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A curated list of delightful CLI software for console lovers, and of course all FOSS.
Everyone is invited to contribute. To do so, please read our guidelines .
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Summary
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License
cmus cmus is a small, fast and powerful console music player for Unix-like operating systems
C
GPLv2
mpg123 Fast console MPEG Audio Player and decoder library
C, Assembly
LGPL2.1
pianobar pianobar is a free/open-source, console-based client for the personalized online radio Pandora
C
MIT
MPD stands for M usic P layer D aemon and it is one of the most extensible and powerful audio tools available on Linux. It acts as a "server" and you interact with it through a client, of which there are many, graphical, web-based, as well as CLI. For a broader list, see the Arch Wiki page
Website
Summary
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clerk MPD client using rofi or fzf
Perl
MIT
fmui f zf m pd u ser i nterfaceShell
GPL-3.0
mpc mpc connects to a MPD and controls it according to commands and arguments passed to itC
GPL-2.0
ncmpcpp featureful ncurses based MPD client inspired by ncmpc
C++
GPL-2.0
Website
Summary
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Deluge is a lightweight, Free Software, cross-platform BitTorrent client
Python
GPLv3
rTorrent Simple and lightweight ncurses BitTorrent client. Requires libtorrent backend
C++
GPLv2
Transmission-CLI A Fast, Easy and Free BitTorrent Client
C, Objective-C
GPLv2 or GPLv3
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Summary
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aria2 aria2 is a lightweight multi-protocol & multi-source command-line download utility
C++
GPLv2
lftp Sophisticated command line file transfer program (ftp, http, sftp, fish, torrent)
C++
GPLv3
You-Get Tiny command-line utility to download media contents (videos, audios, images) from the Web, in case there is no other handy way to do it
Python
MIT
youtube-dl A command-line program to download videos from YouTube.com and a few more sites
Python
Unlicense
wget Is a free software package for retrieving files using HTTP, HTTPS, FTP and FTPS the most widely-used Internet protocols
C
GPLv3
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Summary
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aerc aerc is an email client that runs in your terminal
Go
MIT
alot Terminal-based Mail User Agent
Python
GPLv3
Alpine Fast, easy-to-use and Apache-licensed email client based on Pine
C
Apache
Himalaya A CLI email client written in Rust. The aim of Himalaya is to extract the email logic into a simple (yet solid) CLI API that can be used directly from the terminal, from scripts, from UIs… Possibilities are endless!
Rust, Nix, Lua, Shell
BSD-3-Clause
mu/mu4e Maildir indexer/searcher + emacs mail client + guile bindings
GPLv3
Mutt Small but very powerful text-based mail client
C
GPLv2+
NeoMutt Command line mail reader (or MUA). It's a fork of Mutt with added features
C
GPLv2
notmuchmail A fast mail indexer built on top of xapian
C
GPLv3
S-nail S-nail provides a simple and friendly environment for sending and receiving mail
C
BSD
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Summary
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fff A simple file manager written in bash
Bash
MIT
lf Terminal file manager written in Go using server/client architecture
Go
MIT
Midnight Commander Console-based, dual-paneled file manager
C
GPLv2
n³/nnn Tiny, lightning fast, feature-packed file manager
C
BSD-2-Clause
ranger A VIM-inspired filemanager for the console
Python
GPLv3
Vifm Vifm is a file manager with curses interface, which provides Vi[m]-like environment for managing objects within file systems, extended with some useful ideas from mutt
C
GPLv2
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BitchX A full-featured, scriptable free software IRC client for UNIX-like systems
C
GPLv2
catgirl is a TLS-only terminal IRC client.
C
GPLv3
ii is a minimalist FIFO and filesystem-based IRC client
C
MIT/X
Irssi Your text mode chatting application since 1999. IRC built-in. Multi-protocol friendly for module authors
C
GPLv2
tiny an IRC client written in Rust with a clutter-free interface
Rust
MIT
WeeChat Modular, lightweight ncurses-based IRC client
C
GPLv3
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gomuks A terminal based Matrix client written in Go
Go
AGPLv3
weechat-matrix Weechat Matrix protocol script written in python
Python
MIT
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BitlBee BitlBee brings IM (instant messaging) to IRC clients
C
GPLv2
Finch Pidgin but CLI
C
GPLv2+
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Toxic An ncurses-based Tox client
C
GPLv3
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Profanity Profanity is a console based XMPP client written in C using ncurses and libstrophe, inspired by Irssi
C
GPLv3+
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Rainbow Stream A smart and nice Twitter client on terminal written in Python
Python
MIT
toot Mastodon CLI & TUI client
Python
GPLv3
turses A twitter client for the console
Python
GPLv3
tut a Mastodon TUI
Go
MIT
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gopass gopass is a simple but powerful password manager for your terminal
Go
MIT
KeePassXC keepassxc-cli for the terminal, but installs a GUI
C++
Multiple
lesspass LessPass is a stateless password manager
Python
GPLv3
pass the standard unix password manager
Bash
GPLv2+
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Summary
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castero TUI podcast client for the terminal
Python
MIT
castget A command-line podcast downloader
C
GPLv2
marrie A simple podcast client that runs on the CLI
Python
BSD-3-Clause
pcd CLI podcast client (podcatcher) written in golang
Go
GPLv3
shellcaster Terminal-based podcast manager built in Rust
Rust
GPLv3
RSS
Website
Summary
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Canto Canto is an Atom/RSS feed reader for the console that is meant to be quick, concise, and colorful
Python
GPLv2
Newsboat Newsboat is an RSS/Atom feed reader for the text console. It’s an actively maintained fork of Newsbeuter
C++, Rust
MIT
Snownews Snownews is a command-line RSS feed reader. It runs on everything Unix
C, Perl
GPLv3
Sfeed Sfeed is a RSS and Atom parser (and some format programs). It converts RSS or Atom feeds from XML to a TAB-separated file
C
ISC
Website
Summary
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dte A small and easy to use console text editor
C
GPLv2
Emacs The extensible, customizable, self-documenting real-time display editor by GNU
Lisp, C
GPLv3
Helix A kakoune / neovim inspired editor, written in Rust.
Rust
MPL-2.0
Howl A general purpose, fast and lightweight editor with a keyboard-centric minimalistic user interface
Moonscript/Lua
MIT
Kakoune Modal editor · Faster as in less keystrokes · Multiple selections · Orthogonal design
C++
Unlicense
micro a modern and intuitive terminal-based text editor
Go
MIT
nano Console text editor based on pico with on-screen key bindings help
C
GPLv2
Neovim Vim's rebirth for the 21st century
Vim script, C, Lua
Apache
tilde Tilde is a text editor for the console/terminal, which provides an intuitive interface for people accustomed to GUI environments such as Gnome, KDE and Windows
C++
GPLv3
vim Vim is a highly configurable text editor built to make creating and changing any kind of text very efficient.
C, Vim Script
VIM License
Vis A vi-like editor based on Plan 9's structural regular expressions
C, Lua
ISC
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present A terminal-based presentation tool with colors and effects.
Python
Apache 2.0
slides A terminal-based presentation tool.
Go
MIT
Taskwarrior A GTD, todo list, task management, command line utility with a multitude of features.
C++, Perl, Python
MIT
Website
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MPlayer Video player that supports a complete and versatile array of video and audio formats
C
GPLv2
mpv Movie and audio player based on MPlayer and mplayer2
C, Objective-C, Lua
GPLv2
VLC Command-line version of the famous video player that can play smoothly high definition videos in the TTY. The rc interface can be launched with vlc -I rc, and the ncurses interface can be launched with vlc -I ncurses
C
LGPG2.1 & GPLv2
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Summary
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amfora A fancy terminal browser for the Gemini protocol
Go
GPLv3
astronaut A Gemini browser for the terminal
Go
GPLv3
asuka asuka is a Gemini Project client written in Rust with NCurses
Rust
MIT
AV-98 A CLI-based Gemini Client
Python
BSD 2-clause
bolluks a bash Gemini client
Bash
MIT
Bombadillo Bombadillo is a non-web client that supports Gopher, Gemini and many more
Go
GPLv3
Browsh A fully-modern text-based browser, rendering to TTY and browsers
Javascript, Go
LGPL-2.1
Elpher A Gopher/Gemini client for GNU Emacs
Lisp
GPLv3
Lynx Text browser that supports http(s) and Gopher
ISO C
GPLv2
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Summary
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asciinema Easily record terminal sessions and replay them in a terminal as well as in a web browser.
Python
GPLv3
dijo A scriptable habit tracker that runs in your terminal.
Rust
MIT
duf Disk Usage/Free Utility - a better 'df' alternative
Go
MIT
Glow A terminal based markdown reader designed from the ground up to bring out the beauty—and power—of the CLI
Go
MIT
ocm Owl's Contact Manager - The pass-like contact manager
Shell
GPLv3
vdx An intuitive CLI for processing video, powered by FFmpeg
Typescript
MIT
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