mkscript

mkscript creates complete, editable command-script, Bash, Dockerfile, Docker Compose, Kubernetes, Terraform, Ansible, and Helm starters without overwriting existing paths. It uses native Bash on Linux/macOS and a native PowerShell implementation on Windows.

Quick links: INSTALL.md | Public install site | Releases | Checksums | Official packaging guide

Install

macOS with Homebrew:

brew install seriousCoding/tap/mkscript

Debian and Ubuntu:

curl -LO https://github.com/seriousCoding/mkscript/releases/latest/download/mkscript.deb
sudo apt install ./mkscript.deb

Windows (PowerShell):

winget install --id seriousCoding.mkscript --exact
# or
choco install mkscript -y

The catalog commands become available after their initial WinGet and Chocolatey submissions are approved. The direct installer works immediately from a published GitHub release:

irm https://raw.githubusercontent.com/seriousCoding/mkscript/main/install.ps1 | iex

Open a new terminal after a direct installation, then run mkscript --version. To remove it later, run %LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\mkscript\uninstall.cmd.

Fedora:

curl -LO https://github.com/seriousCoding/mkscript/releases/latest/download/mkscript.rpm
sudo dnf install ./mkscript.rpm

RHEL, Rocky Linux, AlmaLinux, and other yum-based systems:

curl -LO https://github.com/seriousCoding/mkscript/releases/latest/download/mkscript.rpm
sudo yum install ./mkscript.rpm

Verify the install:

mkscript --version
mkscript --help

For versioned package links, checksum verification, and platform-specific notes, see INSTALL.md and the public install page.

Features

• On Linux and macOS, creates Bash starter files by default with #!/usr/bin/env bash and the standard metadata header.
• On Windows, creates .cmd starter files by default with @echo off and the same metadata header rendered as rem comments.
• -s and --strict add set -euo pipefail for Bash on Linux/macOS and setlocal EnableExtensions EnableDelayedExpansion for .cmd on Windows.
• --template terraform, --template ansible, --template dockerfile (or docker), --template docker-compose, and --template helm work on every platform.
• Built-in Kubernetes starter templates work on every platform for k8s-namespace, k8s-pod, k8s-deployment, k8s-service, k8s-configmap, k8s-secret, k8s-ingress, k8s-networkpolicy, k8s-serviceaccount, k8s-role, k8s-rolebinding, k8s-clusterrole, k8s-clusterrolebinding, k8s-persistentvolume, k8s-persistentvolumeclaim, k8s-storageclass, k8s-statefulset, k8s-daemonset, k8s-job, k8s-cronjob, and k8s-horizontalpodautoscaler.
• Windows supports cmd plus the non-script templates above. It does not support --template bash.
• -g, -c, -r, and -mv manage Bash symlinks on Linux/macOS and managed .cmd wrappers on Windows.
• -f and --files list or look up platform-native commands and files.
• Omitted template targets use a standard name and require confirmation. Explicit extensionless targets add the template extension except Dockerfiles and Helm chart directories.
• Refuses to overwrite existing files, chart directories, symlinks, directories, or managed wrapper paths.
• Ships with tests, a man page, Debian packaging, RPM packaging, Homebrew support, and GitHub Actions automation.
• Generates WinGet and Chocolatey metadata and can publish catalog updates from tagged releases when repository credentials are configured.

Usage

When no target is supplied, mkscript prompts before creating the standard target and prints the explicit alternative. For example, mkscript -t docker creates Dockerfile after confirmation and prints mkscript -t docker Dockerfile. Declining leaves the filesystem unchanged.

Template	Default target	Extension added to explicit extensionless targets
Bash (Unix)	script.sh	.sh when -t bash is selected; the default mkscript NAME keeps the supplied Unix script name for compatibility
CMD (Windows)	script.cmd	.cmd
Terraform	main.tf	.tf
Ansible	site.yml	.yml
Dockerfile / Docker	Dockerfile	none
Docker Compose	docker-compose.yml	.yml
Kubernetes	resource name plus .yaml	.yaml
Helm	chart directory	none

mkscript hello-world

On Linux and macOS this creates ./hello-world with:

#!/usr/bin/env bash
# Script: hello-world
# Description:
# Created: YYYY-MM-DD
# Creator: login-user

On Windows the same command creates .\hello-world.cmd with @echo off followed by the same metadata header in rem comments.

Strict mode:

mkscript --strict deploy.sh

This creates:

#!/usr/bin/env bash
# Script: deploy.sh
# Description:
# Created: YYYY-MM-DD
# Creator: login-user
set -euo pipefail

On Windows, mkscript --strict deploy creates deploy.cmd and adds setlocal EnableExtensions EnableDelayedExpansion after the metadata header.

Terraform starter:

mkscript --template terraform main.tf

This creates:

# File: main.tf
# Description:
# Created: YYYY-MM-DD
# Creator: login-user

terraform {
  required_version = ">= 1.0.0"
}

Ansible starter:

mkscript site.yml --template ansible

This creates:

# File: site.yml
# Description:
# Created: YYYY-MM-DD
# Creator: login-user

---
- name: site.yml
  hosts: all
  gather_facts: false
  tasks: []

Dockerfile starter:

mkscript --template docker

Docker Compose starter:

mkscript --template docker-compose

Kubernetes Deployment starter:

mkscript --template k8s-deployment deployment.yaml

Helm chart starter:

mkscript --template helm service-chart
helm lint service-chart
helm template service-chart service-chart

The generated chart includes Chart.yaml, values.yaml, .helmignore, helpers, deployment, service, service account, ingress, autoscaling, network policy, persistent volume claim, config map, secret, notes, and a Helm test pod. Values expose image, service, resources, security contexts, ingress, persistence, autoscaling, network policy, configuration, secret references, and scheduling controls.

Docker Compose includes a service, restart policy, health check, resource limits, named volume, and named bridge network. Kubernetes templates include a complete editable manifest for each supported resource; update cluster-specific values such as ingress classes, storage provisioners, host paths, and credentials before applying them.

Global shortcut:

mkscript test -g

On Linux and macOS this creates ./test and a symlink at ~/.local/bin/test pointing back to it.

On Windows this creates test.cmd plus a command wrapper in %LOCALAPPDATA%\mkscript\bin. Add that directory to PATH once; wrappers do not require symlink privileges.

Flags can be mixed in either order:

mkscript -g test -s
mkscript -s test -g

Both commands create the same strict-mode script and global shortcut or wrapper.

Link an existing local script later:

mkscript -g test
mkscript test.sh -g

If the local path already exists, mkscript asks for confirmation before it creates the shortcut or wrapper and does not rewrite the file.

Check whether a global shortcut or wrapper already exists:

mkscript -c test
mkscript test -c

If the shortcut or wrapper exists, mkscript prints its path and exits successfully.

Remove an existing global shortcut or wrapper later:

mkscript -r test
mkscript test -r

mkscript asks for confirmation before it removes the shortcut or wrapper.

List matching files under the current folder tree:

mkscript -f

Limit file listing to the current folder only:

mkscript -f 0

Limit file listing to one subfolder deep:

mkscript --files 1

Look up one or more commands or filenames and print the resolved location plus its parent directory:

mkscript -f bash README.md

Look up names from a pipe:

printf '%s\n' bash README.md | mkscript -f

Lookup mode prints a table with QUERY, FOUND, TYPE, LOCATION, and DIRECTORY.

On Linux and macOS, listing mode prints a table like:

PATH                  KIND     EXEC  GLOBAL
./scripts/build.sh    sh+exec  yes   no
./hooks/pre-commit    exec     yes   yes
./tools/deploy.sh     sh       no    yes

On Windows, listing mode prints PATH and KIND for files such as .cmd, .bat, .ps1, and .sh.

Move an existing script to a new path:

mkscript -mv test deploy

mkscript asks for confirmation before moving. If the target is an existing directory, it retains the source basename, so mkscript -mv myfile myscripts moves myfile to myscripts/myfile.

If test already had a managed global shortcut or wrapper, mkscript moves the local file, removes the old shortcut or wrapper, and creates a new one for deploy. On Linux and macOS it preserves the source permission mode unless -g is supplied; -mv -g makes the moved target executable before creating its global shortcut.

Create a new global shortcut or wrapper during the move even when the source was not linked before:

mkscript -mv test deploy -g

Other commands:

mkscript --help
mkscript --version

Template selection also works in either order:

mkscript --template terraform main.tf
mkscript main.tf -t terraform
mkscript -t ansible site.yml
mkscript site.yml --template ansible
mkscript --template dockerfile Dockerfile
mkscript deployment.yaml --template k8s-deployment

Exit codes

• 0: success
• 64: command-line usage error
• 1: checked or removal target was not present, or one or more lookup names were not found
• 73: could not create the requested script safely

Global mode notes

• Linux and macOS create POSIX symlinks and otherwise retain their existing behavior.
• Windows creates managed .cmd wrappers in %LOCALAPPDATA%\mkscript\bin (override with MKSCRIPT_BIN_DIR). -c, -r, and -mv inspect, remove, and update those wrappers.
• -g and --global use the script basename for the shortcut name.
• On Linux and macOS, global shortcuts are supported only for the Bash template.
• On Windows, wrapper creation for a new file is supported only for the cmd template.
• If the requested path does not exist yet, -g creates the new Bash file and its global shortcut on Linux/macOS, or the new .cmd file and its wrapper on Windows.
• If the requested path already exists locally, -g switches to existing-file link mode, prompts for confirmation, and creates only the global shortcut or wrapper.
• Existing-file global mode does not rewrite the local file.
• Existing-file global mode requires a local path that already exists and is not a directory.
• Existing-file global mode cannot be combined with -s.
• -mv ... -g creates a new global shortcut or wrapper for the move target even when the source was not linked already. On Linux/macOS it also makes the moved target executable.
• Every -mv operation asks for confirmation and accepts an existing directory target, retaining the source basename inside that directory.
• On Linux, mkscript uses ~/.local/bin for global shortcuts.
• On macOS, mkscript prefers a personal *local*/bin or ~/bin entry already on PATH, then falls back to ~/.local/bin.
• On Windows, mkscript uses %LOCALAPPDATA%\mkscript\bin unless MKSCRIPT_BIN_DIR is set.
• Existing files, symlinks, or wrappers at that global path are never overwritten.
• The chosen global bin directory needs to be on your PATH if you want to run the shortcut directly.

Link management notes

• -c checks for the expected global shortcut or wrapper and prints the resolved path when it exists.
• -r prompts before removing the managed symlink or wrapper.
• -r only removes managed symlinks on Linux/macOS and managed wrappers on Windows. It refuses to delete unrelated paths at the global location.
• -c resolves the Bash symlink name on Linux/macOS and the .cmd wrapper name on Windows.
• On Windows, -c cannot be combined with -g or -s.

Files mode notes

• -f and --files scan the current folder and all subdirectories by default.
• -f 0 limits the scan to the current folder only.
• -f 1 through -f 9 include that many subfolder levels.
• -f name1 [name2 ...] switches to lookup mode for one to nine names.
• printf '%s\n' name1 name2 | mkscript -f also uses lookup mode from newline-separated stdin.
• Quoted shell-style glob patterns like mkscript -f 'install-wifi*' are supported in lookup mode.
• Quote glob patterns so your shell passes them to mkscript unchanged.
• On Linux and macOS, a file is listed if it ends with .sh, is executable, or is the local target of a managed global symlink.
• On Windows, a file is listed if it ends with .cmd, .bat, .ps1, or .sh.
• On Linux and macOS, PATH shows the relative file path, KIND is sh, exec, sh+exec, or file, EXEC shows whether the file is executable, and GLOBAL shows whether a managed global symlink points to that local file.
• On Windows, listing mode prints PATH and KIND, where KIND is the extension without the leading dot.
• Unreadable folders are skipped quietly so protected macOS paths do not clutter the output.
• Lookup mode prints QUERY, FOUND, TYPE, LOCATION, and DIRECTORY.
• Lookup mode checks an exact path first, then exact or pattern command matches on PATH, then current-tree and wider filename matches.
• Lookup mode returns the first resolved match for each query.
• Lookup mode returns 0 only when every requested name is found, and 1 when any requested name is missing.
• Lookup mode accepts at most nine names total across arguments and piped stdin.
• A single numeric argument from 0 to 9 keeps its depth meaning; if you need lookup input from stdin, do not combine it with a depth argument.
• -f is read-only and cannot be combined with --template, -g, -mv, -s, -c, or -r.

Quoted glob lookup example:

mkscript -f 'install-wifi*'

Move mode notes

• -mv supports the Bash template on Linux/macOS and the cmd template on Windows.
• -mv moves the existing local file instead of rewriting its contents.
• On Linux and macOS, -mv preserves the source file's permission mode on the moved target.
• If the source had a managed global shortcut or wrapper, -mv removes the old one and recreates it for the target basename.
• -mv can be combined with -g to create a new global shortcut or wrapper for an unlinked source.
• -mv cannot be combined with -s, -c, or -r.

Template notes

• On Linux and macOS, --template bash is the default behavior.
• On Windows, --template cmd is the default behavior.
• --template terraform creates a non-executable .tf starter file.
• --template ansible creates a non-executable YAML playbook starter file.
• --template dockerfile creates a non-executable Dockerfile starter.
• --template docker-compose creates a non-executable Compose YAML starter.
• Built-in Kubernetes templates on every platform are k8s-namespace, k8s-pod, k8s-deployment, k8s-service, k8s-configmap, k8s-secret, k8s-ingress, k8s-networkpolicy, k8s-serviceaccount, k8s-role, k8s-rolebinding, k8s-clusterrole, k8s-clusterrolebinding, k8s-persistentvolume, k8s-persistentvolumeclaim, k8s-storageclass, k8s-statefulset, k8s-daemonset, k8s-job, k8s-cronjob, and k8s-horizontalpodautoscaler.
• On Linux and macOS, -s, -g, -mv, -c, and -r are Bash-only options.
• On Windows, -s applies to the cmd template, -g, -mv, -c, and -r apply to the wrapper workflow, and --template bash is not supported.

Build and test

make test

Optional shell linting:

make lint

Packaging

Local package builds use Linux tooling. On macOS, the supplied scripts run those builds in Docker.

make package

Artifacts are written to dist/:

• mkscript-<version>.tar.gz
• mkscript_<version>-1_all.deb
• mkscript-<version>-1.fc42.noarch.rpm
• mkscript-<version>-1.fc42.src.rpm
• mkscript.tar.gz
• mkscript.deb
• mkscript.rpm
• mkscript.src.rpm
• mkscript.rb
• Debian build metadata and .changes files
• checksums and build metadata

Install from release artifacts

Debian and Ubuntu:

sudo apt install ./mkscript_<version>-1_all.deb

Fedora:

sudo dnf install ./mkscript-<version>-1.fc42.noarch.rpm

RHEL, Rocky Linux, AlmaLinux, and systems using yum:

sudo yum install ./mkscript-<version>-1.fc42.noarch.rpm

Stable GitHub download URLs

These alias filenames stay the same across releases, so users can keep the same GitHub download command:

Debian and Ubuntu:

curl -LO https://github.com/seriousCoding/mkscript/releases/latest/download/mkscript.deb
sudo apt install ./mkscript.deb

Fedora:

curl -LO https://github.com/seriousCoding/mkscript/releases/latest/download/mkscript.rpm
sudo dnf install ./mkscript.rpm

RHEL, Rocky Linux, AlmaLinux, and systems using yum:

curl -LO https://github.com/seriousCoding/mkscript/releases/latest/download/mkscript.rpm
sudo yum install ./mkscript.rpm

Documentation

• INSTALL.md: direct install commands for macOS, Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, RHEL, Rocky Linux, and AlmaLinux
• https://seriouscoding.github.io/install/: public install landing page
• docs/official-package-inclusion.md: Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, and EPEL inclusion path
• GitHub releases: packaged downloads and source archives
• SHA256SUMS: current release checksums

Repository layout

• src/: CLI source template
• test/: automated tests
• debian/: Debian packaging
• packaging/rpm/: RPM spec
• docs/: project documentation, including distro inclusion guidance
• scripts/: build, packaging, and checksum helpers

Release automation

• .github/workflows/ci.yml runs tests and shell linting.
• .github/workflows/tag-from-version.yml takes a successful main CI result, bumps the patch version, syncs release metadata, commits chore(release): vX.Y.Z, creates the matching tag, and explicitly starts the release workflow.
• .github/workflows/release.yml builds release artifacts, publishes them for the matching vX.Y.Z tag, and can update the Homebrew tap when a token is configured.