I tried out 'a-Shell,' a free terminal app that runs on iPhones and iPads. It can execute CLI tools like Python and yt-dlp, and also supports shortcut integration.
' a-Shell ' is a free app that allows you to use a Unix-like terminal environment on your iPhone or iPad. I installed it and tried it out to see how you can actually use a terminal on a smartphone or tablet.
a-Shell App - App Store
Open the a-Shell page on the App Store, tap 'Get,' and install the app.
Once installed, tap 'Open'.
The terminal has launched. The cursor is at the top, and control buttons are lined up above the keyboard. From left to right, the buttons are 'Tab,' 'Ctrl,' 'Esc,' and 'Paste,' and the two arrows on the right correspond to arrow key input.
a-Shell has Python available by default, and you can also install and run your own Python packages. This time, we'll install the Python-based video downloader ' yt-dlp '. First, enter the command 'python3 -m pip install -U yt-dlp' and tap Enter.
yt-dlp has been installed. With yt-dlp, you can download videos from various services using the command 'yt-dlp [video URL]'. Let's try downloading
yt-dlp worked without any problems and the download was completed successfully.
The downloaded movie is saved in 'Files'.
It was saved in a folder called 'a-Shell'. However, the file extension is .mkv, so it cannot be played using the iPhone's Files app.
We will re-download the file using the '-f mp4' option in the previous command to download it in mp4 format.
Download complete.
Now the thumbnail is displayed.
When I tapped it, it started playing successfully.
Next time, we'll try integrating with iOS Shortcuts. Stay tuned!
Please note that the 'a-Shell' app includes numerous libraries and requires a significant 2GB of storage space. For those who want to reduce the size even further, a 380MB 'a-Shell mini' app with minimal functionality is also available, so please use whichever you need.
a-Shell mini App - App Store
https://apps.apple.com/jp/app/a-shell-mini/id1543537943
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in Software, Smartphone, Review, Posted by log1d_ts