# explainshell

explainshell is a self-hosted web tool that explains Linux and Unix shell commands by parsing man pages and matching each argument to the relevant help text. It is open source and self-hosted, installable on Docker Hub and Unraid.

Canonical page: https://ourlocalhost.com/app/1364/explainshell

## Description

Explainshell is a self-hosted web tool that explains Linux and Unix shell commands by parsing man pages and matching each argument to the relevant help text. Paste a command into its search box and it breaks down what every part does, making it ideal for anyone new to the command line or working through Unraid setups.

## Platform availability

Available on 1 of 9 platforms: Unraid.

## Health score

74/100 (Good), based on 4 of 5 factors.
- Maintained: 95 (last commit 58 days ago)
- Popular: 83 (14,278 GitHub stars)
- Easy to install: 35 (1 install platform, install notes, Docker image)
- Security check: 59 (no serious findings, 5 minor, CI, tests, OpenSSF Scorecard 4.3/10)

## Links

- Docker Hub: https://hub.docker.com/r/spaceinvaderone/explainshell
- Unraid: https://ca.unraid.net/apps/explainshell-1sqjq4x0is5obp?q=explainshell

## Common questions

### What port does explainshell listen on locally?

The Flask web server is started with make serve and is available at localhost:5000.

### Where is the explainshell database stored?

Processed manpages are stored in a single SQLite database named explainshell.db, containing tables for manpages, parsed manpages, and mappings.

### How can I update the manpage database after self-hosting?

You can download the live database with make download-latest-db, and the live service database is published as a GitHub release.

### Can I extract options from manpages without using the live database?

Yes, the manager CLI can parse a manpage and extract options, including an LLM-based extraction mode.

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Source: Our Local Host (https://ourlocalhost.com/app/1364/explainshell), the self-hosted and open-source app directory.