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Frequently Asked Questions

General

What is Linutil?

Linutil is Chris Titus Tech’s Linux Utility — a distro-agnostic TUI toolbox built in Rust for installing apps, configuring your system, and running common Linux setup tasks.

Is Linutil safe to use?

Yes. All scripts are open source and available on GitHub. You can inspect any script before running it. However, always review what a script does before executing it, as some scripts make significant system changes.

What Linux distributions does Linutil support?

Linutil is distro-agnostic — it runs on any modern Linux distribution. Some scripts are distro-specific (Arch, Fedora, Debian, Ubuntu, Alpine), while others work across all distros.

Does Linutil require root/sudo?

Linutil itself does not require root to launch. Individual scripts that make system-level changes will prompt for sudo when needed.

Running Linutil

How do I run Linutil? 

curl -fsSL https://christitus.com/linux | sh

What’s the difference between the stable and dev branch?

  • Stable (https://christitus.com/linux) — Tested, recommended for daily use
  • Dev (https://christitus.com/linuxdev) — Latest commits, may be unstable

Can I install Linutil permanently?

Yes. It’s available via:

  • AUR (Arch): paru -S linutil or paru -S linutil-bin
  • openSUSE: sudo zypper install linutil
  • Cargo: cargo install linutil_tui

The TUI won’t open — it says my terminal is too small

Resize your terminal window to be larger, or bypass the size check:

curl -fsSL https://christitus.com/linux | sh -s -- --size-bypass

Scripts & Features

How do I find a specific script in the TUI?

Press / while in the TUI to open the search filter and type part of the script name.

Can I run scripts without the interactive TUI?

Yes, using a TOML config file with auto_execute. See the Automation guide for details.

A script failed — what should I do?

  1. Check the error output shown in the terminal
  2. Make sure your system is fully updated before running scripts
  3. Search GitHub Issues for the same error
  4. Open a new issue if it hasn’t been reported

Can I undo changes made by a script?

This depends on the script. Some changes (like installing packages) can be reversed manually. For major system changes, it’s good practice to have backups or snapshots beforehand (e.g., using Btrfs + Snapper on Fedora).

Contributing

How can I contribute?

See the Contributing Guide for full details. In short:

  1. Fork and clone the repo
  2. Make your changes (scripts go in the appropriate tabs/ subdirectory)
  3. Test with cargo run
  4. Submit a pull request

How do I add a new script?

Fill out all fields in tab_data.toml for your script, then run cargo xtask docgen to regenerate the documentation. See the Contributing Guide for more.

Where do I report bugs?

Open an issue on GitHub. Include your distro, terminal, and any relevant error output.

Updates

How do I update Linutil?

  • Curl method: Just re-run curl -fsSL https://christitus.com/linux | sh — it always fetches the latest
  • Cargo: Use the built-in Linutil Updater script, or run cargo install --force linutil_tui
  • AUR: paru -Syu linutil
  • openSUSE: sudo zypper update linutil

How do I check what version I’m running? 

linutil --version

Where can I see release notes?

On the GitHub Releases page.