lcl

Start interactive mode to browse commands, basics, and tips

$ lcl

$ lcl [grep]

$ lcl --list

$ lcl --version

$ lcl --list | grep [network]

lcl [command]
lcl [--list | -l]
lcl [--version | -v]
lcl [--help | -h]

lcl (Linux Command Library) is a native CLI application that provides offline access to over 6200 Linux command man pages, 23+ basic categories, and general terminal tips. It functions as an interactive terminal-based reference tool for Unix and Linux commands.
The application operates in two modes: interactive mode when run without arguments, presenting a navigable TUI (Terminal User Interface) with menus for commands, basics, and tips; and direct mode when given a command name argument, displaying that command's documentation immediately.
In interactive mode, the interface supports both arrow key navigation and vim-style keybindings (j/k for up/down). The search screen allows real-time filtering by typing characters. All content is bundled within the binary, requiring no internet connection.

command

Name of a Linux command to display directly. If an exact match is found, shows the command details. If multiple partial matches exist, lists them for selection.

List all available commands in the library. Useful for piping to other tools like grep.

Display the current version of Linux Command Library.

Show help information with usage examples.

Arrow Up / k

Move selection up

Move selection down

Select current item

Go back or exit

Scroll by page

Jump to start or end of list

Filter commands in search screen

The TUI requires a terminal that supports ANSI escape sequences. On Windows, raw mode input has limited support and falls back to line-based input. Some terminal emulators may not render the interface correctly if they lack proper escape sequence handling.

Linux Command Library originated as an Android app released on the Google Play Store and F-Droid, later expanding to iOS, desktop (via Compose Multiplatform), and the web. The native CLI version was added in 2025 using Kotlin/Native with the Mordant library for terminal rendering, providing a lightweight offline reference tool that runs directly in the terminal without requiring a JVM. The project maintains command documentation sourced from official man pages and the tldr-pages community project.

man(1), tldr(1), cheat(1), apropos(1)