A fast, structured, and searchable command runner for the terminal.
CmdBox replaces fragile shell history and scattered notes with a clean, organized system for storing, searching, and executing commands. Designed for anyone who works in the terminal, from occasional users to seasoned developers.
Most terminal users have commands they run regularly. Some are short. Many are long and complex, packed with flags and options that are easy to forget and tedious to type. Recalling them means digging through shell history, hunting through notes, or searching online every time.
CmdBox gives every command a short, memorable alias. Run it instantly. No retyping, no searching, no forgetting.
CmdBox isn't a replacement for shell scripting. It's a replacement for the growing pile of aliases and one-off functions most terminal users accumulate for commands they run often but don't want to memorize, retype, or maintain as shell functions or scripts.
| Alias | Shell function | CmdBox | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Named (non-positional) parameters | No | No | Yes |
| Values shared across multiple commands | No | No, unless duplicated | Yes, via saved variables |
| Invocable from any shell without a matching per-shell definition | No | No | Yes |
| Searchable, taggable | No | No | Yes |
| Scoped execution history with rerun | No | No | Yes |
| Real scripting logic (loops, conditionals) | No | Yes | No |
| No installation required | Yes | Yes | No |
See the full comparison here for more details.
- Named commands with short, memorable aliases
- Parameterized templates with saved and runtime variables
- Stored execution context per command (working directory, shell, environment variables, and timeout) with runtime overrides
- Command execution history with the ability to rerun past executions
- Tag-based organization and filtering
- Field-based search across commands, variables, and tags
- Multi-line template execution via script
- Rich terminal UI with configurable display fields
# Save a command under an alias
cb cmd add git-graph "git log --oneline --graph --decorate --all"
# Run it by alias, no subcommand needed
cb git-graph
# List all saved commands
cb cmd list
# Search saved commands
cb cmd search git# Save a command with variable placeholders
cb cmd add ssh-connect "ssh <user>@<host> -p <port>"
# Save variable values so they fill in automatically
cb var add user admin
cb var add host 10.0.0.5
cb var add port 22
# Run the command, variables are resolved before executing
cb ssh-connect
# What gets executed:
ssh admin@10.0.0.5 -p 22
# Supply a different value at runtime to override a saved one
cb ssh-connect --host 192.168.1.1pip install cmdbox-cliOr install from source:
git clone https://github.com/PhantomLambSoft/CmdBox.git
cd cmdbox
pip install .After installation, verify it worked:
cb --versionFull documentation is available at phantomlambsoft.github.io/CmdBox.