Aero Shell

Ash is a super simple shell in rust

➜ lucbook ~/Documents/GitHub/AeroShell ➜

The command to start it is ash (or aero)

Install

Debian, Fedora and Arch is supported by automated installer

curl -sSL https://install.nebuff.xyz/aeroshell | bash

Build from source

Requires a Rust toolchain (rustup.rs).

cargo build --release
./target/release/aeroshell

Setting Ash as your default shell

Once installed via a package or cargo build --release, run:

ash --set-default

This registers the absolute path of the running ash binary in /etc/shells (sudo if needed) and runs chsh -s <path> to make it your login shell. Log out and back in to land in Ash

ash -c 'ls --show-hidden'

To go back:

chsh -s /bin/bash   # or any shell in /etc/shells

Usage

Built-in commands (also listed by help):

Command	What it does
ls [--show-hidden] [dir]	List files in columns; dotfiles hidden unless --show-hidden
cd [dir]	Change directory (- = previous, ~ = home)
pwd	Print working directory
history [n]	Show recent commands (last n); Ctrl-R searches them interactively
export VAR=val	Set a session environment variable
unset VAR	Remove a session environment variable
alias <subcommand>	Manage aliases: create <alias> <command…>, ls, rm <alias>
type <cmd> / which <cmd>	Show how a command resolves
aepkg <subcommand>	Manage packages (list, install, remove, reload, …)
ver	Show Ash version
help	Command list
exit / quit	Exit

CLI: ash -c '<cmd>', ash <file> [args…] (a non-option argument is read as a script), ash -l (login: source /etc/profile and ~/.profile first), ash --help, ash --version, ash --set-default.

One-liners work like a POSIX shell: parameter and command substitution ($VAR, ${VAR}, $(cmd), `cmd`), pipelines (|), sequencing (&&, ||, ;) and redirection (<, >, >>, <<, 2>, 2>>, 2>&1, &>) all apply per command, and builtins or package commands can be pipeline stages. Heredoc bodies are expanded unless the delimiter is quoted:

cargo build && ./target/release/aeroshell --help
ls -la > /tmp/out.txt && cat < /tmp/out.txt
false && echo skipped || echo ran
history 20 | tail
cat <<EOF
heredocs expand $HOME and $(uname -s)
EOF
cat <<'EOF'
but this one stays literal: $HOME
EOF

History search

Ctrl-R opens a searchable, navigable history picker. It starts with whatever is already on the prompt, so git ch followed by Ctrl-R jumps straight to the matching commands:

 Ash history search                                   3/48
> git ch
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
> git checkout main
  git checkout -b feature
  git cherry-pick HEAD~1
  1/3   ↑↓ move · enter edit · esc cancel

Configuration

Everything lives in ~/.aeroshell/:

• config.json — settings, colors, aliases
• history.txt — persistent command history (up/down arrows recall, Ctrl-R searches)

Handy session variables (export) survive per session; aliases are persistent in config.json, e.g

alias create ll ls -la
alias create gs git status
alias ls
# gs -> git status
alias rm ll

The prompt template is editable in config.json (prompt_template), with placeholders {username} {hostname} {pwd} {short_pwd} {time} {date} {battery} {git} and any color name:

"<magenta>➜</magenta> <cyan>{short_pwd}</cyan> <blue>{git}</blue> <green>➜</green> "

Standard ANSI names (red green blue yellow magenta cyan white bold italic underline dim highlight, plus extras like orange purple teal) all work in the template.

Packages

Ash packages add Lua commands, completions, colors, aliases, prompt pieces and hooks. Install one from a local directory and use its commands right away:

aepkg install examples/packages/hello
aepkg install /user/repo                         # GitHub shorthand
aepkg install https://github.com/user/repo        # or a .tar.gz / .zip link
hello Neo --loud
aepkg list

See docs/packages.md for the manifest format and Lua API.

Data directories

AeroShell keeps all its state in ~/.aeroshell/:

• config.json — settings, colors, aliases
• history.txt — command history
• packages/ — installed package trees and index.json

Delete the directory to reset Ash to defaults.

Contributing

Issues and PRs welcome, target the main branch. Keep changes small and matching the existing style, cargo build with no warnings Contributing to issues are also welcome, Take issues that do not have a assignee already

git clone https://github.com/Aero-Shell/Shell.git AeroShell
cd AeroShell
cargo build
cargo run

Code layout:

• src/main.rs — REPL, argument parsing, prompt, login-shell handling
• src/shell/ — the shell itself: lexer.rs and parser.rs (tokens, AST), expand.rs (parameters, command substitution, arithmetic, splitting, globs), exec.rs (control flow, pipelines, redirections, exec), special.rs (POSIX special builtins), mod.rs (shell state)
• tests/cli.rs — end-to-end tests that run the real binary: -c, script files and -l
• src/history_search.rs — searchable history picker (Ctrl-R / Up)
• src/commands/builtins.rs — built-in commands
• src/commands/aepkg.rs — package manager command
• src/config.rs — config, themes, prompt rendering
• src/packages/ — manifests, installed index, package loading, Lua bridge
• src/registry.rs — command registry

License

MIT