Getctx

getctx is a powerful and interactive command-line (CLI) tool, written in Go, designed to streamline the process of gathering and consolidating source code and text files into a single, cohesive context file.

What problem does it solve?

Have you ever found yourself manually copying and pasting content from multiple files just to provide context to a large language model (LLM) like GPT or Google AI Studio, create a detailed bug report, or prepare a code snippet for documentation? This process is often tedious, error-prone, and clutters your clipboard. You might forget key files or accidentally include irrelevant ones (like binaries or files from a .git directory).

How can getctx help?

getctx solves this problem by providing a fast and intuitive Terminal User Interface (TUI) that allows you to navigate your filesystem, interactively select the files and folders you need, and automatically concatenate their contents into a single output file (defaults to context.txt). The tool intelligently filters out non-text files and ignores common, unnecessary directories like node_modules or .git, ensuring the final context is clean and relevant.

By automating the context-gathering process, getctx helps you:

• Improve LLM Prompt Quality: Provide large, clean, and well-organized code snippets to AI models to get better results.
• Create Bug Reports Faster: Instantly package all relevant files needed to reproduce an issue.
• Streamline Documentation: Easily aggregate source code for technical documentation or tutorials.

Key Features

• Interactive TUI: Navigate your project using familiar keybindings in a modern and responsive terminal interface.
• Live Filtering: Instantly search and filter files and directories in the current view to find what you need quickly.
• Direct Path Input: Jump to any directory by typing or pasting its path directly in the terminal, complete with autocompletion support.
• Smart Selection: Select single files (space) or all visible items at once (Ctrl+A), even on a filtered list.
• Intelligent Exclusion: The tool automatically ignores irrelevant files and directories (e.g., .git, node_modules, dist, binaries, images) to keep your context clean.
• Modern Look & Feel: Built with Bubble Tea and Lipgloss, getctx offers a polished and enjoyable terminal experience.

Installation

Choose the installation method that suits you best. Using a package manager like Homebrew or Scoop is recommended for easy installation and automatic updates.

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macOS

The recommended way to install getctx on macOS is by using the Homebrew package manager.

1. Add the Tap (one-time setup): First, you need to add the repository containing the installation formula.

   brew tap kacperzielinskidev/tap

2. Install getctx: Now you can install the program.

   brew install getctx

Updating getctx in the future:

brew upgrade getctx

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Linux

You have a few options for installing on Linux.

Option A: Debian, Ubuntu, and derivatives (via .deb package)

This method uses your system's native package manager (dpkg/apt) and is recommended for Debian-based distributions. The script below will automatically download and install the latest .deb package.

curl -sL -o /tmp/getctx.deb $(curl -s https://api.github.com/repos/kacperzielinskidev/getctx/releases/latest | grep "browser_download_url.*amd64.deb" | cut -d '"' -f 4)

sudo dpkg -i /tmp/getctx.deb

(Note: For ARM-based systems like Raspberry Pi, replace amd64.deb in the script with arm64.deb)

Option B: Using Homebrew on Linux

If you already use Homebrew on Linux (Linuxbrew), you can follow the same instructions as for macOS:

brew tap kacperzielinskidev/tap

brew install getctx

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Windows (Scoop)

If you are a Windows user, the easiest way to install and manage getctx is with the Scoop package manager.

1. Add the Bucket (one-time setup): Open PowerShell and add the repository containing the app manifests.

   scoop bucket add kacperzielinskidev https://github.com/kacperzielinskidev/scoop-bucket.git

2. Install getctx: Now, install the package.

   scoop install getctx

Updating getctx in the future:

scoop update getctx

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Go Install

go install github.com/kacperzielinskidev/getctx/cmd/getctx@latest

The getctx binary will be placed in your $GOPATH/bin directory.

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Manual Installation

You can also download a pre-compiled binary for your operating system directly from the GitHub Releases page.

1. Go to the Latest Release page.
2. Download the appropriate archive (.zip or .tar.gz) for your OS and architecture.
3. Extract the archive.
4. Move the getctx (or getctx.exe) executable to a directory in your system's PATH (e.g., /usr/local/bin on Linux or a dedicated folder on Windows).

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If you find any bugs, you can send me a message at kacperzielinski.dev@gmail.com