Command Snippets

Save frequently used commands as reusable snippets and execute them with a single click from the terminal's snippet bar.

How Snippets Work

The snippet bar appears above the terminal input area. Each snippet displays a name and an execute button. Click the button to insert the command into the terminal, then press Enter to run it.

Creating a Snippet

Step by Step

1. Open the snippet manager from the snippet bar.
2. Click Create Snippet (or the "+" button).
3. Fill in the fields:
   • Name -- a short, descriptive label (e.g., "Check disk usage").
   • Group -- assign the snippet to a group for organization (e.g., "Monitoring", "Deployment").
   • Command -- the shell command or multi-command script to execute.
4. Save the snippet. It now appears in the snippet bar.

Example Snippets

Here are practical snippets worth creating:

Name	Command	Purpose
Disk Usage	df -h	Quick check of filesystem usage
Top Memory Processes	ps aux --sort=-%mem | head -20	Find the top 20 memory-consuming processes
Tail App Logs	tail -f /var/log/app/application.log	Live-follow application logs
Restart Nginx	sudo systemctl restart nginx && sudo systemctl status nginx	Restart and verify nginx status
Backup Config	cp /etc/nginx/nginx.conf /etc/nginx/nginx.conf.bak	Back up a config file before editing
Docker Cleanup	docker system prune -af --volumes	Remove unused Docker images, containers, and volumes

Macro Recording

Instead of typing commands manually, you can record a sequence of terminal operations and save them as a snippet automatically.

How to Record a Macro

1. Click the Record button in the snippet bar to start recording.
2. Execute the commands you want to capture in the terminal as you normally would.
3. Click Stop Recording when you are finished.
4. Chaterm generates a snippet from the recorded commands.
5. Give the snippet a name and group, then save it.

Macro recording is especially useful for capturing multi-step workflows that you perform regularly, such as deployment sequences or environment setup routines.

Managing Snippets

Command Groups

Organize snippets into groups to keep them manageable:

• Monitoring -- system status, logs, resource usage.
• Deployment -- build, deploy, rollback commands.
• Database -- backup, restore, query commands.
• Networking -- connectivity checks, firewall rules.

Editing and Deleting

• Click on a snippet to edit its name, group, or command.
• Delete snippets you no longer need to keep the snippet bar clean.

Tips

• Combine with AI. Use Chat to AI to generate a command, then save it as a snippet for future use.
• Use multi-command snippets. Chain commands with && to create reliable multi-step operations (the chain stops if any command fails).
• Name snippets clearly. Use descriptive names so you can identify them at a glance in the snippet bar.
• Avoid storing secrets. Never put passwords, tokens, or API keys directly in a snippet. Use environment variables or secret managers instead.

Security Notice

• Review snippet commands before executing them, especially after editing.
• Avoid including sensitive information (passwords, tokens) in command snippets.
• Verify destructive commands in a test environment before running them in production.
• Regularly audit your snippets and remove those you no longer need.