The problem NAASH ( Not another AI shell ) solves

Inspiration💡✨

From our experience with 🤖AI-powered shells, we found that while they mimic GUI interfaces, they often slow down workflows with cumbersome interactions📳—constantly opening, closing, and prompting for each command. We aimed to create a solution that preserves the terminal’s essential strengths—speed and power⚡—while remaining intuitive for 👤users at any level, from beginners to seasoned developers👨‍💻.

Here’s what it offers 💪🏫📋

• Smart Clipboard Integration 🖇️: The terminal monitors clipboard content and offers contextual commands. For example, if a Git repository URL⛓️ is copied, it suggests appropriate Git commands; if a package name is detected, installation⬇️ commands are provided.
• Natural Language 🗣️: Users can type commands in plain English, and it translates🈳 them into executable terminal commands.
• Enhanced Autocompletion ✍️: Despite limitations in some terminal environments (e.g., PowerShell), it provides advanced auto-completion.
• System-Aware Intelligence 🖥️: It has built-in awareness🙋‍♀️ of the user's current system and OS.
• Better Troubleshoot 🛠️: When a command fails❌ or triggers an error, it suggests potential fixes or alternative commands🔄.
• Model Integration 🤖: Uses both Gemini🤖 and OpenAI👾 APIs for smart command handling and suggestions.
• Emoji Feedback 🎉: Shows emojis when command generation fails to make errors more user-friendly and noticeable🤗.
• Command Explanation 🧾: Not only does it suggest commands, but it can also explain👨‍🏫 what each command does when you ask, so users can learn as they go🎓.

How we built it ❓🧠

We used TypeScript as our codebase. The runtime is powered by Bun for fast execution🚀, with the Gemini and OpenAI APIs integrated for natural language processing🗣️.

Challenges we ran into

Challenges We Encountered 🧗

While building the tool🛠️, we faced some challenges in implementing certain features:

• Clipboard Functionality 📋: To ensure consistent clipboard operations across platforms, we integrated 📋clipboardy, a robust library compatible with both Windows and Linux, using Bun🌰 for streamlined cross-platform support.

• Windows Shell Compatibility 🖥️: Transitioning from a Linux-based shell to a Windows environment presented compatibility issues. We addressed this by leveraging cross-spawn🔀 to bridge the gap between systems smoothly.

• Native Command Emulation ⌨️: Since native shell commands couldn't be used, we implemented Node.js-based alternatives. For instance,

  process.chdir

  🗂️ was used to change directories, and a custom history mechanism was created by 💾storing user commands in a file.

• Model Integration 🤖: We integrated two different AI👾 models to offer users a choice, allowing them to select their preferred model from the options available. We resolved connection🔌 and usage issues to seamlessly support both.

• Balancing User Friendliness and Shell Experience ⚖️: We aimed to create a user-friendly👥 shell tool that still encourages direct CLI interaction. Balancing☯ simplicity with a genuine shell experience was challenging; we experimented👩🏻‍🔬 with various approaches to optimize user experience while maintaining an authentic terminal feel.