how2: AI for your Terminal

how2 finds the simplest way to do something in a unix shell. It's like man, but you can query it in natural language. It uses a mix of AI code-completion and StackOverflow search.

It effectively replaces Chrome => New Tab => Google => Click on StackOverflow => Scroll Down to first answer.

Go to how2terminal.com for more info.

Demo video

https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/179558/196452157-60e6b33a-116d-46f2-a441-7d0696a31452.mp4

Install

MacOSX (via HowBrew):

brew tap how2terminal/how2
brew install how2

With NPM:

sudo npm install -g how2

If you install it without sudo, then you have to run it with npx how2 or alias the command manually.

Ubuntu/Debian:

Download latest .deb and then run:

wget how2terminal.com/how2.deb
sudo dpkg -i how2.deb

Binaries:

Go to the latest release and download the binaries.

Usage

By default, how2 uses an external AI server to find the best unix command line suggestion. If you add the -s option instead, it will search StackOverflow for an answer.

After that you can press SPACE to go to the interactive mode, where you can choose a different stackoverflow question/answer.

How does it work?

Behind the curtain, the API use a couple of AI code-completion models retrained on Bash/Powershell commands. This is just the beginning, we are working on retraining the models to focus on the Command-Line experience. Currently, the AI mode is free for everybody up to 5 requests per day. If you are a professional user consider upgrading to a paid subscription.

How well does it work?

It is surprisingly useful once you get used to it! I've added it to all my servers and laptops and I use it daily. Sometimes, the model cannot find a solution and will result in unexpected output. In that case, try rewording your input, it often takes minor changes to get to a good solution. And, if it really doesn't work, just add -s to get the best answer on StackOverflow straight into the Terminal.

Copy-Paste with mouse

When you are in "interactive mode" (after you press SPACE), if you want to copy-paste more than one line you can:

• press "p" to just print out the selected answer (easier to copy-paste)
• use block-select: With Ubuntu try holding Ctrl+Alt before you select, or Alt+Cmd if you're in iTerm on Mac (thanks to @danielkop for this suggestion).

Can I use it behind Proxy ?

Yes, you need to use HTTP_PROXY or HTTPS_PROXY environment variables.

For example, you could alias the proxy settings in your ~/.bash_profile:

alias how2="HTTPS_PROXY='your_proxy:8888' how2"