cmdxray
explain any shell command, offline, with a shareable card
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What is cmdxray?
cmdxray is a command-line tool that parses and explains shell commands by breaking down their syntax, pipes, redirects, flags, and subcommands. It runs entirely locally for privacy and reads from your machine's actual man pages for accuracy, with options to generate shareable SVG/HTML cards or links.
cmdxray pricing
Pricing model: Freemium
cmdxray pros
- Runs entirely offline and locally—commands never leave your machine, ensuring privacy
- Uses your system's actual man pages matching your installed tool versions, not a fixed corpus
- Generates shareable SVG/HTML cards perfect for PR comments, documentation, and teaching
- Parses complex pipeline structures: pipes, &&, redirects, subshells, combined flags like -xzvf
cmdxray cons
- CLI requires npm/Node.js installation; less accessible than pure web alternatives
- Explanations depend on locally installed man pages, which vary across systems and versions
- Smaller project compared to established alternatives like explainshell.com or tldr
Frequently asked questions about cmdxray
How does cmdxray compare to explainshell.com?
cmdxray runs locally for privacy and uses your machine's actual man pages, while explainshell.com is web-based with a fixed command corpus. cmdxray also generates shareable cards; explainshell does not.
Is my command data sent anywhere?
No. The parser and renderer run entirely locally in your browser (web) or on your machine (CLI). Nothing is uploaded or sent to servers.
How do I install and use it?
Run `npx cmdxray 'your command'` without installing, or install globally with `npm i -g cmdxray`. The web interface is available at the GitHub Pages URL.
Can I share command explanations?
Yes—generate a shareable link via 'Copy shareable link' (opens the page with your command pre-loaded), or export a self-contained SVG/HTML card for documentation and posts.