ShellMind 🤖💻

Table of Contents

• Features
• Why ShellMind?
• Installation
• Configuration
• Usage
• Contributing
• Roadmap
• License
• Acknowledgments

ShellMind is your AI-powered terminal companion. It helps you generate, understand, and debug command-line instructions using natural language. Never struggle with terminal commands or flags again!

Features ✨

• Natural Language to Commands: Convert questions like "How do I find large files?" into terminal commands, making it accessible even for beginners.
• Command Explanations: Understand flags and syntax with --explain, helping users learn as they go.
• Error Diagnosis: Get suggestions for common CLI errors, reducing frustration and improving productivity.
• Safety Checks: AI-powered warnings for destructive or risky commands (e.g., rm -rf, chmod 777), ensuring safe usage.
• OpenAI Integration: Powered by OpenAI API compatible endpoints, with support for local models like Ollama for added flexibility.
• System-Specific Commands: Automatically detect or specify your system type (e.g., Fedora, Debian, Ubuntu) for accurate, system-specific command generation.
• Real-Time Execution: Execute commands directly with real-time output using the -x flag, ideal for long-running processes like system upgrades.
• Interactive Mode: Ask multiple questions in a continuous session with -i, perfect for complex workflows.
• Command History: View previously generated commands with --history, making it easy to reuse or review past queries.
• JSON Output: All responses are structured as valid JSON, making it easy to integrate with other tools or scripts.
• Customizable Configuration: Specify your system type, API key, and base URL in a config file for a personalized experience.

Why ShellMind? 🚀

ShellMind is designed to make terminal usage easier, safer, and more efficient for everyone. Here's what makes it special:

• User-Friendly: Whether you're a beginner or an advanced user, ShellMind bridges the gap between natural language and terminal commands.
• Educational: Explanations and safety checks help you learn terminal commands while avoiding common pitfalls.
• Efficient: Real-time execution and interactive mode streamline workflows, saving you time and effort.
• Extensible: The modular design makes it easy to add new features or integrate with other tools.
• Cross-Platform: Works with OpenAI and local models (e.g., Ollama), giving you flexibility in how you use the tool.

Installation 🛠️

From PyPI

pip install shellmind

From Source

git clone https://github.com/k-mktr/shellmind.git
cd shellmind
pip install .

Configuration ⚙️

Base URL and API Key

You can specify your base URL, model and API key in the configuration file:

mkdir ~/.config/shellmind
touch ~/.config/shellmind/config.ini

[default]
base_url = http://localhost:11434/v1 # or your OpenAI API base URL
model = llama3.2:3b-instruct-q8_0 # or your OpenAI API model
api_key = ollama # or your OpenAI API key

System Type

You can specify your system type in the configuration file to ensure ShellMind generates system-specific commands:

[default]
system_type = Fedora  # or Debian, Ubuntu, Arch, etc.

If not specified, ShellMind will automatically detect your system type.

Usage 🚀

Basic Query

shellmind -a "How to search for 'error' in all .log files?"

Output:

Command: grep -r "error" *.log
Explanation:
  - `-r`: Recursively search subdirectories.

Interactive Mode

Start an interactive session where you can ask multiple questions:

shellmind -i
> How to check disk usage?
> How to find large files?
> exit

Detailed Explanations

shellmind -a "Explain tar -xzvf" --explain

Output:

Command: tar -xzvf archive.tar.gz
Explanation:
  - `-x`: Extract files.
  - `-z`: Decompress using gzip.
  - `-v`: Verbose output (show progress).
  - `-f`: Specify filename.

Safety Checks

ShellMind now uses AI-powered safety checks to warn about destructive commands:

shellmind -a "Delete everything in /tmp"

Output:

Command: rm -rf /tmp/*
⚠️  Warning: This command will delete all files in /tmp. Use with caution!

Command Execution

Execute the generated command directly (with confirmation for destructive commands):

shellmind -a "List files in /tmp" -x

System-Specific Commands

Generate commands specific to your system type:

shellmind -a "Update my system"

Output:

Command: sudo dnf upgrade  # or sudo apt-get upgrade, depending on your system
Explanation:
  - `sudo`: Run as superuser.
  - `dnf`: Package manager for Fedora.
  - `upgrade`: Upgrade all installed packages.

Real-Time Output:
When using the -x flag, ShellMind streams the command's output directly to the terminal, allowing you to see progress in real-time. This is especially useful for commands like dnf upgrade or apt-get upgrade.

Command History

View previously generated commands:

shellmind --history

Error Diagnosis

ShellMind can diagnose and suggest fixes for common CLI errors:

shellmind -a "Invalid command" -x

JSON Output

ShellMind ensures that all responses are structured as valid JSON, making it easier to parse and integrate with other tools.

shellmind -a "How to check disk usage?"

Enhanced System Prompt

ShellMind uses a detailed system prompt to ensure accurate, safe, and efficient command generation. The prompt includes:

• Role definition (Linux terminal expert).
• Safety guidelines.
• Output format requirements.

Example:

shellmind -a "Delete all files in /tmp"

Advanced Usage Examples

Safe Command Alternatives

For potentially dangerous operations, ShellMind suggests safer alternatives:

shellmind -a "How to move files with backup?"

Output:

Command: cp -r source_dir/* destination_dir/ && rm -rf source_dir/*
Explanation:
  - `cp -r`: Copy directories recursively
  - `rm -rf`: Remove directories recursively (after copying)
Warning: This command will first copy files and then remove the originals. Use with caution.

Custom Configuration

You can create a custom configuration file for your specific needs:

mkdir ~/.config/shellmind
cat > ~/.config/shellmind/config.ini << EOF
[default]
base_url = http://localhost:11434/v1
model = llama3.2:3b-instruct-q8_0
system_type = Ubuntu
EOF

API Integration

For OpenAI-compatible APIs:

shellmind -a "How to list all running processes?" --base-url https://api.openai.com/v1 --model gpt-4o-mini

Error Recovery

When a command fails, ShellMind can help diagnose the issue:

shellmind -a "Try to access non-existent file" -x

Output:

Command: cat /nonexistent/file.txt
❌ Command failed with exit code 1
Diagnosis: The file '/nonexistent/file.txt' does not exist. 
Explanation:
  - `cat`: Display file contents
Warning: This command will fail because the file doesn't exist.

Help

Get help and see all available options:

shellmind -h

Contributing 🤝

Contributions are welcome! Here's how you can help:

1. Report Issues: Found a bug or have a feature request? Open an issue.
2. Submit Pull Requests: Want to contribute code? Fork the repository, make your changes, and submit a pull request.
3. Improve Documentation: Help improve the README, add examples, or write tutorials.

Before contributing, please read our Contributing Guidelines.

Roadmap 🌟

Here are some planned features and improvements:

• Plugin System: Add support for custom plugins to extend functionality.
• Command Aliases: Support user-defined aliases for frequently used commands.
• Enhanced Error Handling: Provide more detailed error messages and recovery suggestions.

Have an idea? Open an issue or submit a pull request!

License 📜

ShellMind is licensed under the MIT License. See the LICENSE file for details.

Acknowledgments 🙏

• DeepSeek: For providing the powerful language models that make ShellMind possible.
• Ollama: For enabling local model support.
• CLI Warriors: Inspired by the countless developers and sysadmins who make the terminal their home.

Made with ❤️ by Karl Danisz | Inspired by CLI warriors everywhere.