lowfat

Filter CLI output to reduce noise and LLM token usage

TLDR

Run a command through lowfat's default filter pipeline

$ lowfat git status

Show active filters and compression level for a command

$ lowfat info git

Display lifetime token savings

$ lowfat stats

Set the global compression level

$ lowfat level ultra

Prefix a one-off command at a specific level

$ LOWFAT_LEVEL=lite lowfat git log

Install the OpenCode plugin

$ lowfat opencode install

lowfat [options] command [args...]lowfat info [command] [options]lowfat stats [options]lowfat historylowfat level lite|balanced|ultralowfat hooklowfat shell-init zsh|bashlowfat plugin new namelowfat plugin doctorlowfat filter [options]

DESCRIPTION

lowfat is a lightweight Rust CLI that sits in front of shell commands and strips redundant output before it reaches a human or an AI coding agent. It targets the common case where tools such as git, docker, and ls emit verbose text that wastes context window space without adding decision value.The tool ships as a single binary with built-in processors and a plugin system. Plugins are .lf filter scripts stored under ~/.lowfat/plugins/; lowfat plugin new scaffolds a new one and lowfat plugin doctor validates installed plugins.Integration modes include direct prefixing (lowfat docker ps), shell hook injection via eval "$(lowfat shell-init zsh)" (auto-activates when CLAUDECODE=1, CODEX_ENV, or LOWFAT_ENABLE=1 is set), Claude Code PreToolUse hooks (lowfat hook), and an OpenCode plugin (lowfat opencode install). lowfat history ranks commands by potential savings so you can tune filters for your workflow.Compression levels (lite, balanced, ultra) control how aggressively output is trimmed. Configuration lives in ~/.lowfat and can be overridden per invocation with LOWFAT_LEVEL or --level.

PARAMETERS

--config

Print the full resolved configuration.

--explain

Show which filters ran and why (used with filter).

--audit

Include recent plugin execution details in stats.

--sub name

Select a plugin sub-pipeline (used with filter).

--level level

Override compression level for a single invocation (lite, balanced, ultra).

CONFIGURATION

~/.lowfat/

User configuration directory for pipeline definitions and plugins.

LOWFAT_LEVEL

Environment variable to force a compression level for one command.

LOWFAT_ENABLE=1

Force shell integration on even outside agent environments.

INSTALL

yay -S lowfat

CAVEATS

lowfat reduces tokens by removing detail; verify critical output with lowfat info or by running the underlying command without the prefix when debugging. Shell integration rewrites commands transparently, which can surprise users who forget it is active. Python-based plugins may require uv for dependency resolution (lowfat plugin doctor checks this).