Guide · Open source
How to use the-book-of-secret-knowledge: a guide to its chapters
Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data
the-book-of-secret-knowledge is a GitHub repository by trimstray that gathers lists, manuals, cheatsheets, blogs, hacks, one-liners and command-line and web tools in one place. It is aimed mainly at system and network administrators, DevOps engineers, pentesters and security researchers. This guide shows you how to navigate it, which chapters to start with, and how to decide whether it suits your work.
The Book of Secret Knowledgetrimstray/the-book-of-secret-knowledge · ★ 255k · MIT Install options & downloads Quick start
- 1Read the README. Open the repository page on GitHub and read the introduction and table of contents first.
- 2Pick a chapter. Choose the chapter that matches your task, such as CLI Tools, Networks or Hacking/Penetration Testing.
- 3Clone it if you want offline access. Optionally run git clone https://github.com/trimstray/the-book-of-secret-knowledge to keep a local copy.
- 4Open the linked projects. Follow the links to each tool's own project or documentation, since this list only points to them.
- 5Check for unavailable links. Look for entries marked with an asterisk, which the README says are temporarily unavailable.
What the repository is and who it is for
The author describes it as a collection of materials they use in their own daily work, gathered in one piece. The README says it is aimed at System and Network administrators, DevOps, Pentesters, and Security Researchers, though it also says 'for everyone, really'.
It is a list of links to other projects and resources. It is not a single tool you install and run.
Get the repository (optional)
The project is read online, and the README lists no prerequisites. If you want a local copy, the README gives this command to clone the repository.
git clone https://github.com/trimstray/the-book-of-secret-knowledgeBrowse the chapters by topic
Instead of searching, you pick a chapter. The README's table of contents lists the main chapters, including CLI Tools, GUI Tools, Web Tools, Systems/Services, Networks, Containers/Orchestration, Manuals/Howtos/Tutorials, Hacking/Penetration Testing, Shell One-liners and Shell Tricks.
Each entry has a short description and a link. Many CLI Tools entries are grouped under headings such as Shells, Shell plugins, Managers, Text editors, Files and directories and Network.
- Shells: GNU Bash, Zsh, tclsh, bash-it, Oh My ZSH!, Starship and powerlevel10k are listed.
- Shell plugins: z, fzf, zsh-autosuggestions and zsh-syntax-highlighting are listed.
- Managers: Midnight Commander, ranger, nnn, screen, tmux and tmux-cssh are listed.
- Files and directories: fd and ncdu are listed as alternatives to find and disk usage tools.
Check links before you rely on them
The README says some URLs are temporarily unavailable and marks them with an asterisk. It also says the last push shown is from 2024-11-19, so some entries may be out of date.
Verify each linked project's current documentation before you install or use anything from the list.
Follow the repository's updates and contribute
GitHub provides an RSS/Atom feed of commits for the repository. To suggest a change, the README asks you to open a pull request with clear reasons. The contributing guidelines are in .github/CONTRIBUTING.md.
What people use it for
- A sysadmin scanning the Shells and Managers chapters for a better terminal setup with tmux or zsh.
- A DevOps engineer reviewing the Containers/Orchestration chapter for a starting list of tools.
- A pentester browsing Hacking/Penetration Testing for related tools and manuals.
- A learner checking which file management tools exist before choosing ranger, nnn or Midnight Commander.
Frequently asked questions
How do I install the-book-of-secret-knowledge?
You do not install it as a program. The README says it is read online, and you can optionally clone it with git clone https://github.com/trimstray/the-book-of-secret-knowledge.
Is the-book-of-secret-knowledge free?
The repository is licensed under MIT, as shown in its README badge and LICENSE.md file.
What are the requirements for the-book-of-secret-knowledge?
The source lists no prerequisites. You only need a browser to read it, and git if you want a local clone.
Who is the-book-of-secret-knowledge for?
The README says it is aimed at System and Network administrators, DevOps engineers, Pentesters and Security Researchers, though it is open to anyone.
Are all the links in the list still working?
Not necessarily. The README notes that some URLs are temporarily unavailable and that the last push shown is from 2024-11-19, so check each link before relying on it.
How does it compare to awesome lists like sindresorhus/awesome?
Comparable projects named for this item include sindresorhus/awesome, dypsilon/frontend-dev-bookmarks and ripienaar/free-for-dev. This repository focuses on sysadmin, DevOps and security topics, with chapters for CLI tools, networks, containers and pentesting.
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Our verdict
Use the-book-of-secret-knowledge if you are a sysadmin, DevOps engineer, pentester or learner who wants a topic-organised starting list of tools and howtos. Pick something else if you want a single tool to install or guidance that is guaranteed to be current, since the list only links to other projects and some links may be unavailable.
Install options & downloads