> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.hermesvoice.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Terminal Commands

> Run shell commands with your voice.

## What it does

Terminal Commands execute shell commands on your Mac. Run scripts, manage files, control system settings, or automate development tasks—all with your voice.

<Warning>
  Terminal commands run with your user permissions. Be careful with destructive commands like `rm -rf`.
</Warning>

## Configuration

| Setting                     | Default        | Description                                    |
| --------------------------- | -------------- | ---------------------------------------------- |
| **Commands**                | Required       | List of shell commands to run                  |
| **Execution Mode**          | Background     | Background (silent) or Visual (shows terminal) |
| **Terminal App**            | System Default | Which terminal to use                          |
| **Working Directory**       | None           | Directory to run commands in                   |
| **Close Tab When Complete** | Off            | Auto-close terminal tab after running          |
| **Close Tab Delay**         | 2000ms         | Wait before closing                            |

***

## Execution modes

### Background (silent)

Commands run without opening a terminal window. Output is captured but not displayed.

**Use cases**:

* Quick file operations
* System commands
* Scripts that don't need interaction
* Automation that should be invisible

### Visual

Commands run in a terminal window you can see.

**Use cases**:

* Interactive commands
* Long-running processes
* Debugging scripts
* Commands where you want to see output

***

## Supported terminals

| Terminal     | Notes                        |
| ------------ | ---------------------------- |
| Terminal.app | macOS built-in, full support |
| iTerm        | Full support                 |
| Warp         | Keystroke fallback           |
| Hyper        | Keystroke fallback           |
| Alacritty    | Keystroke fallback           |
| kitty        | Keystroke fallback           |

***

## Environment variables

Your commands have access to special variables:

| Variable             | Description                                      |
| -------------------- | ------------------------------------------------ |
| `$HERMES_INPUT`      | Your transcription (the remainder after trigger) |
| `$HERMES_SCREENSHOT` | Path to screenshot (if captured)                 |

### Example: Use transcription in command

**Trigger**: "create file"
**Command**: `touch ~/Desktop/"$HERMES_INPUT".txt`

Say: "create file meeting notes"
Result: Creates `~/Desktop/meeting notes.txt`

***

## Examples

### Open project in VS Code

**Trigger**: "open project"
**Command**: `cd ~/projects/myapp && code .`

### Git status

**Trigger**: "git status"
**Command**: `git status`
**Mode**: Visual

### Create and open file

**Trigger**: "new note"
**Command**:

```bash theme={null}
touch ~/Desktop/note-$(date +%Y%m%d).txt && open ~/Desktop/note-$(date +%Y%m%d).txt
```

### Kill process by name

**Trigger**: "kill"
**Command**: `pkill -f "$HERMES_INPUT"`

Say: "kill chrome"
Result: Kills Chrome processes

### Copy text to clipboard

**Trigger**: "clip"
**Command**: `echo "$HERMES_INPUT" | pbcopy`

Say: "clip hello world"
Result: "hello world" copied to clipboard

***

## Command sequences

You can run multiple commands in sequence:

| Command         | Delay After |
| --------------- | ----------- |
| `cd ~/projects` | 0ms         |
| `git pull`      | 0ms         |
| `npm install`   | 0ms         |
| `npm run dev`   | 0ms         |

Each command runs after the previous one completes.

***

## Security warnings

Hermes warns about potentially dangerous commands:

| Pattern        | Risk                    |
| -------------- | ----------------------- |
| `rm -rf`       | Recursive deletion      |
| `sudo`         | Elevated privileges     |
| `mkfs`         | Filesystem formatting   |
| `dd if=`       | Disk operations         |
| `curl \| sh`   | Remote script execution |
| `wget \| bash` | Remote script execution |
| `shutdown`     | System shutdown         |
| `reboot`       | System restart          |

You can still run these commands, but Hermes will ask for confirmation.

***

## Creating a terminal trigger

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open Triggers">
    Go to **Settings → Triggers**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create new trigger">
    Click **+** or **New Trigger**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set the phrase">
    Enter your trigger phrase (e.g., "git status").
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose matching mode">
    **Exact** for simple commands, **Prefix** if you need input.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Select Terminal">
    Choose **Terminal Commands** as the action type.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add commands">
    Enter your shell commands. Add delays if needed.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set execution mode">
    Choose Background (silent) or Visual.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save">
    Click **Save**.
  </Step>
</Steps>

***

## Tips

* **Use background mode** for quick, non-interactive commands
* **Use visual mode** for long-running or interactive commands
* **Set working directory** to avoid `cd` commands
* **Use `$HERMES_INPUT`** to pass voice input to scripts
* **Test commands manually first** before creating triggers

***

## Related

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Keyboard Shortcuts" icon="keyboard" href="/triggers/types/keyboard-shortcuts">
    Simulate key presses instead.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Apple Shortcuts" icon="wand-magic-sparkles" href="/triggers/types/apple-shortcuts">
    Run Shortcuts app workflows.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>