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ZDNET’s key takeaways
- Some Linux instructions are now not in use.
- These instructions should still be obtainable, however it’s finest to keep away from them.
- Every of those instructions has a more recent substitute.
Over the a long time that I have been utilizing Linux, I’ve seen distributions and apps come and go. That must be no shock to anybody.
Nonetheless, I’ve additionally skilled instructions come and go, which could appear a bit unusual at first. Nonetheless, whenever you perceive why some instructions get deprecated, it is smart.
Instructions are deprecated for the next causes:
- Safety vulnerabilities
- A scarcity of ongoing upkeep
- The supply of newer, extra feature-rich alternate options
Certain, you may need used command X for 20 years, however command Y does the identical factor, does it extra effectively, and is safer.
There are all the time causes.
What are a few of the instructions which were deprecated? Let’s have a look.
ifconfig (use ip as an alternative)
Of all of the deprecated instructions, that is in all probability probably the most vital one. Throughout my earlier years of utilizing Linux, ifconfig was an absolute should. With this command, you could possibly not solely collect details about community connections (equivalent to community machine title, IP deal with, gateway, and extra), however you could possibly additionally configure networking.
The rationale ifconfig went away was that the net-tools app was deprecated. As a result of ifconfig was part of net-tools, it went bye-bye as effectively.
In ifconfig’s place is the ip command, which may do every thing ifconfig might do.
Needless to say ifconfig might be nonetheless in your Linux distribution. I would not suggest utilizing it, as a result of it is now not underneath improvement.
iwconfig (use iw as an alternative)
The iwconfig command is to wi-fi connections what ifconfig is to wired. Iwconfig was deprecated as a result of the Wi-fi Extensions (WXT) kernel interface it required had turn into outdated and restricted. WXT was changed with the nl80211 interface, thus making the iw command the brand new normal.
The iw command gives higher assist for contemporary wi-fi applied sciences, together with Wi-Fi 6.
scp (use rsync as an alternative)
The scp command was used to securely copy recordsdata from one machine to a different, by way of the SSH protocol. Nonetheless, the scp command was deprecated as a result of it is outdated, hasn’t been up to date for a while, and due to safety vulnerabilities.
Most trendy Linux distributions have converted to the safer SFTP protocol, however the model of Linux you’re utilizing in all probability nonetheless consists of scp. I’d not use scp now, principally due to the safety points it poses. Along with SFTP, you may also use rsync for transferring recordsdata.
egrep/fgrep (use grep as an alternative)
The grep command may be very helpful. The truth is, I’d name grep a must-know command. At one level, egrep and fgrep have been created to increase the characteristic set of grep. Egrep added prolonged regex, and fgrep labored on mounted strings.
Some thought-about these instructions a should; nonetheless, each of these functionalities have been ultimately added to grep, making them redundant. Due to that, neither egrep nor fgrep is maintained, so do not use them.
netstat (use ss as an alternative)
The netstat command was used for displaying lively community connections, routing tables, and interface statistics.
This command was deprecated as a result of the net-tools bundle was now not actively maintained. Ultimately, netstat was changed by the iproute2 suite of instruments, that are extra environment friendly, supply higher integration with the Linux kernel, and supply extra element than netstat.
Rather than netstat is the ss command, which is quicker than netstat and provides extra detailed info.
route (use ip as an alternative)
The route command was used to view or manipulate the IP routing desk. Route was one other sufferer of the net-tools loss. The massive challenge with route was that it provided restricted performance, poor dealing with of IPv6/advanced setups, and included safety points.
Rather than route, now we have the ip route command.
arp (use ip neighbor as an alternative)
The arp command was used to handle the Tackle Decision Protocol cache. Guess why arp went away? Should you guessed net-tools, you’re right.
The substitute for route is ip neighbor (or simply ip neigh), which is superior to arp as a result of it is extra environment friendly, built-in, and strong. This command additionally gives extra superior options, equivalent to Neighbor Unreachability Detection, which provides sooner failure detection.
You would possibly nonetheless discover these instructions in your Linux distribution. Should you do, ensure you test to see if their replacements can be found. Should you discover a substitute that isn’t in your system, be certain that to get it put in and begin utilizing the newer choice.





