commandoo : GUI Linux Command Line Interface (CLI) Helper program written with 
Lazarus / free pascal

Free-as-in-Freedom, Written under GNU GPL license.

< change history at end >

=== 

Project is complete. Official release 1.0.0, August 2017

Downloads available in 'Downloads' folder here,
or at https://www.timepirate.org/downloads.html

===


This is a GUI program designed to help the newcomer (and 
veteran) with the Linux Command Line Interface (CLI). 

It was developed on 64 bit Kubuntu 14.04, and later development 
moved to Debian 8 (jessie). 

It has been tested on 64 bit Kubuntu 14.04, 32 bit Mint (17.2 Rafaela), 
and on Debian 9 (sid).


It is designed to be a 'helper' in the sense that one can store favorite / 
useful commands for quick retrieval and use later. It is designed to be a 
reference as well, it has a 'starter' database of 170+ Linux commands.

Notes and 'Threat Level' indexes are used to help the novice.

It can be helpful for veterans as well: store those complex, meter long, 
command lines here, no need to develop it again, simply search for it and 
use it as is or adapt it to the current issue.


This program is --NOT-- designed to be a terminal substitute... 

...However...

...it made no sense to simply make a DB program that has no other functionality.


So, you can run (most) commands from commandoo as well. And it has other 
features:

1) It can serve as a launcher program. Run gimp, geany, or whatever from the 
program with or without parameters. These 'detached' processes are listed and 
can be closed at will. These processes will 'live' only as long as the program 
is running, however, since the detached processes are children of the program, 
the processes die when the program is closed. To use this feature be sure the
command line has the option 'child proc' checked.

2) It supports ROOT su/sudo using the system's builtin kdesudo/su and gksudo/su. 
This is handy for mount and umount, etc.

3) It has partial support for linux builtin's, so far as to list their help 
contents and very very basic use. 

4) It supports input to the commands (stdin), if the command supports / uses 
stdin. This is useful, for instance, to test a grep statement repeatedly on the 
fly.

5) It supports variables and asks at run time for the values. Useful for mount 
commands of, for instance, tmpfs where the size of the mount varies.

6) Complex boolean searching is implemented.

7) It supports text based storage and sqlite databases, your choice. It supports 
unlimited databases as you like, simply create them at will. You can also convert 
one type to the other, merge databases, and compare databases.

8) It supports pipes natively: rsync -h | grep file. It supports (mostly) complex(er)
Linux commands by running it through a temporary shell.

9) It supports multiple languages (po files) if people are interested and 
nice enough to provide translations. Provided at official release are "Pyrate" and
"Wookie".

10) Output aims to be as informative as possible. Exit codes and exit status 
are given as well.

11) Help is written directly into the program through toggle-able mouseover 
hints. There are also many detailed descriptive messages displayed at mission 
critical points, many of these can be set to "not show anymore" once the user 
has read and understood them.

Current screenshots (png's) are here to have a peek at the interface.

As must be in these cases the use of this software is at your own risk. 

The Program is written in Pascal with the Lazarus Rapid IDE. 

If you find any bugs please let me know, I will attend to them as quickly and 
complelely as I can. Suggestions also welcome.


My gnuGPG key is 0x74E59DD3 2013-12-09 as JuliuS Inet (internet signing).


Thanks, enjoy.




Change History
--------------

2017: <later> August
===========================
>> Official release of commandoo v. 1.0.0


2017: August
===========================
>> Flatten the repository. The old code is unnecessary now.

>> Help! I can't stop!! Suddenly realized using edits for command lines is, uh,
a bit questionable. Now use scrolling memos. Also any place where there is a 
possibility that the entire entry can't be seen, double clicking shows the line
in a larger window. Oh. And a bug fix: sql db goto CL from top listbox in search 
results.


2017: July
===========================
>> Address issues found with qt versus gtk window systems. Tabs must be 
top or bottom (not left), onkeyup vs. onkeydown, hint cleanup, and other
minor issues.

>> discovered my custom color scheme simply incompatible with regard to 
disabling buttons. At times disabling works and at other times disabled
buttons still look enabled. So, color scheme now matches the users system
color scheme.

>> Fix issues found when testing under Debian 9. In particular the disabled 
buttons appearing enabled.

>> Translation implementation bug fixes.

>> Pyrate Translation and typo fixes.


2017: 21 July
===========================
>> Freeze (again). addressed some issues I that emerged in 32 bit versions.


2017: July
===========================
>> On testing in VM's I found some systems/desktops (yes, Mint Mate, I'm looking at you) do
not allow button color changes. This makes the program unusable as the buttons can be hard
or impossible to read. Set up so that default scheme is system default and have options for 
partial or full design colors.

>> Add a compare DB button. Safe because it does nothing to data and changes nothing in 
routines, and will be very handy.

>> fixed project files to handle a 32 bit compilation/build.

>> addressed issues re: sql db saving/converting speed and merge issue when merging TO a sql 
DB.

>> Final cleanup subject to testing.

>> Fix wrong assumption about accelerator keys, using numbers doesn't work well. Update all
.po files.

>> some cosmetics and new strings. In addition found that <ESC> chars in output cause problems, 
this has now been disallowed and such output is not printed to memo.


2017: 29 June
===========================
>> Final freeze in anticipation of first official release after some testing and finishing
up the default databases..


2017: June
===========================
>> Found fixed bad bug where saving changes to text files had been inadvertently 
shut off. Ouch.

>> Found and fixed, through translations, several bugs including a major Load Search
bug.

>> Go over translation details and test. Prepare a test "Wookie" language and use it
for testing and, it turns out, debugging!

>> General Cleanup: literal strings, shortcuts, old notes, etc.

>> Implement system to handle DPI's other than 96 ppi, this necessarily needed
internal (Options) font size adjuster.


2017: 11 June
===========================
>> freeze new features. Do all prep for official release: po files, exception 
testing, string literals, etc.


2017: June
===========================
>> add ability to copy search items from cmds to cmdlines and vice versa.

>> Analyzing and removing memory leaks part 2. All seem to be taken care of.

>> Bugs from recent improvements found and fixed. 

>> Merge DB bug found and fixed.

>> Analyzing and removing memory leaks part 1.

>> Ability to copy/merge a single Command to another DB Profile.

>> Option to allow multiple running copies of commandoo.

>> Paste Command and Command Line objects.


2017: May
===========================
>> UI Improvements RUN.

>> Option to use System Window theme colors fully implemented.

>> Optionally use a Manual Refresh of Favorites results.

>> Search Results displaying has been refactored.

>> Implementation of DB conversion and DB Merge.

>> Info/DB Server now assignable so that text <---> sql conversions can take place.


2017: May 03
===========================
>> Project complete. Will continue with testing/debugging. Then some bits and bobs before 
first official release.


2017: April/May
===========================
>> sql 99% debugged.

>> Integration complete. Text DB debugged, tested and functional. Yet to debug sql.

>> Text/sql DB integration Part 1 and part 2

>> Applying restructure to automate fields and so on. Program, at this time, is non-functioning.

>> Restructure DBStructure definition to auto-manage file/table names. Only tested with sql.

>> Cleaner cut: flesh out sql command routines and make field objects aware of 
whether they are internal use or not.

>> Rough cut: sqlite implementation begun, db/table creation, basic load lists. 
Nonfunctional right now but program can run without access violations.


2017: 17 March v. 0.1.5 <released>
===========================
>> Pre-Release 0.1.4 compiled and available for download. This one fixes
the issue of Child/Detached Processes freezing after some variable time.


2017: March
===========================
>> Add search to List Management to show which Commands use List Item.


2017: 2 February
===========================
>> Flatten Checkins because code base has changed so much and the old stuff
if completely unnecessary now. This is a better jump off point since the
program is now (semi) "complete". 


2017: 25 February v. 0.1.4 <released>
===========================
>> Pre-Release 0.1.4 compiled and available for download.