ConfigsApr 11, 2026·1 min read

Atuin — Magical Shell History with Sync and Search

Atuin replaces your existing shell history with a SQLite database, recording additional context (cwd, exit code, duration, hostname). Sync history across machines end-to-end encrypted. Interactive fuzzy search with rich filtering.

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Quick Use

Use it first, then decide how deep to go

This block should tell both the user and the agent what to copy, install, and apply first.

# Install
bash <(curl https://raw.githubusercontent.com/atuinsh/atuin/main/install.sh)
brew install atuin
cargo install atuin

# Import existing history
atuin import auto

# Start local sync server or use hosted
atuin register -u william -e w@tokrepo.com
atuin login -u william
atuin sync

Usage: press Ctrl+R (or up arrow if enabled) for the Atuin picker — a searchable, filterable history UI.

atuin search docker         # Search history
atuin stats                 # Usage stats
atuin history list          # List with context
Intro

Atuin replaces your existing shell history with a SQLite database, records additional context (cwd, exit code, duration, hostname, session), and adds interactive fuzzy search. It can optionally sync history end-to-end encrypted across machines via the official server or your self-hosted instance.

What Atuin Does

  • Rich history — cwd, exit code, duration, session, hostname
  • Search UI — Ctrl+R opens fuzzy picker with filters
  • End-to-end encrypted sync — across machines
  • Stats — top commands, avg duration, failure rate
  • Filter by — directory, session, exit code
  • Replaces Ctrl+R — native shell history integration
  • Import — bash, zsh, fish, nushell, resh

Architecture

Local SQLite database at ~/.local/share/atuin/history.db. Shell hook captures each command pre/post execution. Optional sync server stores encrypted blobs (client has the key, server cannot read plaintext).

Self-Hosting

Optional sync server is open source:

docker run -d -p 8888:8888 -v atuin-data:/config ghcr.io/atuinsh/atuin server start
# Or via systemd: atuin server start

Client config points to your server with sync_address in ~/.config/atuin/config.toml.

Key Features

  • Full context per command
  • E2E encrypted sync
  • Fuzzy interactive picker
  • Directory-scoped history
  • Session filtering
  • Import from other history tools
  • Stats and insights
  • Self-hostable server

Comparison

Tool Storage Sync Context
Atuin SQLite E2E encrypted Full
McFly SQLite No Limited
HSTR Native No None
fzf history Flat file No None
shell history Flat file No None

常见问题 FAQ

Q: 隐私？ A: Atuin 默认本地存储。开启 sync 时用客户端密钥加密后上传，服务器看不到明文。完全自主可控。

Q: 会影响 shell 启动速度吗？ A: Rust 实现很快，hook 只在命令执行时触发，启动几乎无感。

Q: 可以禁用某些命令吗？ A: 可以。配置 history_filter 正则数组（例如包含密码的命令）避免记录。

来源与致谢 Sources

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