A CLI tool that gives bash and shell scripts a real interactive step-through debugger
Every shell developer's only debugging option is set -x, which floods the terminal with raw trace output and gives no control over execution. There is no maintained, zero-install-friction interactive debugger for bash scripts with breakpoints, variable watches, call stack inspection, and step-in/step-over controls. bashdb, the only real attempt, is unmaintained and nearly impossible to install on modern systems.
Demand Breakdown
Social Proof 1 sources
Gap Assessment
3 tools exist (bashdb, BashSupport Pro, ShellCheck) but gaps remain: Unmaintained (last release years ago), extremely difficult to install on modern Linux and macOS, no TUI, no language-server integration, effectively abandoned; Locked to JetBrains IDEs only; requires a working bashdb install underneath; no standalone terminal/TUI mode; no VSCode or Neovim support; still built on the unmaintained bashdb core.
Features8 agent-ready prompts
Competitive LandscapeFREE
| Product | Does | Missing |
|---|---|---|
| bashdb | Source-level debugger for bash with gdb-like syntax; breakpoints, stack traces, step commands | Unmaintained (last release years ago), extremely difficult to install on modern Linux and macOS, no TUI, no language-server integration, effectively abandoned |
| BashSupport Pro | JetBrains IDE plugin that wraps bashdb, adds ShellCheck linting, bats test runner, and a polished in-IDE debug UI with conditional breakpoints and variable watches | Locked to JetBrains IDEs only; requires a working bashdb install underneath; no standalone terminal/TUI mode; no VSCode or Neovim support; still built on the unmaintained bashdb core |
| ShellCheck | Static analysis and linting for shell scripts; catches common mistakes before runtime | Static only — no runtime execution control, no breakpoints, no variable inspection at runtime, not a debugger at all |
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