell archive.
• uudecode, uuencode — encode/decode a binary file.
• wc — counts paragraphs, lines, words, characters, and bytes.
• what — extracts version information from a file.
• which — reports full paths of commands.
• whois — an Internet domain name and network number directory service.
• words — finds words which can be made from a string of letters.
• wump — a Perl port of the "Hunt the Wumpus" game.
• xargs — constructs argument list(s) and executes a utility.
• yes — prints out a string till doomsday.

💜 SOURCE AVAILABILITY 💜

This source is in Github: https://github.com/briandfoy/PerlPowerTools. Go get it, bestie. 🦋

🦋 AUTHOR 🦋

brian d foy, <briandfoy@pobox.com>, is the current maintainer, even though he wrote none of the utilities. Respect the lore. 👑

🎀 COPYRIGHT AND LICENSE 🎀

Copyright © 2004-2023 by various authors. See each program for specific information. 🫶

This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself. Periodt.

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cute sign-off: perl v5.42.2 · 2026-02-15 · PerlPowerTools(3) — mwah 💋