VERSE
ebde9ba68f
- I think it would be better if one for commands only, one for the spec handling core logic so people won't be confused by the core logic inside the commands folder (cleaner I guess) - Regen docs
IRIS (Intelligent Real-time Input Suggestion) - A shell auto-completion tool that works like code editor's IntelliSense
Comparison · Installation · Docs · Shortcuts · Reporting bugs
IRIS is built on top of TTY, so it runs everywhere. It just needs a terminal!
Run iris wherever you already work; your local machine, a remote server, or anywhere you can ssh. Each suggestion menu renders directly inline inside your real terminal session, not an app's imitation of one, so it never breaks full-screen TUIs or terminal formatting. Automatically index your aliases and shell history to suggest commands that match your actual workflow in real time. Change configurations and propagate them instantly without restarting your shell. One single local native Go binary, not an app: no gui, no electron, no mac-only wrapper, no account, no telemetry. (if you've used fig: it's that, rebuilt to run purely on TTY)
Why Iris instead of Fig
Important
Fig was officially sunset in September 2024 and migrated to Amazon Q Developer (which requires cloud authentication and proprietary bloat)
IRIS is the lightweight, open-source, zero-telemetry alternative built purely on native Go and TTY with no accounts, no GUI app, and no background daemons required
How it compares
| Feature | Iris | Fig |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Linux, macOS | macOS only |
| Engine | Native Go (TTY) | Electron |
| Startup | Near-zero overhead | Low overhead |
| UI | Inline overlay | GUI popover |
| Remote SSH | TTY-native, portable | macOS GUI-bound |
| Tmux | ✓ | Limited |
| Linux virtual terminals | ✓ | - |
| Memory | < 15 MB | Electron runtime |
Why not shell autocomplete plugins?
Shell plugins are great, but they also come with trade-offs. And also, not everyone use Zsh or Fish especially on SSH.
| Feature | Iris | Shell plugins |
|---|---|---|
| Installation | Single binary | Plugin manager required |
| Shell support | Most shells supported | Usually shell-specific |
| Startup | No shell initialization | Increases shell startup time |
| SSH | One config | Per-shell config |
| Tmux | ✓ | Depends on the shell |
| Linux virtual terminals | ✓ | Depends on the shell |
Installation
curl -sSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/versenilvis/iris/main/scripts/install.sh | sh
Warning
Currently, Windows is not supported
Theme
Note
Currently, IRIS doesn't have custom theme but it does have 2 basic styles
| Modern style | Classic style |
Docs
- Getting started: dependencies, installation methods, and shell integration setup
- Usage guide: core navigation, mode switching, instant alias expansion, and ghost text
- Configuration guide: TOML configuration file structure, settings sections, and CLI commands
- Troubleshooting guide: debug mode, runtime log inspection, and common solutions
- Developer guide: system architecture overview, PTY bridge mechanics, and contribution instructions
Shortcuts
| Shortcut | Action | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Shift + Tab | Toggle menu | Show or hide the suggestion menu. |
| Esc | Hide menu | Temporarily hide the menu until the next key press. |
| Tab | Accept suggestion | Insert the currently selected suggestion into the prompt. |
| Enter | Execute command | Close the menu and send the current command to the shell. |
| ↑ | Navigate up / history | Move the selection up, or open command history when the prompt is empty. |
| ↓ | Navigate down / history | Move the selection down, or open command history when the prompt is empty. |
| → | Accept ghost text | Accept the faded ghost text suggestion when the menu is open. |
| ← / → | Move cursor | Move the cursor inside the input buffer. Disabled when the prompt is empty. |
| Ctrl + R | Switch mode | Toggle between spec and history mode. |
| Ctrl + A | Beginning of line | Move the cursor to the start of the command line. |
| Ctrl + E | End of line | Move the cursor to the end of the command line. |
| Ctrl + L | Clear screen | Clear the terminal while preserving the input buffer and redrawing the menu. |
| Ctrl + U | Clear command | Remove the entire current command and close the menu. |
| Ctrl + C | Cancel command | Send SIGINT, clear the input buffer, and close the menu. |
| Ctrl + W | Delete word | Delete the word immediately before the cursor. |
Note
With Ctrl + A, Ctrl + E, Ctrl + W, Ctrl + U, Ctrl + L, and Ctrl + C: they belong to your shell by default. IRIS handles them directly in raw mode so your cursor and menu stay in sync
Reporting bugs
Note
Describing the bug you are facing, along with the relevant log
Enabling debug mode and then performing actions that led to the error
Run IRIS with debug mode:
iris -d
or config.toml:
debug=true
Important
Since IRIS logs everything you type, you should only enable debug mode when you need to report bugs
License
This project is licensed under the 0BSD License - no strings attached. Meaning you can do whatever you want with it.
For those who fork it and want to publish a new version or something else; if you can, a credit or co-author mention is always welcome :) (though never required).
Thank you!
Feedback
I'd love to hear your feedback
Feel free to reach out via: