Quickly total and average a column of numbers in terminal

1. Copy the column of numbers using rectangle

Hold down the Ctrl key and Left mouse button and drag the mouse to highlight the column of numbers:

NOTE: As soon as you highlight the rectangle it is copied to the clipboard.

2. Run the program n

Then type n + Enter.

Use the middle-mouse button to paste from the clipboard. Then press Enter to tally the results.

3. Install n on your system

The n program is a simple python script:

#!/usr/bin/env python
# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
"""
Author: pippim.com
License: GNU GPLv3. (c) 2024
Source: This repository
Description: n - Count, Total, Minimum, Maximum and Average set of numbers.
"""

from __future__ import print_function  # Must be first import
from __future__ import with_statement  # Error handling for file opens
import warnings  # 'warnings' advises which commands aren't supported

print("n - Count, Total, Minimum, Maximum and Average set of numbers.")
print("Paste or input values ('x' + <Enter> to finish):")

n = ""  # Number entered
nl = []  # Number list

while n != 'x':  # Loop until 'x' entered
    try:
        n = input()  # Python 3.x
    except (SyntaxError, NameError):
        n = raw_input()  # Python 2.7.12
    try:
        nl.append(float(n))
    except ValueError:
        break  # A letter was entered

print()
if len(nl) == 0:
    print("Nothing to do. Goodbye.")
    exit()

print("Cnt:", len(nl))
print("Tot:", sum(nl))
print("Min:", min(nl))
print("Max:", max(nl))
print("Avg:", sum(nl) / len(nl))

Copy the above python script to a file named n. The n file should be in your path. If not in your path you must call it with the directory prefix. For example you would have to type /home/me/stuff/n instead of just n.

You need to flag the n program as executable. For example chmod a+x /home/me/stuff/n.

4. Summary

n will take numbers copied not just from gnome-terminal but also from Libre Calc, pyCharm and many other programs that can copy to the system clipboard.

Having to add up or calculate the average for a set of numbers has been a PITA for a long time for me. So I whipped up this little script in just a few minutes. Writing this Q & A actually took longer :)

n should run on any Python version from 2.7.12 to 3.14 or in other words Ubuntu 16.04 through Ubuntu 24.10.

Other Answers

There are other great answers specifically tailored to the question but are not robust. For example another program displays output of WiFi speed from Linux to Android 13 phone:

The n python program still works without any tweaking of awk print positions. Additionally, for myself anyway, awk is frankly awkward to remember the syntax and arguments. Making a script and constantly revising it based on column position doesn’t speed up the workflow.

5. homa.py as of February 20, 2025

Here is what homa.py CLI output looks like today:

$ homa.py

  ######################################################
 //////////////                            \\\\\\\\\\\\\\
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<    HomA - Home Automation    >>>>>>>>>>>>>>
 \\\\\\\\\\\\\\                            //////////////
  ######################################################
                    Started: 4:06 PM

= = = = = System Monitor Processor Temps & Fans = = = = =
 Seconds | CPU Temp Fan RPM | GPU Temp Fan RPM |   Time  
-------- | ---------------- | ---------------- | --------
   10.45 |  78.0°C 5200 RPM |  78.0°C 5000 RPM |  4:06 PM
 1102.53 |  69.0°C 5000 RPM |  72.0°C 4600 RPM |  4:24 PM
 1105.02 |  68.0°C 4900 RPM |  72.0°C 4300 RPM |  4:24 PM
 1108.47 |  68.0°C 4600 RPM |  72.0°C 4300 RPM |  4:25 PM
 4708.54 |  69.0°C 4500 RPM |  70.0°C 4300 RPM |  5:25 PM
 8309.39 |  69.0°C 4500 RPM |  73.0°C 4300 RPM |  6:25 PM
 8514.30 |  87.0°C 4800 RPM |  82.0°C 4600 RPM |  6:28 PM
 8516.54 |  85.0°C 5000 RPM |  82.0°C 4900 RPM |  6:28 PM

The advantage of n is you can select any column and tally the results. There are many great answers on how awk can tally the last column, or with a few minor script changes you can instruct awk to look at a different column. The spirit of this self-answered question though was to promote n to copy and paste any column without any programming changes.

Here is a snippet of the homa.py GUI for those that are still reading this far: