Ell – A command-line interface for LLMs written in Bash
Hi HN! I've created a CLI tool called "ell" that allows you to interact with LLMs directly from your terminal. Designed with the Unix philosophy in mind, ell is simple, modular, and extensible. You can easily pipe input and output to integrate with other tools. Its templates and hook-based plugins enable you to customize and extend its functionality to suit any needs. Check out the README for usage instructions and examples. I developed this tool because existing solutions often felt too heavy, with many dependencies, or they weren't friendly to piping and customization. I, on the contrary,…
Ell – A command-line interface for LLMs written in Bash launched on August 2, 2024 with 214 votes, #227 of 5,471 launches that month and more than 95% of that year's launches. The site was still online in September 2026, 2 years on.
In plain words
Ell is a command-line tool written in Bash that lets developers interact with large language models directly from the terminal. Built with Unix philosophy principles, it emphasizes simplicity and modularity, allowing users to pipe input and output between other tools. The tool includes customizable templates and hook-based plugins for extending functionality. It requires minimal dependencies and can read terminal output as context, enabling developers to ask LLMs for help with issues directly within their workflow.
written from the facts on this page · September 2026
From the sources
A command-line interface for LLMs written in Bash. - simonmysun/ell
In the maker’s words, at launch
Hi HN! I've created a CLI tool called "ell" that allows you to interact with LLMs directly from your terminal. Designed with the Unix philosophy in mind, ell is simple, modular, and extensible. You can easily pipe input and output to integrate with other tools. Its templates and hook-based plugins enable you to…
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