shuf

Shuf is a command line tool commonly found in Unix-like operating systems. It is primarily used to generate random permutations of input lines or files. The word "shuf" is an abbreviation for "shuffle", which accurately reflects its purpose. Its main function is to randomly order the lines of a file or the elements of a list. Shuf provides various options to control the output, including specifying the number of output lines and limiting the range of lines to shuffle. Additionally, it allows for exact repetition prevention, ensuring each line is only output once during shuffling. Shuf is useful for various tasks such as creating randomized test data sets, generating random passwords, and selecting random winners from a list. It can accept input from files, standard input, or command line arguments, making it highly flexible. Shuf is often praised for its simplicity, efficiency, and ability to handle large input files with ease.