AliasBridge

A simple, cross-platform desktop application to easily manage your command-line terminal aliases. Stop editing hidden config files and keep your shortcuts organized!

The Problem

Managing terminal aliases across different shells (bash, zsh) and operating systems (macOS, Windows/WSL, Linux) often involves manually editing hidden configuration files like .zshrc or .bashrc. It's easy to forget complex commands, lose track of why an alias was created, or struggle to keep aliases synchronized between multiple machines.

The Solution: AliasBridge

AliasBridge provides an intuitive Graphical User Interface (GUI) to:

• View all your managed aliases in one place.
• Add new aliases quickly with a name and command.
• Edit existing aliases.
• Delete aliases you no longer need.
• Comment on aliases to remember their purpose and usage.

It stores your aliases robustly in a local JSON file and automatically generates the necessary shell source file, simplifying your workflow significantly.

✨ Core Features (Current)

• GUI Management: Clean interface for viewing, adding, editing, and deleting aliases.
• Comments: Add descriptions to remember what each alias does.
• Cross-Platform: Works on macOS, Windows (via Git Bash/WSL), and Linux.
• Robust Storage: Uses a local JSON file (~/.alias_bridge_data.json) as the source of truth.
• Automatic Shell File Generation: Creates/updates a shell source file (~/.alias_bridge_aliases.sh).
• UUID Identification: Uses unique IDs internally for reliable alias management.
• OS-Specific Setup Instructions: Guides users on the one-time shell setup.

🖥️ Supported Platforms

• macOS: Fully supported (tested with Zsh and Bash).
• Windows: Supported via Git Bash or Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) environments (generates a .sh file compatible with these). Direct PowerShell/CMD support is not currently implemented.
• Linux: Fully supported (tested with Bash and Zsh).

🚀 Getting Started (For Users)

1. Download: Grab the latest release for your operating system from the Releases Page. (Replace with your actual link!)

2. Install:

   • macOS: Open the .dmg file and drag AliasBridge.app to your Applications folder.
   • Windows: Run the Setup .exe installer. <-- COMING SOON -->
   • Linux: Make the .AppImage file executable (chmod +x AliasBridge*.AppImage) and run it. Or install the .deb/.rpm package. <-- Coming Soon -->

3. One-Time Shell Setup (CRUCIAL): You need to tell your terminal shell to load the aliases managed by AliasBridge. Add the following lines to the end of your shell's configuration file:

   • macOS (Zsh - Default): Edit ~/.zshrc
   • macOS (Bash): Edit ~/.bash_profile or ~/.bashrc
   • Linux (Bash): Edit ~/.bashrc
   • Linux (Zsh): Edit ~/.zshrc
   • Windows (Git Bash): Edit ~/.bashrc (usually C:\Users\YourUsername\.bashrc)

   # Load AliasBridge Aliases
   if [ -f ~/.alias_bridge_aliases.sh ]; then
     source ~/.alias_bridge_aliases.sh
   fi

   • Windows (WSL - e.g., Ubuntu): Edit ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc inside your WSL environment. Replace YourWindowsUsername with your actual Windows username:

   # Load AliasBridge Aliases from Windows Home Directory
   # Replace 'YourWindowsUsername' with your actual Windows username
   WINDOWS_ALIAS_FILE="/mnt/c/Users/YourWindowsUsername/.alias_bridge_aliases.sh"
   if [ -f "$WINDOWS_ALIAS_FILE" ]; then
     source "$WINDOWS_ALIAS_FILE"
   fi

4. Restart Terminal: Open a completely new terminal window/tab for the changes to take effect.

5. Run AliasBridge: Launch the application and start managing your aliases!