here is a list of all tools mentioned in the thread. unfortunately, including descriptions and links made the comment to large, so for now just the names. the number in front is the number of mentions.

links to other lists:

https://beyondgrep.com/feature-comparison/

https://code.kiwi.com/lesser-known-tools-we-love-at-kiwi-com...

https://github.com/agarrharr/awesome-cli-apps#terminal-utili...

https://github.com/alebcay/awesome-shell#applications

https://paste.pound-python.org/raw/Uqc8XTFk73Y3PpbRe9hC/

http://suckless.org/rocks/

https://www.networkworld.com/article/3091139/linux/who-needs...

       2048
       2fa
       abcde
       abook
   [3] ack (ack-grep)
   [5] ag (silver searcher)
       alex
   [2] alpine
   [2] amigamml
       aplay
       archiver
   [4] aria2c
       asciinema
   [2] asdf
       atom
   [2] autojump (aka j)
       autossh
       autosub
   [3] awk
       awless
   [2] bash
       bash-it
       bass
   [5] bat (cat)
       bcal
   [3] bc -l
   [2] beets
       bitlbee
   [3] BorgBackup
   [2] bpython
   [2] brew
       btrfs
       buku
   [2] byobu
       calcurse
       cal
       cat
   [2] cd
       Chocolatey
   [2] climate (shell utility tools)
   [3] cmus
       Coinmon
       colordiff
       column
       comm
       convert
   [2] cowsay
       cp
   [4] curl
       GNU datamash
       ddgr
       ddrescue
       dict
       diff
       diff2html
       direnv
       diskus
       docker
   [2] Doom Emacs
       dosage
       dstat
   [2] dtrx
   [2] duplicacy
       ed
   [2] elinks
   [7] emacs
   [2] entr
   [2] exa
   [2] exiftool
       fab
       Farbfeld Utilities
   [3] fasd
   [5] fd
   [5] ffmpeg
       finch
   [2] find
       findutils
   [8] fish-shell
       frp
       fselect
   [6] fzf
       gawk
  [13] git
       git-annex
       git-annex assistant
       git-bulk-toolkit
       git number
   [3] gitsh
       Git Standup
       glances (top)
       Goaccess
       go-jira
       tuijam
   [2] googler
       gpg
       graphicsmagick
   [2] grc
   [5] grep
       Gron
       gst123
       gzip
       hangups (instant messaging)
       hd -c
       head
       heirloom-mailx
       hledger
       hollywood (tmux UI)
       howdoi
       hr
  [11] htop
   [4] httpie
       hub
       Hugo
       hyperfine
       iftop
   [2] ImageMagick
       imgpaste
       imgp
       import-mailbox-to-gmail
       inotifywait
       Insect (unit converter)
       ip
       irssi + jmp.chat
       iw
       journalctl
   [7] jq
       kakoune
       keysniffer
       keychain
       khal
       khard
       Kubectx
   [2] lazygit
       ledger-cli
       links2
       lnav
       localhost.run
       locate
   [3] ls
   [2] lsof
       lumail
       Ly
       man
       mcabber
       mediainfo
   [2] megadl
       mg
   [4] midnight commander
       Miller (CSV tool)
       mkdir
       mlocate
   [2] mocp
       Moon Buggy (game)
       moreutils
   [3] mosh
   [2] most
       mountsshfs
       mpv
       multitail
   [5] mutt
       mv
   [3] mycli
   [6] nano
   [3] nc
       ncat
   [7] ncdu
       ncmpcpp
       neofetch
       neomutt + notmuch
   [2] neovim
       netcat
       nethogs
       newsboat
   [4] Ngrok
       nload
       nmap
   [3] nnn
       notmuch
       nyancat
       od
       ohmyfish
   [4] ohmyzsh
       oh-my-zsh git plugin
   [2] open
       p7zip
   [2] Pandoc
       GNU parallel
   [5] pass
       passgo
       pass-otp
       paste
       pbedit
       pbpaste
       pdd
       pdfgrep
       peco
       peerflix
   [3] perl
   [3] pgcli
       pgrep
       pianobar
       pine
       ping
       pip
       pipe
       pkill
       playmod
       prettyping
       prezto
       progress
       proselint
       psql
   [2] ptpython/ptipython
   [4] pv
   [2] pwgen
       pytest
   [2] python
       pythonPackages.powerline
       qemu
   [4] ranger
       rclone
       recoll
   [2] remind
   [2] rename
       renameutils
   [2] restic
  [13] rg (ripgrep)
       rm
   [4] rsync
       rtorrent
       rtv
       sage
       Saw (AWS Cloudwatch)
       sc-im
       sclack
       SCM Breeze
   [2] Scoop
   [4] screen
   [4] sed
       serve
       serveo
   [3] shellcheck
       SHPaint
       shuf
   [3] sl
   [4] socat
       solaar
       sort
       sox
   [2] sqlite shell
   [2] ssh
   [3] sshfs
       subliminal
       supmua
       surfraw
       sym
       systemctl
       tabview
       tail
   [2] tar
   [3] Taskwarrior
       tcpdump
       tee
       TeX
   [2] The Fuck
   [6] tig
   [4] tldr
       tmate
  [21] tmux
       todo.txt
       toilet
       top
       totp-cli
       touch
   [2] tr
   [2] tree
       tshark
       ts
       ttp
       ttyclock
       ttysolitaire
       rainbowstream
       unimatrix
       uniq
   [2] units
       up
       vdirsyncer
   [2] vi
       vifm
   [7] vim
   [4] Visidata
       vnstat
       Vue-cli
   [2] w3m
   [6] watch
       watch (python)
       watchman
       wd
       webcomix
   [2] websocketd
       WebTorrent
   [3] weechat
   [2] wee-slack
   [2] wget
       wordgrinder
       wttr
   [2] xargs
       Xdg
       xdotool
       xiki
       xmlstarlet
       xrdb
   [2] xsv
       XTree Gold
       xxd
       xz
   [6] Youtube-dl
       youtube-viewer
   [2] z
       zamzar-bash
       zgen
       zplug
   [4] zsh