MyLinuxHelper

A lightweight and modular collection of utility tools to simplify your Linux experience.

Features

Interactive Command Menu: Browse and explore all commands with the mlh interactive menu
Quick Directory Bookmarks: Save and jump to frequently used directories with the bookmark command
Smart Docker Management: Quickly enter running containers by name pattern with mlh docker in
Enhanced Command History: View command history with dates, search commands, and filter by date range using mlh history
Fast File Search: Find files quickly in current directory and subdirectories with the search command
Isolated Linux Containers: Quickly launch and manage Linux containers with the linux command
Smart Package Manager: Automatically detects and uses apt, yum, dnf, or other package managers with the i command
Advanced JSON Operations: Validate and search JSON files with fuzzy matching and intelligent path navigation
Enhanced Directory Listing: View detailed file and directory information with the ll command (ls -la shortcut)
Lightweight and modular plugin system
Easy installation and usage
Extensible architecture for adding custom commands

⚡ Quick Setup

Run the command below:

bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/melihcelenk/MyLinuxHelper/main/get-mlh.sh)" \
|| bash -c "$(wget -qO- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/melihcelenk/MyLinuxHelper/main/get-mlh.sh)"

After installation, you can configure a custom shortcut for the bookmark command (e.g., bm) by editing ~/.mylinuxhelper/mlh.conf and setting BOOKMARK_ALIAS=bm, then running setup.sh in the installation directory to apply changes.

🚀 Usage

📋 `mlh` - Interactive Command Menu

Browse all available commands interactively:

# Show interactive menu
mlh

# Show version
mlh -v
mlh --version

# Docker shortcuts
mlh docker in <pattern>

Interactive Menu Example:

MyLinuxHelper - Available Commands
===================================

1. linux <name>              - Create and manage Linux containers
2. i <package>               - Install packages (auto-detects package manager)
3. isjsonvalid <file.json>   - Validate JSON files
4. ll [path]                 - Enhanced directory listing (ls -la)
5. mlh docker in <pattern>   - Enter running Docker container

Select [1-5, q]:

🐳 `mlh docker in` - Smart Container Access

Enter running Docker containers by name pattern:

# Enter container by name
mlh docker in web

# If multiple containers match, shows interactive menu:
# Multiple containers found matching 'mycontainer':
#
#   1. mycontainer-web (nginx:latest | Up 2 hours)
#   2. mycontainer-api (node:18 | Up 2 hours)
#   3. mycontainer-db (postgres:14 | Up 2 hours)
#
# Select container [1-3]: 1

💡 Note: mlh docker in automatically detects if Docker requires sudo permissions and uses sudo docker when needed. You don't need to run sudo mlh docker in - just run mlh docker in <pattern> and it will handle sudo automatically if required.

⚠️ Troubleshooting: If you get mlh: command not found when running sudo mlh docker in, it's because sudo resets the PATH. Solutions:

Recommended: Run without sudo: mlh docker in <pattern> (script handles sudo internally)

Alternative: Use sudo -E env PATH=$PATH mlh docker in <pattern> to preserve PATH

Best long-term: Add your user to the docker group: sudo usermod -aG docker $USER (then logout/login)

📦 `linux` - Container Management

Launch and manage isolated Linux containers quickly:

# Create ephemeral container (auto-removed on exit)
linux mycontainer

# Create permanent container
linux -p mycontainer

# Stop container
linux -s mycontainer

# Delete container
linux -d mycontainer

# Use different base image
linux -i debian:12 mycontainer

# Bind mount directory
linux -m "$PWD:/workspace" -p mycontainer

🔖 `bookmark` - Quick Directory Bookmarks

Save and jump to frequently used directories instantly:

💡 Configurable Shortcut: Configure your preferred alias (e.g., bm, fav, goto) in ~/.mylinuxhelper/mlh.conf:
BOOKMARK_ALIAS=bm
Then run ./setup.sh to apply. The alias works with all bookmark features!
Use bm --help to see examples with your configured shortcut.

# Save current directory (numbered bookmark)
bookmark .    # or: bm .

# Jump to bookmark 1 (most recent)
bookmark 1    # or: bm 1

# Save with a memorable name
bookmark . -n myproject    # or: bm . -n myproject

# Jump to named bookmark
bookmark myproject    # or: bm myproject

# Save with category for organization
bookmark . -n mlh in projects/linux    # or: bm . -n mlh in projects/linux
bookmark . -n api in projects/java     # or: bm . -n api in projects/java

# List all bookmarks (interactive TUI by default)
bookmark list    # or: bm list

# Non-interactive simple output
bookmark list -n    # or: bm list -n

# List specific category
bookmark list projects    # or: bm list projects

# Move bookmark to different category
bookmark mv mlh to tools    # or: bm mv mlh to tools

# Show last 5 numbered bookmarks
bookmark list 5    # or: bm list 5

# Rename numbered bookmark
bookmark 1 -n webapp    # or: bm 1 -n webapp

# Edit bookmark (name/path/category)
bookmark edit mlh    # or: bm edit mlh

# Remove bookmark
bookmark rm oldproject    # or: bm rm oldproject
bookmark rm 3              # or: bm rm 3

# Search bookmarks
bookmark find java    # or: bm find java

# Clear all numbered bookmarks
bookmark clear    # or: bm clear

# View help (dynamically shows your configured shortcut)
bookmark --help    # or: bm --help

Key Features:

Configurable shortcut alias: Use bm (or your preferred shortcut) instead of typing bookmark every time! Configure in ~/.mylinuxhelper/mlh.conf
Stack-based numbered bookmarks: Quick access to last 10 directories (auto-rotating, auto re-numbering)
Named bookmarks: Save important locations with memorable names
Hierarchical categories: Organize bookmarks (e.g., projects/linux, projects/java)
Interactive menu by default: Navigate with arrow keys, edit, delete, search in real-time (bookmark list - no -i flag needed!)
Category filtering: List bookmarks by category
Smart search: Find bookmarks by name, path, or category (bookmark find <pattern>)
Path validation: Warns when bookmark path no longer exists
Name conflict detection: Prevents conflicts with system commands (both for bookmarks and aliases)
Bookmark management: Edit, remove, clear bookmarks easily
Instant navigation: Jump to bookmarks without typing full paths
JSON storage: Bookmark data stored at ~/.mylinuxhelper/bookmarks.json
Dynamic help: Help messages automatically adapt to show your configured shortcut

📜 `mlh history` - Enhanced Command History

View command history with dates, search, and filtering:

# Show last 100 commands (default)
mlh history

# Show all history
mlh history -a

# Show last 10 commands
mlh history 10

# Show detailed history with colors and formatting
mlh history -d

# Search for commands containing "docker"
mlh history -f docker

# Show specific command by number
mlh history -g 1432

# Show commands from specific date
mlh history -t 2025-10-20

# Show commands in date range
mlh history -t 2025-10-18..2025-10-20

# Configure settings (default limit, date tracking, display mode)
mlh history -c

Key Features:

Current session support: Automatically includes commands from current session via wrapper function
Smart defaults: Shows last 100 commands by default (configurable)
Show all: Use -a to display entire history
Date tracking: Shows when each command was executed (configurable)
Search functionality: Find commands by pattern with mlh history -f <pattern>
Direct access: Jump to specific command with mlh history -g <number>
Date filtering: Filter by date or date range with mlh history -t <date>
Relative time support: Use formats like 3d, 20m, 2h for recent commands
Before offset: Specify time offset with -b flag (e.g., -t 20m -b 1h)
Multiple display modes: Simple (numbered with dates), Detailed (formatted), Minimal (plain)
Configurable defaults: Set default limit, display mode, and enable/disable date tracking
Helpful messages: When no results found, shows latest command timestamp with suggestions
Non-intrusive: Doesn't affect the system history command

📥 `i` - Smart Package Installer

Automatically detects your package manager (apt, yum, dnf, etc.) and installs packages:

# Install a package
i nginx

# Install multiple packages
i git curl wget

# Show help
i --help

🔍 `mlh json` / `isjsonvalid` - JSON Operations

Advanced JSON validation and fuzzy search with intelligent path navigation:

# Quick validation (Yes/No output)
isjsonvalid data.json
# Output: Yes

# Detailed validation
isjsonvalid -d data.json
mlh json --isvalid data.json
# Output: ✓ Valid JSON

# Search for a field (fuzzy match, case-insensitive)
mlh json get name from users.json
# Output: "users"."name": "John"

# Partial key matching - finds "RequestedTags" with just "req"
mlh json get req from config.json
# Output: "RequestedTags": [...]

# Search with path hint (targeted search, no menu)
mlh json get settings.lang from config.json
# Output: "settings"."language": "en"

# Multiple matches - shows interactive menu
mlh json get user from data.json
# Found 3 matches for 'user':
# 1. "users": [...]
# 2. "username": "john"
# 3. "userProfile"."userId": "123"

# Show help
mlh json --help

Key Features:

Centralized validation: Both isjsonvalid and mlh json --isvalid use the same engine
Flexible output modes: Quick (Yes/No) or detailed (with colors and error messages)
Searches ALL JSON keys (arrays, objects, scalars)
Fuzzy and partial matching (e.g., req → RequestedTags)
Path hints for targeted search
Interactive menu for multiple matches
Auto-installs jq if needed

📁 `ll` - Enhanced Directory Listing

Shortcut for ls -la to view detailed file information:

# List current directory
ll

# List specific directory
ll /var/log

# List with pattern
ll *.json

🔎 `search` - Fast File Search

Find files quickly in current directory and subdirectories:

# Search for file by name
search myfile

# Search for files with wildcard pattern
search "*.json"

# Search in specific directory
search config.js ./src

# Search for configuration files in /etc
search "*.conf" /etc

📦 Structure

/
├── get-mlh.sh          # Bootstrap installer (downloads repo)
├── setup.sh            # Main setup script (creates symlinks, configures PATH)
├── install.sh          # Universal package installer (provides 'i' command)
├── README.md           # User documentation with usage examples
├── LICENSE             # Project license
├── plugins/
│   ├── mlh.sh          # Interactive menu and command dispatcher
│   ├── mlh-bookmark.sh # Quick directory bookmarks (JSON-based, category support)
│   ├── mlh-docker.sh   # Docker shortcuts and container management
│   ├── mlh-history.sh  # Enhanced command history with dates, search, and filtering
│   ├── mlh-json.sh     # Advanced JSON search (delegates validation to isjsonvalid.sh)
│   ├── mlh-version.sh  # Version management and auto-update system
│   ├── mlh-about.sh    # Project information and about page
│   ├── linux.sh        # Launch and manage Docker containers
│   ├── search.sh       # Fast file search using find
│   ├── isjsonvalid.sh  # Centralized JSON validation with flexible output modes
│   ├── bookmark-alias.sh # Bookmark alias proxy (delegates to mlh-bookmark.sh)
│   └── ll.sh           # Shortcut for "ls -la"
├── docs/
│   └── config/
│       └── mlh.conf.example           # Example configuration file

🧪 Testing

MyLinuxHelper includes a comprehensive test suite with 293 tests covering all major functionality.

Running Tests

# Run all tests
./tests/test

# Run specific test suite
./tests/test mlh-history
./tests/test mlh-docker
./tests/test mlh-json
./tests/test linux
./tests/test search
./tests/test isjsonvalid
./tests/test ll
./tests/test mlh-about
./tests/test mlh
./tests/test shellcheck

# Run bookmark tests (subdirectory)
./tests/test bookmark/mlh-bookmark
./tests/test bookmark/bookmark-alias
./tests/test bookmark/bookmark-alias-integration

Test Coverage

✅ 293 total tests with 288 passed (98.3% success rate)

Note: Some tests gracefully skip if dependencies are missing (e.g., jq for JSON tests, shellcheck for code quality tests, tmux for interactive tests).

Test Suites:

bookmark/mlh-bookmark.sh (80 tests) - Bookmark functionality, interactive mode, categories
bookmark/bookmark-alias.sh (28 tests) - Alias configuration and validation
bookmark/bookmark-alias-integration.sh (13 tests) - Alias integration with setup.sh
mlh-history.sh (34 tests) - Command history, time parsing, filtering
linux.sh (15 tests) - Container management, Docker commands
mlh-json.sh (18 tests) - JSON search, validation, fuzzy matching
mlh-docker.sh (18 tests) - Container access, pattern matching
mlh.sh (20 tests) - Main dispatcher, routing, interactive menu
search.sh (16 tests) - File search, wildcards, error handling
isjsonvalid.sh (18 tests) - JSON validation engine, output modes
ll.sh (10 tests) - Directory listing wrapper
mlh-about.sh (12 tests) - Project information display
shellcheck (6 tests) - Code quality validation (requires shellcheck)
current-session (1 test) - Session history tracking

Test Framework Features

✅ SKIP Support: Tests gracefully skip when dependencies (like jq) are missing
✅ Syntax Error Detection: Pre-validates test files before running to catch CRLF and syntax issues
✅ Color-coded Output: Green (PASS), Yellow (SKIP), Red (FAIL) for easy reading
✅ Detailed Summary: Shows Total, Passed, Skipped, Failed counts
✅ Modular Design: Easy to add new test suites for plugins

Code Quality

The codebase follows shell scripting best practices:

# Format all scripts with shfmt
shfmt -w .

# Check for common issues
shellcheck plugins/*.sh tests/*.sh

Code Quality:

✅ ShellCheck Compliance: All scripts pass ShellCheck validation (automated test suite)
✅ Formatting: All scripts formatted with shfmt for consistency
✅ Best Practices: Proper error handling with set -euo pipefail
✅ Clean Syntax: No unused variables, proper quoting, safe command execution

The test suite includes automated ShellCheck validation to ensure code quality across all scripts.

🔧 Development

Code Formatting

MyLinuxHelper uses shfmt for consistent shell script formatting:

# Install shfmt (if not already installed)
# macOS
brew install shfmt

# Linux
go install mvdan.cc/sh/v3/cmd/shfmt@latest

# Format all scripts
shfmt -w .

# Check formatting without modifying
shfmt -d .

Formatting Standards:

Indentation: Tabs
Binary operators: Spaces around operators
Redirect operators: No space before redirect
Case indent: Aligned with case keyword

Code Quality Checks

# Run ShellCheck on all scripts
shellcheck plugins/*.sh tests/*.sh

# Run tests after formatting
./tests/test

# Verify all tests pass
echo $?  # Should be 0

Adding New Tests

Create a new test file in tests/:
```
tests/test-<plugin-name>.sh
```

Follow the existing test structure:

#!/usr/bin/env bash
# Disable strict mode for tests
set +euo pipefail 2>/dev/null || true
set +e

PLUGIN_SCRIPT="$ROOT_DIR/plugins/<plugin-name>.sh"

# Test 1: Script exists
if [ -f "$PLUGIN_SCRIPT" ]; then
  print_test_result "<plugin-name>.sh exists" "PASS"
else
  print_test_result "<plugin-name>.sh exists" "FAIL"
fi

Run the new test:
```
./tests/test <plugin-name>
```

Fix Line Ending Issues

If you see syntax errors due to Windows line endings (CRLF):

# Fix a single file
sed -i 's/\r$//' tests/test-<name>.sh

# Fix all test files
find tests/ -name "*.sh" -exec sed -i 's/\r$//' {} \;

# Verify fix
file tests/test-<name>.sh
# Should show: "ASCII text executable" (not "with CRLF")

The test runner automatically detects syntax errors and shows helpful fix commands.

Provide feedback

Saved searches

Use saved searches to filter your results more quickly

MyLinuxHelper

Features

⚡ Quick Setup

🚀 Usage

📋 `mlh` - Interactive Command Menu

🐳 `mlh docker in` - Smart Container Access

📦 `linux` - Container Management

🔖 `bookmark` - Quick Directory Bookmarks

📜 `mlh history` - Enhanced Command History

📥 `i` - Smart Package Installer

🔍 `mlh json` / `isjsonvalid` - JSON Operations

📁 `ll` - Enhanced Directory Listing

🔎 `search` - Fast File Search

📦 Structure

🧪 Testing

Running Tests

Test Coverage

Test Framework Features

Code Quality

🔧 Development

Code Formatting

Code Quality Checks

Adding New Tests

Fix Line Ending Issues

FilesExpand file tree

README.md

Latest commit

History

README.md

File metadata and controls

MyLinuxHelper

Features

⚡ Quick Setup

🚀 Usage

📋 mlh - Interactive Command Menu

🐳 mlh docker in - Smart Container Access

📦 linux - Container Management

🔖 bookmark - Quick Directory Bookmarks

📜 mlh history - Enhanced Command History

📥 i - Smart Package Installer

🔍 mlh json / isjsonvalid - JSON Operations

📁 ll - Enhanced Directory Listing

🔎 search - Fast File Search

📦 Structure

🧪 Testing

Running Tests

Test Coverage

Test Framework Features

Code Quality

🔧 Development

Code Formatting

Code Quality Checks

Adding New Tests

Fix Line Ending Issues

📋 `mlh` - Interactive Command Menu

🐳 `mlh docker in` - Smart Container Access

📦 `linux` - Container Management

🔖 `bookmark` - Quick Directory Bookmarks

📜 `mlh history` - Enhanced Command History

📥 `i` - Smart Package Installer

🔍 `mlh json` / `isjsonvalid` - JSON Operations

📁 `ll` - Enhanced Directory Listing

🔎 `search` - Fast File Search