Show HN: CmdBox – A CLI tool for saving and running parameterized commands
CmdBox is a CLI tool for saving and running parameterized shell commands using named variables (e.g., <host>), supporting nested commands, tag-based organization, stored execution context per command, multi-line script templates, and sharing via import/export. Written in Python, it is installable via pip as cmdbox-cli and works on Linux, macOS, and Windows.
Background
- CmdBox is a new open-source command-line tool (by PhantomLambSoft) for saving, organizing, and running shell commands with parameters — like a smarter bookmark manager for terminal commands.
- The problem it solves: power users often juggle complex shell commands via aliases (which can't handle parameters well), scattered notes, or repeated Google searches. CmdBox stores commands with named variables (e.g., <host>), prompts for values at runtime, and supports nested commands so you can build reusable pieces.
- This is a Show HN post — a tradition on Hacker News where makers present their projects for feedback. The audience is developers and sysadmins who live in the terminal.
- Similar existing tools: pet (a snippet manager), espanso (text expander), and bash functions with arguments. CmdBox differentiates with variable prompts, nesting, per-command execution contexts (working directory, shell, env vars), and tag-based search.
- Released on GitHub under an open-source license; installable via pip (Python package manager) as `cmdbox-cli`. Cross-platform (Linux, macOS, Windows).