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a-Shell mini

a-Shell mini

*Local* Unix terminal (& ssh)

14 ratings
86 reviews
#49 in free Developer Tools
📚 Education
🛠️ Developer Tools
Free

Details

  • Released
  • Updated
  • December 9, 2020
  • July 2, 2026

Features

Developer

Nicolas Holzschuch
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a-Shell mini screenshot #1 for iPhone
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iphone
ipad
📈no. 49
Charts↘︎
⭐86
Reviews↘︎
📝17+ tags
Tags↘︎
🔄6+ apps
Alternatives↘︎
❓5 answered
FAQ↘︎
📦~ in 2 weeks
Updates frequency↘︎
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About

Run Unix commands locally on your iOS device with a powerful terminal emulator. Supports file transfer, editing, scripting with Python and Lua, and network utilities. Integrates with Shortcuts and supports multiple windows for multitasking.

✓Local Unix terminal emulator
✓SSH client
✓File transfer (scp, curl)
✓Text editing (vim, ed)
✓Scripting (Python, Lua, JavaScript)
✓Network utilities (nslookup, ping)
✓Shortcuts integration
✓Multi-window support
Show original description

What's New in a

2.1.0

July 2, 2026

- fixed a major cause of crash at startup - $TERM is now xterm-256colors (it enables many more options in curses) - store bookmarks for already accessible directories - get the volume name as a bookmark when you select a mounted device with pickFolder - fixed issues with reloading in internalbrowser - added more optional entitlements for interacting with the system using pyobjc

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Charts

Top Free

📈 49+2

Developer Tools

This app rose +2 positions in Developer Tools chart.

Last updated on July 19, 2026.

User reviews

Most RecentHighest RatedLowest Rated

字体

字体大小没法调节
Anonymousl234Anonymousl234

Response from developer

Try "config -s " followed by the new size.

Bad update (temporarily, it's fixed!)

Edit: Great developer, it's fixed! 5 stars 🤩

This app and the full a-shell are amazing. The recent update to version 2 makes the keyboard icons comically large on the left side and unusable on the right side. Of course apple doesn't allow us consumers to install a previous version of the app so I'm stuck with this unwanted change. Please add option to use old keyboard buttons, the new ones are such a disaster.
Show more
brucebruce10brucebruce10

Response from developer

I don’t understand the issue that you describe (and it doesn’t happen on my test devices). If you could send a more detailed description with screenshots to another_shell@icloud.com? (Or using any of the bug reporting methods detailed in “help”)

What would be the root password?

It doesn’t know what is “sudo”. How can I install something with “sudo apt-get install”?
rsumon26rsumon26

Response from developer

There is no way to sudo here. a-Shell is using your iPhone filesystem. Sudo would give you the ability to destroy your phone. You can install packages with “pkg”.

Bad update

This app and the full a-shell are amazing. The recent update to version 2 makes the keyboard icons comically large on the left side and unusable on the right side. Of course apple doesn't allow us consumers to install a previous version of the app so I'm stuck with this unwanted change. Please add option to use old keyboard buttons, the new ones are such a disaster.
Show more
brucebruce10brucebruce10

Response from developer

I don’t understand the issue that you describe (and it doesn’t happen on my test devices). If you could send a more detailed description with screenshots to another_shell@icloud.com? (Or using any of the bug reporting methods detailed in “help”)

Ich bin absolut begeistert

Seit einiger Zeit benutze ich die App und bin als Programmierer seit mehr als 40 Jahren auf den verschiedensten Systemen aktiv: MS DOS, Windows, macOS und Linux.

Jetzt kann ich auf Reisen ohne mein MacBook, Fotos und Videos von verschiedenen Geräten auf meinem iPad sammeln und daraus Diashows erstellen, diese als mp4-Videos generieren und auf github publizieren.

Zwei selbstentwickelte Python-Skripte erledigen das Ganze in a Shell mit wenig Aufwand, kurzer Durchlaufzeit und toller Qualität.

Die Tools ffmpeg, magick und git sind genial.

Meinem allergrößten Respekt.
Show more
baidlbaidl
See 81 more reviews

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FAQ

What is a-Shell mini?

a-Shell mini is a local terminal emulator for iOS devices that allows you to run most Unix commands directly on your device. It supports file transfers, text editing, scripting with languages like Python and Lua, and various network utilities.

What are the key features of a-Shell mini?

Key features include a local Unix terminal, SSH client, file transfer capabilities using scp and curl, text editing with vim and ed, scripting support for Python, Lua, and JavaScript, network utilities like nslookup and ping, integration with Shortcuts, and multi-window support for multitasking.

How much does a-Shell mini cost?

Based on the provided information, a-Shell mini is a paid application. It does not have in-app purchases or ads, indicating a one-time purchase model.

What are some common use cases for a-Shell mini?

Common use cases include running Unix commands for development or system administration tasks on the go, editing files locally, scripting automation with Python or Lua, transferring files securely via SSH, and utilizing network diagnostic tools directly from your iOS device.

What are the compatibility requirements for a-Shell mini?

a-Shell mini requires iPadOS 13 or later to utilize its multi-window capabilities. It is designed to run efficiently on iOS devices, with commands compiled for native Arm64 format.