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DevOps and SysAdmin Workflows

These are complete, production-ready fzf workflows for day-to-day server and DevOps operations.

1. Service Manager (systemd)​

# Complete systemctl manager with fzf
fservice() {
  local service key

  local out
  out=$(systemctl list-units --type=service --all --no-pager \
    | grep '\.service' \
    | awk '{print $1, $2, $3, $4}' \
    | fzf \
      --header-lines=0 \
      --ansi \
      --preview 'systemctl status $(echo {} | awk "{print \$1}") --no-pager 2>/dev/null | head -30' \
      --preview-window 'right:60%' \
      --bind 'ctrl-/:toggle-preview' \
      --expect=ctrl-r,ctrl-s,ctrl-t,ctrl-e \
      --prompt '⚙  Service> ' \
      --header $'Enter: status  Ctrl+R: restart  Ctrl+S: start\nCtrl+T: stop  Ctrl+E: edit unit')

  key=$(head -1 <<< "$out")
  service=$(tail -1 <<< "$out" | awk '{print $1}')
  [[ -z "$service" ]] && return

  case "$key" in
    ctrl-r) sudo systemctl restart "$service" && echo "Restarted: $service" ;;
    ctrl-s) sudo systemctl start "$service" && echo "Started: $service" ;;
    ctrl-t) sudo systemctl stop "$service" && echo "Stopped: $service" ;;
    ctrl-e) sudo systemctl edit "$service" ;;
    *)      systemctl status "$service" --no-pager ;;
  esac
}

2. Log Analyzer​

# Interactive log browser with grep pre-filter
flogs() {
  local log_dir="${1:-/var/log}"

  # Pick log file
  local logfile
  logfile=$(find "$log_dir" -type f \( -name "*.log" -o -name "syslog" \
    -o -name "auth.log" -o -name "kern.log" \) 2>/dev/null \
    | fzf \
      --preview 'tail -30 {}' \
      --preview-window 'down:15' \
      --prompt '📋 Log File> ' \
      --header 'Select a log file')
  [[ -z "$logfile" ]] && return

  # Browse log with interactive grep
  tail -10000 "$logfile" | fzf \
    --tac \
    --no-sort \
    --preview 'echo "Context:" && echo {}' \
    --preview-window 'down:3:wrap' \
    --bind 'ctrl-/:toggle-preview' \
    --prompt "🔍 $logfile> " \
    --header $'Search log lines  CTRL-/: context'
}

3. Config File Editor​

# Fuzzy config file search and edit (common locations)
fconfig() {
  local dirs=(/etc ~/.config ~/.ssh /opt/docker-data/apps)
  local file

  file=$(find "${dirs[@]}" \
    \( -name "*.conf" -o -name "*.cfg" -o -name "*.ini" \
       -o -name "*.yaml" -o -name "*.yml" -o -name "*.toml" \
       -o -name "*.env" -o -name "nginx.conf" \
       -o -name "Caddyfile" -o -name "*.json" \) \
    -not -path "*/node_modules/*" \
    -not -path "*/.git/*" \
    2>/dev/null | fzf \
    --preview 'bat --color=always --style=numbers {}' \
    --preview-window 'right:60%:hidden' \
    --bind 'ctrl-/:toggle-preview' \
    --prompt '⚙  Config> ' \
    --header 'CTRL-/: preview  Enter: edit with sudo')

  [[ -z "$file" ]] && return

  if [ -w "$file" ]; then
    ${EDITOR:-vim} "$file"
  else
    sudo ${EDITOR:-vim} "$file"
  fi
}

4. Cron Job Manager​

# Browse and edit cron jobs with fzf
fcron() {
  local job

  {
    echo "=== Current user crontab ==="
    crontab -l 2>/dev/null
    echo "=== /etc/cron.d ==="
    ls /etc/cron.d/ 2>/dev/null
    echo "=== /etc/cron.daily ==="
    ls /etc/cron.daily/ 2>/dev/null
  } | fzf \
      --preview '
        if [[ {} == /etc/cron* ]]; then
          cat {}
        else
          echo {}
        fi
      ' \
      --prompt '⏰ Cron> ' \
      --header 'Browse cron jobs' \
      --bind 'enter:execute(crontab -e)'
}

5. Package Manager Helper​

# fzf package browser for apt
fapt() {
  local action pkg

  action=$(echo -e "install\nremove\npurge\ninfo\nfiles\nsearch" \
    | fzf --prompt 'Action> ' --height=8)
  [[ -z "$action" ]] && return

  if [[ "$action" == "install" ]]; then
    pkg=$(apt-cache search '' | awk '{print $1" - "$2}' | fzf \
      --preview 'apt-cache show $(echo {} | cut -d" " -f1) | head -30' \
      --preview-window 'right:50%' \
      --prompt '📦 Install> ' \
      | cut -d' ' -f1)
    [[ -n "$pkg" ]] && sudo apt install "$pkg"
  else
    pkg=$(dpkg -l | awk '/^ii/{print $2}' | fzf \
      --preview "apt-cache show {} | head -20" \
      --preview-window 'right:50%' \
      --prompt "📦 ${action^}> ")
    case "$action" in
      remove)  [[ -n "$pkg" ]] && sudo apt remove "$pkg" ;;
      purge)   [[ -n "$pkg" ]] && sudo apt purge "$pkg" ;;
      info)    [[ -n "$pkg" ]] && apt-cache show "$pkg" | less ;;
      files)   [[ -n "$pkg" ]] && dpkg -L "$pkg" | fzf --preview 'cat {}' ;;
    esac
  fi
}

6. SSH Jump Host Navigator​

# Multi-hop SSH with fzf
fssh_jump() {
  local bastion target

  # Pick bastion host
  bastion=$(grep -E "^Host " ~/.ssh/config \
    | grep -v '\*' | awk '{print $2}' | fzf \
    --prompt '🔐 Bastion> ' \
    --header 'Select jump host')
  [[ -z "$bastion" ]] && return

  # Pick target host
  target=$(grep -E "^Host " ~/.ssh/config \
    | grep -v '\*' | awk '{print $2}' | grep -v "$bastion" | fzf \
    --prompt "🎯 Target (via $bastion)> " \
    --header "SSH through $bastion")
  [[ -z "$target" ]] && return

  ssh -J "$bastion" "$target"
}

7. Disk Usage Browser​

# Interactive disk usage with fzf
fdisk() {
  local dir="${1:-.}"
  while true; do
    local selected
    selected=$(du -sh "$dir"/* 2>/dev/null | sort -rh | fzf \
      --prompt "💾 $dir> " \
      --preview 'du -sh {}/* 2>/dev/null | sort -rh | head -20' \
      --preview-window 'right:40%' \
      --header $'Enter: drill down  q: quit\nSizes sorted largest first')

    [[ -z "$selected" ]] && break

    local target
    target=$(echo "$selected" | awk '{print $2}')
    if [[ -d "$target" ]]; then
      dir="$target"
    else
      ls -lh "$target"
      break
    fi
  done
}

What's Next​