Link — Universal Alias Utility for Files and Commands

link is a minimalist and global utility for creating aliases that surpasses standard Bash alias and symlink mechanisms. It supports files, C/C++ code with automatic compilation, Linux commands, argument passing, and works in any shell (Bash, Zsh, Fish).

Key Features

Universality

Supports C files, other files, and commands.

Automatically compiles and runs C files with passed arguments.

Creates executable wrappers for commands that support arguments ("$@").

Global Mode

Using --global creates aliases in ~/.local/bin.

Aliases are available in any shell without ./

Alias History

All aliases are stored in ~/.link_aliases in the format:

alias = target_or_command

Easy to view all aliases or transfer them to another machine.

Argument Passing

All aliases automatically support argument passing.

Examples:

up -y
mbl input.txt
notes +10 ~/Documents

Shell Neutrality

Works in Bash, Zsh, Fish, and any POSIX terminals.

No additional shell configuration needed for commands and C files.

Automatic C File Compilation

Aliases for .c files compile them on-the-fly and execute.

Example:

link mbl = main_basic_lexer.c --global
mbl input.txt   # auto-compiles and runs

Support for Commands with Spaces and Paths

Can create aliases for complex commands:

link notes = "nano ~/Documents/notes.txt" --global
notes

Installation

Compile the utility:

gcc link.c -o link

(Optional) Add to PATH to avoid specifying the path:

mkdir -p ~/.local/bin
export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"

Usage

Create global alias for a command:

./link up = "sudo apt update" --global
up -y   # works in any shell

Create global alias for a C file:

./link mbl = main_basic_lexer.c --global
mbl input.txt   # auto-compiles and runs

Create local alias (works only in current directory):

./link notes = "nano ~/Documents/notes.txt"
./notes

Check alias history:

cat ~/.link_aliases
# mbl = main_basic_lexer.c
# up = sudo apt update

Advantages Over Standard Bash Methods

Feature	Bash alias	Symlink	link
Argument support	✅ (Limited)	❌	✅
C files with auto-compile	❌	❌	✅
Global availability	❌ (Per-shell)	✅	✅
Cross-shell support	❌ (Shell-specific)	✅	✅
Alias history	❌	❌	✅
Minimal configuration	❌ (Requires shell config)	✅	✅

Future Plans

Add --remove to delete aliases and clean history.

Add alias listing with link --list.

Integration with automation scripts and Makefiles.

Link makes working with aliases convenient, global, and transparent, combining the capabilities of aliases, symlinks, and wrapper scripts in a single tool.

Ferki-git-creator/link-cli-tool

Link — Universal Alias Utility for Files and Commands