LLM CLI helper script

A Bash script for running llm with templates, prompts, and models. It’s flexible. You can start a new chat, continue an old one, or use a template. It works with plain prompts or lets you write in your editor.

What it does

If you use -c, it continues the last chat. You can give a prompt or write one in your editor.

If you use -m model, it picks that model for llm.

If you give one word (like linuxcmd), it treats it as a template and asks for your prompt in the editor.

If you give a sentence, it treats it as a prompt and sends it to llm.

If you give no arguments, it opens your editor for a prompt and starts a new chat.

If you give two arguments, the first is the template, the second is the prompt.

Examples

Command	What it does
amsh_llm_chat.sh -c -m gpt-4.1 "your prompt"	Continues previous chat with model gpt-4.1, sends prompt
amsh_llm_chat.sh linux "your prompt"	Uses template linux, sends prompt
amsh_llm_chat.sh linuxcmd	Uses template linuxcmd, opens editor for prompt
amsh_llm_chat.sh "Write a story about a cat"	Sends prompt directly, starts new chat
amsh_llm_chat.sh -c -m gpt-4.1	Continues previous chat with model gpt-4.1, opens editor for prompt
amsh_llm_chat.sh -m gpt-4.1	Starts new chat with model gpt-4.1, opens editor for prompt

Dependencies

You need these tools installed:

llm (https://github.com/simonw/llm)
sd (https://github.com/chmln/sd)

A text editor set in $EDITOR (like vim, nano, or code)

Works with Bash on Linux.

Script

#!/usr/bin/env bash

# amsh_llm_chat.sh
#
# Launch llm chat with flexible argument parsing for template, prompt, and model.
#
# USAGE:
#   amsh_llm_chat.sh [-c] [-m model] [prompt]
#   amsh_llm_chat.sh <template> [prompt]
#
# ARGUMENTS:
#   -c           Use llm -c (template ignored). Prompt can be provided or entered via editor.
#   -m model     Specify model to use with llm (-m <model>)
#   <template>   Template name for llm (single word, if only one argument and no -c)
#   [prompt]     Prompt to send to llm (if only one argument and contains spaces, template is ignored)
#
# BEHAVIOR:
#   - If -c is provided, template is ignored. Prompt can be provided or entered via editor.
#   - If only one non-switch argument:
#       - If it is a single word (A-Za-z_-), it is treated as template. Editor opens for prompt.
#       - If it contains spaces, it is treated as prompt and sent directly to llm.
#   - If no arguments, opens $EDITOR for prompt and sends to llm (starts new chat).
#   - If two or more arguments, first is template, second is prompt (llm -t <template>).
#
# EXAMPLES:
#   amsh_llm_chat.sh -c -m gpt-4.1 "your prompt"
#   amsh_llm_chat.sh linux "your prompt"
#   amsh_llm_chat.sh grammar
#   amsh_llm_chat.sh "Write a story about a cat"
#   amsh_llm_chat.sh -c -m gpt-4.1
#   amsh_llm_chat.sh -m gpt-4.1
#
set -euo pipefail






show_help() {
  echo "Usage: $0 [-c] [-m model] [prompt] | <template> [prompt]"
  echo "  -c           Use llm -c (template ignored) to continue with previous chat."
  echo "               Prompt can be provided or entered via editor."
  echo "  -m model     Specify model to use with llm (-m <model>)"
  echo "  [prompt]     Prompt to send to llm (if only one argument, template is ignored)"
  echo "  <template>   Template name for llm (required if two arguments and no -c)"
  echo "If no arguments, opens $EDITOR for prompt and sends to llm without template."
}






# Argument parsing for -c and -m flags
USE_C=false
MODEL=""
ARGS=()
while [[ $# -gt 0 ]]; do
  case "$1" in
    -c)
      USE_C=true
      shift
      ;;
    -m)
      MODEL="$2"
      shift 2
      ;;
    *)
      ARGS+=("$1")
      shift
      ;;
  esac
done

if [[ "${ARGS[0]-}" == "-h" || "${ARGS[0]-}" == "--help" ]]; then
  show_help
  exit 0
fi


LLM_MODEL_ARG=""
if [[ -n "$MODEL" ]]; then
  LLM_MODEL_ARG="-m $MODEL"
fi

if $USE_C; then
  if [[ ${#ARGS[@]} -ge 1 ]]; then
    PROMPT="${ARGS[0]}"
    llm -c "$PROMPT" $LLM_MODEL_ARG | sd
  else
    TMPFILE="$(mktemp /tmp/llm_prompt.XXXXXX)"
    trap 'rm -f "$TMPFILE"' EXIT
    ${EDITOR:-vi} "$TMPFILE"
    if [[ ! -s "$TMPFILE" ]]; then
      echo "Prompt is empty. Aborting."
      exit 2
    fi
    PROMPT="$(cat "$TMPFILE")"
    llm -c "$PROMPT" $LLM_MODEL_ARG | sd
  fi
elif [[ ${#ARGS[@]} -eq 1 ]]; then
  ARG1="${ARGS[0]}"
  if [[ "$ARG1" =~ ^[A-Za-z_-]+$ ]]; then
    # Single word: treat as template, open editor for prompt
    TEMPLATE="$ARG1"
    TMPFILE="$(mktemp /tmp/llm_prompt.XXXXXX)"
    trap 'rm -f "$TMPFILE"' EXIT
    ${EDITOR:-vi} "$TMPFILE"
    if [[ ! -s "$TMPFILE" ]]; then
      echo "Prompt is empty. Aborting."
      exit 2
    fi
  cat "$TMPFILE" | llm -t "$TEMPLATE" $LLM_MODEL_ARG | sd
  rm -f "$TMPFILE"
  else
    # Multiple words: treat as prompt
    PROMPT="$ARG1"
    llm "$PROMPT" $LLM_MODEL_ARG | sd
  fi
elif [[ ${#ARGS[@]} -eq 0 ]]; then
  TMPFILE="$(mktemp /tmp/llm_prompt.XXXXXX)"
  trap 'rm -f "$TMPFILE"' EXIT
  ${EDITOR:-vi} "$TMPFILE"
  if [[ ! -s "$TMPFILE" ]]; then
    echo "Prompt is empty. Aborting."
    exit 2
  fi
  cat "$TMPFILE" | llm $LLM_MODEL_ARG | sd
  rm -f "$TMPFILE"
elif [[ ${#ARGS[@]} -ge 2 ]]; then
  TEMPLATE="${ARGS[0]}"
  PROMPT="${ARGS[1]}"
  echo "$PROMPT" | llm -t "$TEMPLATE" $LLM_MODEL_ARG | sd
else
  show_help
  exit 1
fi

munim/llm_chat.md

LLM CLI helper script

What it does

Examples

Dependencies

Script