lia :user_online: on Nostr: Okay this might be a really weird question but I have one question regarding ...

Okay this might be a really weird question but I have one question regarding command-line-only workflows.

I am already used to and very comfortable working in the command line as is.

And as any heavy user of the terminal will know, at some point you'll probably start writing scripts and functions and aliases to create your own little shortcuts for common tasks or preferred program call-up options and such. So do I.

Now my weird little 'problem' is that I don't always remember all of the scripts,  aliases, functions and even programs I built for my workflow over the years off the top of my head.

For example, I might have an "update" alias set up, but nine out of ten times will still enter the command manually out of sheer habit.

Or I will have a calendar or to-do application for the CLI/TUI, but sometimes forget that I have it installed when I need it. Or I'll forget where the files are I set up to organise my journal or my time tracking.

Or going even further, I don't always remember all the neat features of my shell I could use, or the computing/typing habits I wanted to build, or the projects I have going on, and so on!

In a graphical desktop environment or on a mobile UI, you have tools like desktop shortcuts, quickstart icons or application launcher menus for an overview of all of your environment's user-facing programs. Seeing an icon out of the corner of my eye sometimes reminds me of things that a purely reactive user interface like a shell doesn't.

Now there's obviously ways to solve this that come to mind:

writing a script that prints comprehensive documentation on everything, so I only need to remember that one script name.
keeping a physical cheat sheet next to my computer.
using a terminal multiplexer to have a permanent digital 'cheat sheet' or 'launcher' open at the side of the screen.
trying to just automate these things by using cronjobs/services and shell init scripts to, for example, show me the weather and my to-do list automatically on boot so i don't have to remember these commands at all
trying to keep a super organised self-documenting file system and harmonious custom dotfile configs so every config is in the same place, every program uses the same keybinds, all scripts are in ~/.bin/ or something etc.
writing my own "home page" type greeter.

… but with all of these solutions, while they may work perfectly fine, something doesn't feel "right"!

I mean it's nice and good to print these things upon shell start, but later on in the day that won't be there to look at anymore. The multiplexer one is cumbersome. The self documenting file system organisation sounds like a pain to maintain.

I feel like this is an issue that corporate folks probably should have solved by now, as documenting workflows for employee handovers and stuff is critical there too. Do they use wikis for that? What about all those newfangled workflows like #scrum and #agile and all, do they have anything to say about documentation?

Can anyone relate? How do you handle this?

#linux #unix #commandLine #terminal #cli #tui #tech #askfedi #technology #fish #zsh #bash #shell