IntelliShell

Like IntelliSense, but for shells!

IntelliShell is a command-line tool that acts as a smart bookmark manager. It helps you find, organize, and reuse complex shell commands without ever leaving your terminal.

Works on Bash, Zsh, Fish, and PowerShell, with standalone binaries for Linux, macOS, and Windows.

Features

• Standalone & Dependency-Free: Distributed as a single binary with no external runtimes or dependencies
• Seamless Shell Integration: Search commands with ctrl+space or bookmark them with ctrl+b
• Flexible Interface: Choose between a non-intrusive (inline) or an immersive (full-screen) TUI
• Dynamic Variables: Create command templates with {{variables}} and replace them on the fly
• Highly Configurable: Tailor search modes, keybindings, themes, and even search-ranking algorithms
• Workspace-Aware Commands: Automatically discovers and loads commands from your workspace's directory
• Import/Export: Share your command library by importing or exporting to files, HTTP endpoints, or even Gists
• TLDR Integration: Fetch and import command examples from tldr pages

Quick Start

1. Install or update the binaries:

   # For sh-compatible shells on Linux/macOS/Windows (Bash, Zsh, Fish, Git Bash)
   curl -sSf https://raw.githubusercontent.com/lasantosr/intelli-shell/main/install.sh | sh
   

   Set-ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Scope CurrentUser # Optional: Only needed if scripts are disabled
   irm https://raw.githubusercontent.com/lasantosr/intelli-shell/main/install.ps1 | iex
   

   Note: Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable (download) is required for the application to run

   To skip profile updates, set INTELLI_SKIP_PROFILE environment variable to 1 before installing.

2. Bookmark your first command by typing it on a terminal and hitting ctrl+b

3. (optional) Import commands from shared gists or fetch them from tldr.

4. Hit ctrl+space to begin the journey and dont forget to checkout the tips!

Basic Usage

IntelliShell is designed to be used interactively through keybindings:

• ctrl+space: Search for a command
• ctrl+b: Bookmark the command currently typed in your terminal
• ctrl+l: Replace {{variables}} in the current command
• esc clean current line, this binding can be skipped if INTELLI_SKIP_ESC_BIND=1

You can customize everything from keybindings and themes to the search behavior. For a complete list of available options, check out the default configuration file.

For detailed information on installation, configuration or advanced usage examples, please refer to the Book.

Tips

• Quick autocomplete: If your search query matches an alias, it will be autocompleted instantly. The variable replacement UI will still appear if the command has variables.

• Alias your favorites: Use aliases to "pin" different sets of favorite values for the same command. For example, bookmark cd {{path}} with a cd alias and you can regularly use cd but if you hit ctrl+space it will show your "pinned" folders.

• Quickly re-prompt variables: Need to run a command again with different inputs? Hit the up arrow in your shell to recall the last command, then press ctrl+space. You'll get the original template back, ready for new values.

• Organize with hashtags: Add hashtags like #work or #gcp to your command descriptions. You can then find and use these hashtags in your search query to quickly filter your bookmarks.

• Bookmark everything: Don't just bookmark simple commands! You can save entire shell functions for reuse. For example: custom_echo() { echo "hey: $@"; }; custom_echo {{text}};

• Keep variables secret: If you have a variable you don't want to save in your suggestion history (like a token or a comment), wrap its name in an extra pair of brackets: echo "{{{message}}}"

• Embrace environment variables: Let your environment do the work. Suggestions are automatically pulled from your environment variables. For example, {{{api-key}}} will suggest $API_KEY variable if it exists.

• Format variables: Apply formatting functions directly within your variable placeholders. This is perfect for transforming input on the fly, like a git-friendly branch name: git checkout -b {{feature|bugfix}}/{{{description:kebab}}}

• Define workspace-specific commands: Create a .intellishell file in your workspace's root directory and commit it to git. These commands are temporary, prioritized in search results, and don't clutter your global library. It's the perfect way to define and share common tasks (like build or deploy scripts) with your team.

• Share your knowledge: Found a set of commands that could help others? Use the export feature to a public Gist of your bookmarks. Share the link on your blog, with your team, or contribute to a curated list (example).

• Name your variables wisely: You have full control over which suggestions are shared between commands. Suggestions are grouped by variable name and root cmd. Use the same name to share suggestions, or different names to keep them separate.

  • Shared: Using {{image}} for both docker run and docker rmi will share the same list of image suggestions.
  • Separate: Keep suggestions for different use cases distinct by using different variable names. For example, you can separate your ssh connections for {{prod_server}} and {{staging_server}} environments. Giving each a distinct alias like sshp and sshs lets you quickly access the right set of servers.

IntelliShell vs. Shell History

A common question is: "How is this different from my shell's history (ctrl+r) or enhanced history tools like Atuin?"

The key distinction is that they solve different problems and are complementary tools, not competitors.

• ctrl+r (Shell History) is perfect for recalling a specific, unique command you ran recently. It's a chronological log of what you've done.
• ctrl+space (IntelliShell) is for your day-to-day, frequently used commands, or for discovering how to perform a task in a new project. It's a curated library of what you want to do.

To put it another way: your shell history is an automatic, unfiltered log of everything you've ever typed—the good, the bad, and the typos.

IntelliShell, by contrast, is your personal, curated collection of command "recipes" that you've chosen to save, organize, and even share.

By using both, you get the best of both worlds: a comprehensive log for forensic searches and a powerful, personal, and collaborative knowledge base for everything else.

License

IntelliShell is licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0. See LICENSE for the full license text.