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Productivity

CLI-Anything

Builds a command-line version of desktop software so Claude can use it.

FreeOpen sourceBy Data Intelligence Lab at the University of Hong Kong (HKUDS)
View source

What is it?

Claude Code works best with command-line tools, the kind you type commands into rather than click. Most desktop software doesn't have one. CLI-Anything builds one for it: point it at an app's code and it runs a seven-step process that ends with a tested command-line tool and a skill telling Claude how to use it.

You may not need to build anything. Its CLI-Hub already lists ready-made ones for apps like GIMP, Blender, LibreOffice, Obsidian, Zotero and n8n, installed with one command, and a skill lets Claude find and install the right one for a task.

It's technical. Building a new one takes time and tokens, and many need the original app installed on your computer too.

Install in Claude Code

You need Python 3.10 or newer. In Claude Code run /plugin marketplace add HKUDS/CLI-Anything, then /plugin install cli-anything@cli-anything, then /cli-anything followed by the software's folder or repo. For ready-made ones, run pip install cli-anything-hub, then cli-hub list.

Try this prompt

Paste into Claude Code
Find appropriate CLI software in CLI-Hub and resize every image in ./products to 1080 by 1080 with a white background.

Who it's for

Confident Claude Code users who want it to drive desktop apps that have no API or connector.

Best for

  • Automating desktop apps
  • Batch image and document jobs
  • Apps with no connector
  • Research tools like Zotero

Why it made the list

It opens up desktop software Claude otherwise can't touch, and the hub means someone has often done the hard part already.

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