Randomize Lines

Randomize Lines (rl) is a nifty command-line tool that offers an easy way to randomize lines from an input file or stdin. Its primary function is to output a specific number of randomized lines while using as little memory as possible with a single pass over the input.

I personally developed rl during my leisure time to select random audio files for my toast alarm, using the script in combination with find and sleep. I also created it to get better acquainted with autoconf and its companions. The latest version of RL can be accessed from our web page.

It is important to note that as RL is still in development, its command line options and default behaviors may vary between releases. It is a software in progress that may undergo changes in the future.

Furthermore, the lead developer of RL has partially lost interest in it and does not plan to carry out future developments. However, the developer will still accept patches and will fix any significant bugs, contradicting the previous point.

The new release is primarily focused on general cleanup, including some Debian packaging enhancements and adding a deprecation warning to advise users to use shuf instead.