Linux Mint

What is a Good Command-Line Calculator on Linux Mint 21

Simple addition and subtraction can be done verbally but for complex calculations, we need a calculator. The calculator tools help you with your daily calculations and enable you to solve complex equations and scientific calculations.

Like other operating systems, Linux Mint also has a default command line calculator that can be used for all types of scientific operations. Other than that, we have compiled some good calculation tools for Linux Mint 21.

What is a Good Command-Line Calculator on Linux Mint 21

Some tools can only perform basic calculations but the advanced ones offering features matching your scientific calculator will impress you. In Linux mint, you might use the command line calculator with the BC command for solving the mathematical calculations.  Below we have mentioned some of the good command line calculators on Linux mint 21:

1: GNU Basic Calculator

GNU Basic Calculator is a powerful and versatile command-line calculator. It offers everything that you can expect from a simple financial calculator. By default, GNU Basic Calculator is installed on your system, if not used the below-mentioned command to install the basic calculator on your Linux Mint 21:

$ sudo apt install bc

 

Once the installation process is finished, run the calculator via the following command:

$ bc

 

You can perform multiple operations using the basic calculator as shown in the image below:


In the GNU BC the precision number is stored in the special variable known as Scale. You can adjust the precision from the scale for your output. Here I am setting a scale of 4 with the scale command:


Once you are done type the quit command to exit the calculator:

$ quit

 

If you don’t want to use this basic calculator you can remove it by simply using the apt package manager:

$ sudo apt remove --autoremove bc

 

2: GNOME Calculator

The GNOME calculator is the official calculator of the Gnome desktop and gcalccmd is the command line version of this calculator. You can run this calculator to your system via the below-given command:

$ gcalccmd

 

Once you have run the above command, start doing the calculations. This calculator performs similarly to other command line calculators, I have added a few examples:


To exit from the gcalccmd command on your terminal enter the quit:

3: Wcalc Calculator

Wcalc is another calculator that can be used for scientific calculations. It supports standard functions like Sin, Cos. You need to install it before start doing calculations via the following command:

$ sudo apt install wcalc

 

After installing the calculator launch it with the following command:

$ wcalc

 

You can perform any complex mathematical problem in this calculator:


The Wcalc recognizes the following symbols:

+ , -, (), {}, [], *, %, !, /, ^, >, <=, <, <=, ==, !=, &&, ||, <<, >>, |, &, ~

 
To remove the Wcalc from your Linux Mint system execute the below command:

$ sudo apt remove --autoremove wcalc

 

Conclusion

Having a calculator on Linux is important as it enables you to do simple and complex calculations quite easily. There are various tools with different functionalities for Linux Mint 21 that allow you to solve complex equations. All the tools offer every function you could need. We have mentioned some of the best command line calculators that will make it easy for you to handle tasks without leaving your terminal.

About the author

Zainab Rehman

I'm an author by profession. My interest in the internet world motivates me to write for Linux Hint and I'm here to share my knowledge with others.