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🐚 Python-powered shell. Full-featured, cross-platform and AI-friendly.

Tools9.5k stars729 forksPythonNOASSERTIONUpdated today
Editor's note

Xonsh is a cross-platform shell where the command language is a superset of Python 3, allowing users to mix standard shell syntax like pipes and redirects with Python expressions, list comprehensions, and standard library calls in the same command line. It runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, BSD, Raspberry Pi, Nix, and several other environments including WSL and Flatpak. The shell is extended through a plugin system called xontribs, with available extensions covering terminal integrations for iTerm2, WezTerm, Kitty, and Hyper, as well as tools for Starship prompts, Jupyter, 1Password, history encryption, and AI assistants including a ChatGPT xontrib and a Claude Code integration. The project tags itself as Claude Code compatible, making it a viable interactive shell environment for developers running Claude Code workflows. Its primary audience includes Python developers, data engineers, DevOps and DevSecOps practitioners, and security automation engineers who want Python-native scripting without abandoning shell conventions.

ClaudeWave Trust Score
100/100
Verified
Passed
  • License: NOASSERTION
  • Actively maintained (<30d)
  • Healthy fork ratio
  • Clear description
  • Topics declared
  • Mature repo (>1y old)
Last scanned: 6/11/2026
Get started
Method: Clone
Terminal
git clone https://github.com/xonsh/xonsh
1. Clone the repository.
2. Follow the README for installation and usage instructions.
Use cases

Tools overview

Xonsh
=====

.. raw:: html

    <img src="https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/17418188?s=200&v=4" alt="Xonsh shell icon." align="left" width="100px">

**Xonsh** (sounds like "consh") is a full-featured and cross-platform Python-based shell. The language is a superset of Python 3 with seamless integration of shell functionality and commands. It works on all major platforms, including Linux, macOS, Windows, BSD, Jupyter, Android and Raspberry Pi.

.. raw:: html

    <br clear="left"/>

.. list-table::
   :widths: 1 1

   *  -  **Xonsh is the Shell**
      -  **Xonsh is Python**

   *  -  .. code-block:: shell

            cd $HOME

            id $(whoami) > ~/id.txt

            cat /etc/passwd | grep root

            $PROMPT = '@ '


      -  .. code-block:: python

            2 + 2

            var = "hello".upper()

            @.imp.json.loads('{"a":1}')

            [i for i in range(0,10)]

   *  -  **Xonsh is the Shell in Python**
      -  **Xonsh is Python in the Shell**

   *  -  .. code-block:: python

            len($(curl -L https://xon.sh))

            $PATH.append('/tmp')

            p'/etc/passwd'.read_text().find('usr')

            $(@json podman ps --format json)['ID']

      -  .. code-block:: python

            name = 'snail'
            echo @(name) > /tmp/@(name)

            with p'/tmp/dir'.mkdir().cd():
                touch @(input('File: '))

            aliases['e'] = 'echo @(2+2)'
            aliases['a'] = lambda args: print(args)

   *  -  **Xonsh is Everywhere**
      -  **Xonsh is an Ecosystem**

   *  -  .. code-block:: python

            $PATH
            # ['/bin', '/sbin']           # Linux
            # ['/homebrew/bin']           # macOS
            # ['/usr/local/bin']          # FreeBSD
            # ['/mnt/c/Windows/System32'] # WSL
            # [r'c:\Windows\System32']    # Windows
            # ['/nix/store/0-python/bin'] # Nix
            # ['/data/termux/usr/bin']    # Termux
            # ['/tmp/.mount_x/usr/bin/']  # AppImage
            # ['/app/bin']                # Flatpak

            $PATH = ['/my/own/path']


      -  .. code-block:: python

            xontrib load term_integration \
                         prompt_starship  \
                         powerline        \
                         dracula          \
                         chatgpt          \
                         django           \
                         jupyter          \
                         1password        \
                         github_copilot   \
                         history_encrypt

   *  -  **Xonsh is a Meta-Shell**
      -  **Xonsh is User-extensible**


   *  -  .. code-block:: python

            xontrib load sh \
                         fish_completer

            osqueryi ! SELECT platform FROM os_version

            def nudf(cmd):
                return @.imp.pandas.DataFrame(
                  $(@json nu -c @(cmd+'| to json')))
            nudf!(ls -la)

            aliases['ai'] = 'ollama run llama3'
            ai! how to remove images in podman

      -  .. code-block:: python

            @events.on_ptk_create
            def custom_keybindings(bindings, **kw):
                @bindings.add(Keys.ControlI)
                def say_whoami(event):
                    echo $(whoami)

            @events.on_postcommand
            def _prompt_err_cmd(cmd, rtn, out, ts):
                if rtn != 0:
                    $XONSH_PROMPT_NEXT_CMD = cmd.rstrip()

If you like xonsh, :star: the repo and spread the word about xonsh.

.. class:: center

    .. image:: https://img.shields.io/badge/Zulip%20Community-xonsh-green
            :target: https://xonsh.zulipchat.com/
            :alt: Join to xonsh.zulipchat.com

    .. image:: https://repology.org/badge/tiny-repos/xonsh.svg
            :target: https://repology.org/project/xonsh/versions
            :alt: repology.org

    .. image:: https://img.shields.io/badge/Docker%20Hub-xonsh-blue
            :target: https://hub.docker.com/u/xonsh
            :alt: hub.docker.com

    .. image:: https://img.shields.io/badge/AppImage-xonsh-lightblue
            :target: https://xon.sh/appimage.html
            :alt: AppImage

    .. image:: https://github.com/xonsh/xonsh/actions/workflows/test.yml/badge.svg
            :target: https://github.com/xonsh/xonsh/actions/workflows/test.yml
            :alt: GitHub Actions


First steps
***********

- `Installation <https://xon.sh/install.html>`_ - isolated environment, package, container or portable AppImage.
- `Tutorial <https://xon.sh/tutorial.html>`_ - step by step introduction in Xonsh.

Extensions
**********

Xonsh has an extension/plugin system.  We call these additions ``xontribs``.

- `Xontribs on Github <https://github.com/topics/xontrib>`_
- `Awesome xontribs <https://github.com/xonsh/awesome-xontribs>`_
- `Core xontribs <https://xon.sh/api/_autosummary/xontribs/xontrib.html>`_
- `Create a xontrib step by step from template <https://github.com/xonsh/xontrib-template>`_

Projects that use Xonsh or compatible
*************************************

- `Assistant <https://gitlab.com/waser-technologies/technologies/assistant>`_: An AI-powered shell with a full Xonsh terminal and a multi-agent LLM system.
- `CrateDB <https://github.com/crate>`_: The Database for Real-Time Analytics and Hybrid Search.
- `conda <https://conda.io/projects/conda/en/latest/>`_ and `mamba <https://mamba.readthedocs.io/en/latest/>`_: Cross-platform package managers.
- `Starship <https://starship.rs/>`_: Cross-shell prompt.
- `zoxide <https://github.com/ajeetdsouza/zoxide>`_: A smarter cd command.
- `gitsome <https://github.com/donnemartin/gitsome>`_: Supercharged Git/shell autocompleter with GitHub integration.
- `xxh <https://github.com/xxh/xxh>`_: Using Xonsh wherever you go through the SSH.
- `kash <https://github.com/jlevy/kash>`_: The knowledge agent shell.
- `Snakemake <https://snakemake.readthedocs.io/en/stable/snakefiles/rules.html#xonsh>`_: A workflow management system to create reproducible and scalable data analyses.
- `any-nix-shell <https://github.com/haslersn/any-nix-shell>`_: Xonsh support for the ``nix run`` and ``nix-shell`` environments of the Nix package manager.
- `lix <https://github.com/lix-project/lix>`_: A modern, delicious implementation of the Nix package manager.
- `x-cmd <https://www.x-cmd.com/>`_: x-cmd is a vast and interesting collection of tools guided by the Unix philosophy.
- `rever <https://regro.github.io/rever-docs/>`_: Cross-platform software release tool.
- `Regro autotick bot <https://github.com/regro/cf-scripts>`_: Regro Conda-Forge autoticker.

Jupyter-based interactive notebooks via `xontrib-jupyter <https://github.com/xonsh/xontrib-jupyter>`_:

- `Jupyter and JupyterLab <https://jupyter.org/>`_: Interactive notebook platform.
- `Euporie <https://github.com/joouha/euporie>`_: Terminal based interactive computing environment.
- `Jupytext <https://jupytext.readthedocs.io/>`_: Clear and meaningful diffs when doing Jupyter notebooks version control.

Compiling, packaging, or accelerating Xonsh:

- `AppImage <https://github.com/appimage>`_ is a format for distributing Linux applications and can be used to `create a standalone xonsh package <https://xon.sh/appimage.html>`_.
- `Nuitka <https://github.com/Nuitka/Nuitka>`_ is an optimizing Python compiler that can `build a native Xonsh binary <https://github.com/xonsh/xonsh/issues/2895#issuecomment-3665753657>`_.
- `RustPython <https://github.com/RustPython/RustPython/>`_ is a Python interpreter written in Rust that can `run xonsh on top of Rust <https://github.com/xonsh/xonsh/issues/5082#issue-1611837062>`_.


Welcome to the Xonsh shell community
************************************

The Xonsh shell is developed by a community of volunteers. There are a few ways to help out:

- Write a note or an article about Xonsh.
- Send a link to Xonsh to your favorite blogger.
- Add Xonsh support in third party tool: `package manager <https://github.com/topics/package-manager>`_, `terminal emulator <https://github.com/topics/terminal-emulators>`_, `console tool <https://github.com/topics/console>`_, `IDE <https://github.com/topics/ide>`_.
- Give a star to Xonsh repository and to `xontribs <https://github.com/topics/xontrib>`_ you like.
- Solve a `popular issue <https://github.com/xonsh/xonsh/issues?q=is%3Aissue+is%3Aopen+sort%3Areactions-%2B1-desc>`_ or `high priority issue <https://github.com/xonsh/xonsh/issues?q=is%3Aopen+is%3Aissue+label%3Apriority-high+sort%3Areactions-%2B1-desc>`_ or a `good first issue <https://github.com/xonsh/xonsh/issues?q=is%3Aopen+is%3Aissue+label%3A%22good+first+issue%22+sort%3Areactions-%2B1-desc>`_. You can start with the `Developer guide <https://xon.sh/devguide.html>`_. Feel free to use LLM e.g. `Github Copilot <https://github.com/copilot>`_.
- Take an `idea <https://github.com/xonsh/xontrib-template/issues?q=is%3Aopen+is%3Aissue+label%3Aidea+sort%3Areactions-%2B1-desc>`_ and `create a new xontrib <https://github.com/xonsh/xontrib-template#why-use-this-template>`_.
- Contribute to `Xonsh API <https://github.com/xonsh/xonsh/tree/main/xonsh/api>`_.
- Become Xonsh core developer by deep diving into xonsh internals. E.g. we feel a lack of Windows support.
- Test Xonsh with compiler, interpreter, optimizer and report upstream issues (e.g. `Nuitka <https://github.com/xonsh/xonsh/issues/2895#issuecomment-3665753657>`_, `RustPython <https://github.com/xonsh/xonsh/issues/5082#issue-1611837062>`_).
- Design more `logos and images <https://github.com/anki-code/xonsh-logo>`_, improve `Xonsh website <https://xon.sh/>`_ (`src <https://github.com/xonsh/xonsh/blob/12f12ce94f1b6c92218e22fbdaaa846e16ac8b2d/docs/_templates/index.html#L9>`_).
- `Become a sponsor to Xonsh <https://github.com/sponsors/xonsh>`_.

We welcome new contributors!

Credits
*******

- Thanks to `Zulip <https://zulip.com/>`_ for supporting the `Xonsh community <https://xonsh.zulipchat.com/>`_!
- Thanks to `HELLOTUX <https://www.h
anthropicclaudeclaude-codecmuxdata-engineeringdata-scientistsdevopsdevsecopshyperiterm2kittynixnixospython-automationraspberry-pisecurity-automationvscode-extensionweztermxonsh

What people ask about xonsh

What is xonsh/xonsh?

+

xonsh/xonsh is tools for the Claude AI ecosystem. 🐚 Python-powered shell. Full-featured, cross-platform and AI-friendly. It has 9.5k GitHub stars and was last updated today.

How do I install xonsh?

+

You can install xonsh by cloning the repository (https://github.com/xonsh/xonsh) or following the README instructions on GitHub. ClaudeWave also provides quick install blocks on this page.

Is xonsh/xonsh safe to use?

+

Our security agent has analyzed xonsh/xonsh and assigned a Trust Score of 100/100 (tier: Verified). See the full breakdown of passed checks and flags on this page.

Who maintains xonsh/xonsh?

+

xonsh/xonsh is maintained by xonsh. The last recorded GitHub activity is from today, with 71 open issues.

Are there alternatives to xonsh?

+

Yes. On ClaudeWave you can browse similar tools at /categories/tools, sorted by popularity or recent activity.

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