# Rich Enhanced Shell History

Context-based replacement/enhancement for zsh and bash shell history

:warning: *Work in progress*

## Motivation

When you exectue a command in zsh or bash following gets recorded to your shell history:

- Command itself
- Date
- Duration of the command (only in zsh and only if enabled)

But shell usage is contextual - you probably use different commands based on additional context:

- Current directory
- Current git repository/origin
- Previously executed commands
- etc ...

Additionally it's annoying to not have your shell history follow you accros your devices.
Have you lost you history when reinstalling? I personally think this is unacceptable in 2019.

Why not synchronize your shell history accross your devices and add some metadata to know where it came from:

- Hostname
- Username
- Machine ID

## What this project does

Legend:

- :heavy_check_mark: Implemented
- :white_check_mark: Implemented but there are issues
- :x: Not implemented
- :zzz: Future ideas - no short-terms plans to implement it
- :coffee: Working on it!

*NOTE: Features can change in the future*

- :heavy_check_mark: Record shell history with metadata
  - :heavy_check_mark: save it as JSON to `~/.resh_history.json`
  - save it to a database so we don't have to keep it all in memory

- :white_check_mark: Provide bindings for arrow keys - bindings are too slow in bash so they are disabled by default (in bash) when you install resh
  - :heavy_check_mark: imitate default behaviour (at first)
  - :zzz: provide enhanced behaviour
  - :heavy_check_mark: save additional metadata (e.g. command was recalled using arrow keys)

- :x: Provide an application like [hstr](https://github.com/dvorka/hstr/) that allows searching history records based on both the command and metadata
  - provide binding for Control+R

- :x: Synchronize recorded history between devices

- :x: Provide an API to make it possible to write other tools that use the recorded history

- :white_check_mark: Show cool graphs based on shell history

- :heavy_check_mark: Provide a tool to sanitize the recorded history

- :heavy_check_mark: Be compatible with zsh and bash

- :heavy_check_mark: Be compatible with Linux and macOS

## Data sanitization and analysis

In order to be able to develop a good history tool I will need to get some insight into real life shell and shell history usage patterns.

This is also my Master thesis so I need to be a bit scientific and base my design decisions on evidence/data.

Running `reshctl sanitize` creates a sanitized version of recorded history.  
In sanitized history, all sensitive information is replaced with its SHA1 hashes.

If you would consider supporting my research/thesis by sending me a sanitized version of your history then please give me some contact info using this form: https://forms.gle/227SoyJ5c2iteKt98

## Prereqisities

Standard stuff: `bash`, `curl`, `tar`, ...

Additional prerequisities: `bash-completion` (if you use bash)

## Installation

### Simplest

Run this command.

```sh
curl -s https://raw.githubusercontent.com/curusarn/resh/master/scripts/rawinstall.sh | bash
```

### Simple

1. Run `git clone https://github.com/curusarn/resh.git && cd resh`
2. Run `scripts/rawinstall.sh`

## Examples

Resh history is saved to `~/.resh_history.json`

Each line is a JSON that represents one executed command line.

This is how I view it `tail -f ~/.resh_history.json | jq` or `jq < ~/.resh_history.json`.  

You can install `jq` using your favourite package manager or you can use other JSON parser to view the history.

![screenshot](img/screen.png)

## Known issues

### Q: I use bash on macOS and resh doesn't work

**A:** You have to add `[ -f ~/.bashrc ] && . ~/.bashrc` to your `~/.bash_profile`.  

**Long Answer:** Under macOS bash shell only loads `~/.bash_profile` because every shell runs as login shell. I will definitely work around this in the future but since this doesn't affect many people I decided to not solve this issue at the moment.

## Issues

You are welcome to create issues: https://github.com/curusarn/resh/issues

## Uninstallation

You can uninstall this project at any time by running `rm -rf ~/.resh/`

You won't lose any recorded history by removing `~/.resh` directory because history is saved in `~/.resh_history.json`.