The Art of Command Line
Focus: terminal, bash and guide. Shares command line and linux with explainshell. A course, not a web app. Adds macOS, Linux and Windows. Rated 4.9 (explainshell: 4.7).
CourseFreeWeb, macOS
4.9Visit
Web App
explainshell
Paste a shell command and see what each part does.
Built with love by Shushant Lakhyani. Building bestproductivityresources.com
What is explainshell?
explainshell breaks a command line into its parts and matches every flag and argument to the relevant section of its manual page. It is a free, open-source way to understand commands found online before you run them on your own machine.
Pros
- Clear breakdown of every flag
- Great safety check before running commands
- Free and open source
Cons
- Manual pages can be dated
- Not every program is covered
Who should use explainshell
Anyone learning the terminal or checking a command copied from the internet.
Who may not need it
Experienced users who already know their tools by heart.
explainshell alternatives
Similar resources to explainshell, picked from the directory.
navi
Focus: terminal, cli and cheatsheet. Shares shell with explainshell. A desktop app, not a web app. Adds macOS, Windows and Linux. Rated 4.8 (explainshell: 4.7).
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.8Visit
How To Secure A Linux Server
Focus: security, server administration and devops. Shares linux with explainshell. A method, not a web app. Adds Linux and Offline. Rated 4.5 (explainshell: 4.7).
MethodFreeLinux, Web
4.5Visit
Desmos
Focus: graphing calculator, maths and education. Also in Learning, like explainshell. Adds iOS and Android. Rated 4.8 (explainshell: 4.7).
Web AppFreeWeb, iOS
4.8Visit
regex101
Focus: regex, developer tools and debugging. Also in Learning, like explainshell. Rated 4.8 (explainshell: 4.7).
Web AppFreeWeb
4.8Visit
DevDocs
Focus: documentation, api reference and developer tools. Also in Learning, like explainshell. Adds Offline. Same 4.7 rating.
Web AppFreeWeb, Offline
4.7Visit
Free alternatives to explainshell
Free resources that cover similar ground.
GeoGebra
Focus: maths, geometry and graphing. Also in Learning, like explainshell. Adds iOS, Android and Windows. Same 4.7 rating.
Web AppFreeWeb, iOS
4.7Visit
zoxide
Focus: terminal, navigation and open source. Shares command line and shell with explainshell. A desktop app, not a web app. Adds macOS, Linux and Windows. Same 4.7 rating.
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Linux
4.7Visit
Human Atlas
Focus: anatomy, 3d and education. Also in Learning, like explainshell. Rated 4.5 (explainshell: 4.7).
Web AppFreeWeb
4.5Visit
IELTS Practice
Focus: ielts, exam prep and english. Also in Learning, like explainshell. Rated 4.5 (explainshell: 4.7).
Web AppFreeWeb
4.5Visit
Markmap
Focus: mind map, markdown and visual notes. Also in Learning, like explainshell. Rated 4.5 (explainshell: 4.7).
Web AppFreeWeb, Cross-Platform
4.5Visit
Shoogle
Focus: shadcn, ui components and search. Also in Learning, like explainshell. Rated 4.4 (explainshell: 4.7).
Web AppFreeWeb
4.4Visit
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