Auto

Automate Your Terminal Operation

A command-line tool that automates workflows by running each script command in its own terminal instance.

GitHub stars • GitHub forks • GitHub issues • License

Features • Installation • Usage • Building • Contributing

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Table of Contents

• Features
• Installation
• Usage
• Command Syntax
• Building
• Important Notes
• Contributing

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Features

• Block-based Configuration: Organize commands into named blocks for easy management
• Separate Terminal Instances: Each command runs in its own terminal window or tab
• Multiple Execution Modes: Normal (+), minimized (-), background ($), and Windows Terminal with title (&)
• Background Processes: Run commands without blocking the terminal
• Windows Terminal Support: Pass commands directly or run with custom tab titles
• Comment Support: Use comments and empty lines in scripts for readability
• Simple Syntax: Easy-to-read configuration format
• Quoted Arguments: Commands support quoted arguments as single units
• Test Mode: Dry-run commands for testing without execution
• Thread-safe Output: Console output is serialized for mixed sync and async commands

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Installation

Option 1: Download Pre-built Binary

1. Go to the Releases page
2. Download the latest auto.exe or AutoInstaller.*.exe
3. Run the installer or add auto.exe to your system PATH

Option 2: Build from Source

See the Building section below.

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Usage

Step 1: Create a .autofile

Define command blocks in .autofile in your project directory:

dev {
  $ taskkill /im node.exe
  - mongod.exe --dbpath C:\data\db
  + node server.js
  + python fileserver.py
  + set PORT=4000 && npm start --prefix client
  + npm start --prefix attendance
  + npm run --prefix server dev
}

Step 2: Run Auto

auto dev

Or with a custom file:

auto -f .autofile dev

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Command Syntax

Symbol	Mode	Description
+	Normal	Runs command in a normal terminal window
-	Minimized	Runs command in a minimized window
$	Background	Runs command in the background (no window)
&	Windows Terminal	Runs command in Windows Terminal with a custom tab title

• Commands starting with wt are passed through as-is to support full Windows Terminal options.
• Arguments can be quoted; quotes are stripped when passing to commands.

Example Configuration

production {
  $ nginx.exe
  $ redis-server.exe
  + node app.js
  - pm2 monit
  & "API" node server.js
  & "Worker" npm run worker
}

Special Blocks

Blocks starting with . (dot) are special and can be executed like any other block:

.init {
  + echo "Initializing environment..."
  + npm install
}

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Building

Prerequisites

• C++ Compiler (MinGW-w64, LLVM/Clang, or MSVC)
• Windows Resource Compiler (windres)
• Make (optional)

Build Methods

Method 1: Using Make (MinGW)

make

Binary will be in bin/ directory.

Method 2: Using Make (LLVM/Clang)

make -f llvm.makefile

Method 3: Using CMake

cmake -B build -G "MinGW Makefiles"
cmake --build build

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Important Notes

• Do not rerun auto if commands from the same .autofile are still running.
• Use descriptive block names and comments.
• Group related commands together.
• Use background mode ($) for non-interactive services.
• Use minimized mode (-) for monitoring tools.

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Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Clone your fork
3. Create a branch for your changes
4. Make changes and test
5. Commit and push
6. Open a Pull Request

Follow existing code style, add comments for complex logic, and update documentation if needed.

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Made with ❤️ by Mark Wayne Menorca Star this repo • Report Bug • Request Feature