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Gloss CLI tool · macOS · Linux

Stop re-searching the same commands.

Keep reusable shell commands organized and ready when you need them.

Remember less. Reuse more.

View on GitHub
Gloss terminal UI showing saved command entries and keyboard-first navigation.

Gloss is

Open source Local-first macOS + Linux zsh + bash

Featured in

Gloss - A command glossary for your terminal | Product HuntPublished on UneedFeatured on Shipit

Your shell history is not a knowledge base.

It remembers what you typed, not why it mattered.

Commands get buried

One-liners, SSH tunnels, Docker cleanup commands, and Git tricks disappear into thousands of history entries.

Aliases become config clutter

.zshrc/.bashrc slowly turns into a pile of shortcuts with no descriptions, no tags, and no easy way to review changes.

Notes are too far away

Commands saved in notes, bookmarks, and README files are not where you need them: inside the terminal.

You keep re-searching commands

You keep looking up the same Git, SSH, Docker, server, and deployment commands instead of saving them once.

Gloss keeps reusable commands close to your terminal.

Save them with context, find them by tag, and sync aliases safely without turning your shell config into a junk drawer.

  • Save commands with descriptions and tags.
  • Find commands by keyword or tag.
  • Scan zsh and bash configs for aliases, functions, and scripts.
  • Import only the suggestions you choose.
  • Preview alias changes before writing to your shell config.
  • Sync aliases inside a dedicated managed block with backups.
gloss — Commands
Commands
Search: git Tag: git
› Category: Git
gs git status
ga git add .
gc git commit -m
gp git push
Command glossary

Command memory, organized.

Save reusable commands with descriptions and tags, then browse, search, and filter them in a clean terminal UI.

  • Save commands with descriptions and tags
  • Browse entries grouped by tag
  • Find commands by keyword or description
  • Filter by exact tag
shell config — preview sync block

# existing shell config above...

# >>> gloss aliases >>>

+ alias glog='git log --oneline -20'
+ alias dps='docker ps -a'
~ alias sshfwd='ssh -L 5432:localhost:5432 …'

# <<< gloss aliases <<<

# existing shell config below...

Backup saved → ~/.zshrc.gloss.bak-20260423-223500
Backup saved → ~/.bashrc.gloss.bak-20260423-223500

Alias management

Aliases without the shell config mess.

Gloss previews the exact alias block before syncing and only updates the section it manages in your zsh or bash config.

  • Add aliases without auto-syncing
  • Preview the generated alias block
  • Replace only the Gloss-managed block
  • Leave unrelated shell config content untouched
  • Create backups only when sync changes a file
gloss — Scan
Sources
~/.zshrc or ~/.bashrc
~/.bash_aliases
~/scripts
12 importable — 3 already saved
[x] gs alias git status
[x] ga alias git add .
[x] deploy script ./scripts/deploy.sh
[ ] precmd function shell function
[ ] preexec function shell function
Enter Import · Space Toggle · R Rescan
Scan and import

Build your glossary from what you already use.

Gloss scans your detected shell config and configured paths, finds aliases, simple functions, and executable scripts, then lets you import only the useful ones.

  • Scan zsh and bash defaults
  • Detect aliases, functions, and scripts
  • Review suggestions before importing
  • Skip entries already in your glossary
  • Import selected items into your command library

Command memory in one place.

Six focused features. No extras. No bloat.

Command glossary

Save reusable commands with descriptions, tags, and context.

Search and filtering

Find commands by keyword, description, or exact tag.

Scan and import

Detect aliases, simple functions, and executable scripts from your shell setup.

Managed aliases

Add, preview, and sync aliases inside a dedicated block in your zsh or bash config.

Safety by default

Create backups only when sync actually changes an existing shell file.

CLI + TUI

Use the TUI for browsing and importing, or direct commands for quick workflows.

Three commands to get organized.

Start small, then build your command library naturally as you work.

Add a command

Save a reusable command with a description and tags.

gloss add

Find it later

Recall the exact command without leaving the terminal.

gloss list --tag git

Sync aliases safely

Preview and sync managed aliases without touching unrelated zsh or bash config.

gloss alias sync

Prefer the TUI? Run gloss to browse, add, scan, import, and manage aliases interactively.

Install Gloss

Install Gloss on macOS or Linux and start building a local command library.

Homebrew
brew install Architeg/tap/gloss
Recommended
View GitHub

Compatibility

Gloss supports the default shell workflows it is built around: zsh on macOS and bash on Linux.

macOS

Officially supported

Linux

Officially supported

zsh / bash

Primary shell workflow

Windows

Not supported yet

Why not just shell history?

Shell history is useful, but it was not designed to be your command library.

Shell history

Useful for recent commands. Poor for descriptions, tags, and long-term recall.

Aliases

Fast for shortcuts. Not built for context, discovery, or review.

Notes apps

Good for documentation. Not where you work when you are in the terminal.

Gloss

Gloss

A local command library for saving, finding, importing, and safely syncing the commands you reuse.

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Gloss.

Is Gloss free?

Yes. Gloss is free to use and open source under the MIT license.

Does Gloss require an account?

No. Gloss runs locally and does not require a cloud account.

Where is my data stored?

Gloss stores your command and alias data locally under ~/.config/gloss/ by default.

Does Gloss edit my .zshrc or .bashrc directly?

Only when you choose to sync managed aliases. Gloss writes a dedicated alias block and leaves the rest of your shell file untouched.

Does Gloss create backups?

Yes. Gloss creates a backup when sync changes an existing shell file. No-op syncs do not rewrite the file or create unnecessary backups.

Can I use it without the TUI?

Yes. You can use direct CLI commands such as gloss add, gloss list, gloss scan, gloss edit, gloss delete, and gloss alias sync.

Does it work on Linux?

Yes. Gloss officially supports Linux with bash, including ~/.bashrc and ~/.bash_aliases scan defaults.

Does it work on macOS?

Yes. Gloss officially supports macOS with zsh, including ~/.zshrc scan defaults.

Does it support Windows?

Not officially in v1.

What is Gloss not?

Gloss is not a shell replacement, history analyzer, package manager, AI command explainer, or cloud sync product. It is a small local utility for documenting and managing useful commands.

Project at a glance

Open, transparent, and easy to inspect.

100%
Open source

MIT license, public repo

4
Release builds

macOS and Linux binaries

0
Cloud accounts

Local-first by design

0.1.0
Current version

First public release

Stop re-searching the same commands.

Keep reusable shell commands organized, close to your terminal, and ready when you need them.

View Gloss on GitHub

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