Executable Markdown files with Unix pipes
I wanted to run markdown files like shell scripts. So I built an open source tool that lets you use a shebang to pipe them through Claude Code with full stdin/stdout support. task.md: #!/usr/bin/env claude-run Analyze this codebase and summarize the architecture. Then: chmod +x task.md ./task.md These aren't just prompts. Claude Code has tool use, so a markdown file can run shell commands, write scripts, read files, make API calls. The prompt orchestrates everything. A script that runs your tests and reports results (`run_tests.md`): #!/usr/bin/env…
In plain words
This open source tool makes markdown files executable like shell scripts using a shebang and Unix pipes. Users can write markdown files that pipe through Claude Code to perform tasks such as analyzing codebases, running tests, or processing data with full stdin/stdout support. The markdown files gain access to Claude's tool use capabilities, enabling them to run shell commands, write scripts, read files, and make API calls. Multiple files can be chained together in Unix pipelines, treating markdown documents as composable command-line programs.
written from the facts on this page · September 2026
From the sources
In the maker’s words, at launch
I wanted to run markdown files like shell scripts. So I built an open source tool that lets you use a shebang to pipe them through Claude Code with full stdin/stdout support. task.md: #!/usr/bin/env claude-run Analyze this codebase and summarize the architecture. Then: chmod +x task.md ./task.md These aren't just prompts. Claude Code has tool use, so a markdown file can run shell commands, write scripts, read files, make API calls. The prompt orchestrates everything. A script that runs your tests and reports results (`run_tests.md`): #!/usr/bin/env claude-run --permission-mode bypassPermissions Run ./test/run_tests.sh and summarize what passed and failed. Because stdin/stdout work like any Unix program, you can chain them: cat data.json | ./analyze.md > results.txt git log -10 | ./summarize.md ./generate.md | ./review.md > final.txt Or mix them with traditional shell scripts: for f in logs/\*.txt; do cat "$f" | ./analyze.md >> summary.txt done This replaced a lot of Python glue code for us. Tasks that needed LLM orchestration libraries are now markdown files composed with standard Unix tools. Composable as building blocks, runnable as cron jobs, etc. One thing we didn't expect is that these are more auditable (and shareable) than shell scripts. Install scripts like `curl -fsSL https://bun.com/install | bash` could become: `curl -fsSL https://bun.com/install.md | claude-run` Where install.md says something like "Detect my OS and architecture, download the right binary from GitHub releases, extract to ~/.local/bin, update my shell config." A normal human can actually read and verify that. The (really cool) executable markdown idea and auditability examples are from Pete Koomen (@koomen on X). As Pete says: "Markdown feels increasingly important in a way I'm not sure most people have wrapped their heads around yet." We implemented it and added Unix pipe semantics. Currently works with Claude Code - hoping to support other AI coding tools too. You can also route scripts through different cloud providers (AWS Bedrock, etc.) if you want separate billing for automated jobs. GitHub: https://github.com/andisearch/claude-switcher What workflows would you use this for?
More dev tools this month
the category →
Open-source GTM skills for technical founders
Dev tools · 29d ago · gtmcofounder.com
OpenTrailPaper is open-source bike computer firmware for the LilyGO T5S3 4.7" E-Paper PRO. It supports offline maps, GPX routes, FIT recording and Bluetooth sensors.
Dev tools · 1d ago · opentrailpaper.com
Launched alongside, January 2026
the whole month →- IN
Hey HN! I wanted to share something I built over the last few weeks: isometric.nyc is a massive isometric pixel art map of NYC, built with nano banana and coding agents. I didn't write a single line of code. Of course no-code doesn't mean no-engineering. This project took a lot more manual labor than I'd hoped! I wrote a deep dive on the workflow and some thoughts about the future of AI coding and creativity: http://cannoneyed.com/projects/isometric-nyc
AI · Jan 2026 · cannoneyed.com
Automatic AI-powered code reviews the moment you open a PR
Dev tools · Jan 2026 · kilo.ai
