Redefining Terminal UX — Kando Makes the Command Line as Simple as a Menu

What is it？

Kando is an intelligent, menu-based tool designed for command-line users. It transforms complex CLI operations into a visual, interactive menu system, making the terminal more accessible and user-friendly. The core idea behind Kando is “running commands like choosing from a menu,” helping users execute scripts, commands, or workflows in a more intuitive and efficient way. It’s especially useful for developers, DevOps engineers, and system administrators.

Key Features

🧭 Visual Command Menus: Define commonly used commands in YAML or JSON as hierarchical menus that users can easily navigate.
⚙️ Nested Workflow Structures: Supports multi-level submenus for building complex, yet organized task trees.
💬 Custom Descriptions & Hints: Each menu item can include user-friendly descriptions to clarify its purpose.
🔄 Cross-Platform Compatibility: Works on Linux, macOS, and Windows (via WSL), covering mainstream development environments.
📦 Local & Remote Command Execution: Execute tasks locally or remotely over SSH.
🔌 Plugin Architecture: Easily extendable to include quick actions for tools like Git, Docker, Kubernetes, and more.

How it works

Kando is built in Go, ensuring fast performance and excellent cross-platform support. Here’s a general overview of how it works:

Config File Parsing: Users define the menu structure and commands in YAML/JSON, which Kando loads and visualizes as a tree structure.
Terminal UI Interface: Uses a TUI (Text-based User Interface) to enable interactive navigation via arrow keys or number selections.
Command Executor: Executes predefined shell commands, scripts, or sub-tasks based on user selections.
Variable & Parameter Input: Supports prompts and dynamic variables, enabling parameterized command execution.
Flexible Output Options: Outputs results directly to the terminal or logs them for future reference.

This config-driven, interactive design allows users to manage command workflows without writing extensive custom logic.

Project Link

🔗 GitHub Repository:
https://github.com/kando-menu/kando

Application Scenarios

🖥️ DevOps Maintenance Menus: Create interactive menus for frequent deployment, monitoring, or troubleshooting tasks.
🧰 Developer Workflow Launcher: Bundle Git, Docker, build, test, and other tools into a simplified interface.
👨‍🏫 CLI Training Assistant: Provide new users with an easier way to learn and execute commands without memorizing syntax.
🚀 Visual Task Automation: Serve as a centralized launcher for team scripts and automations.
🧪 Environment Setup Guides: Guide users through environment configuration steps using an interactive menu system.