In our constant pursuit of enhancing user experience and providing more efficient solutions, we are happy to introduce the latest updates to the IDA command line tools for Linux and Mac users. These updates come packed with several new features that will make your data management tasks smoother and more streamlined. To help you get started, we’ve also created a set of comprehensive tutorial videos that cover essential commands and demonstrate these new features in action (see below). The updated command line tools are deployed on Puhti and Mahti supercomputers and available for download from GitHub.
New Features to Simplify Your Workflow
1. Conditional File Uploads
With our latest update, file uploads are now conditional. This means that if a file already exists at the specified target relative path and is the same size as the local file you intend to upload, no additional upload will occur. This feature not only saves time but also allows for easy resumption of interrupted uploads and repeated uploads of new files within a particular folder scope.
2. SHA-256 Checksums
We’ve introduced an added layer of security and data integrity by generating an SHA-256 checksum for each file that is uploaded (previously only for frozen files). This checksum is now reported by the ‘info’ command, giving you confidence that your data remains intact throughout the upload process.
3. The ‘validate’ Action
For those who require precise checks on the existence of local files in IDA and their size in bytes, we’ve added a new ‘validate’ action. This command will verify whether local files exist in IDA and have matching file sizes, ensuring data consistency.
4. Force Upload with -F
In situations where you need to force the upload of files regardless of whether they exist in IDA, our new command line parameter ‘-F’ comes to your rescue. This empowers you to take control and upload files without any restrictions.
5. Dry-Run Mode with -D
Sometimes you may want to preview operations before executing them. Our new command line parameter ‘-D’ allows you to perform a dry-run, skipping operations with side effects while providing verbose output that details which operations would be executed if not in a dry-run mode.
6. JSON Formatting with -j
For those who prefer JSON-formatted output, we’ve introduced the ‘-j’ command line parameter. This option allows you to obtain ‘info’ action output formatted as JSON, providing a structured and machine-readable representation of your data.
7. Improved Logging
To enhance your overall experience, all verbose and debug statements are now directed to stderr. This ensures a clean separation from ‘info’ and inventory output, making it easier for you to track and manage your tasks.
8. Refinements and Testing
We have also made refinements to configuration loading and conducted extensive automated tests to ensure that the IDA command line tools continue to deliver the reliability and performance you expect.
Tutorial Videos
To help you make the most of these new features, we’ve created three tutorial videos that you can view below or download from GitHub:
Installation and Configuration
Get started with IDA command line tools by learning how to install and configure them for your Linux or Mac system. Click here to view on original site, with list of the used commands and actions.
Uploading and Validation of Data
Discover how to upload data efficiently, use the ‘validate’ action, and ensure the integrity of your files with checksums. Click here to view on original site, with list of the used commands and actions.
Working with Frozen Data
Dive deeper into managing your data within the IDA environment, including working with frozen data. Click here to view on original site, with list of the used commands and actions.
These videos will provide you with step-by-step guidance, tips, and best practices to master the IDA command line tools.
We are excited to offer these enhanced tools and resources to our Linux and Mac users, and we look forward to your feedback. Your feedback is invaluable in helping us continue to improve and refine our offerings.
Thank you for choosing IDA, and happy data management!
