Windows 10/11
64-bit installer and portable build
Official TechRetriever website
Bash scripting on Linux and WSL, reviewed step by step
TechRetriever is a Windows 10/11 agent that drafts Bash scripts, runs them in WSL or over SSH on systems you own, and shows every result as a card you can open. Version 2.9.22.
Write a Bash script that prints a warning when free disk space on my test machine drops below a limit I pass as an argument.
- list_dir
scripts2 files - write_file
scripts/disk-warn.shsaved - Shell
bash -n scripts/disk-warn.shexit 0 - edit_file
scripts/disk-warn.shdiff shown - Shell
bash scripts/disk-warn.sh 20exit 0
Waiting for your OK before the next stepRejectAccept
2.9.22
released 28 Oct 2026
WSL or SSH
run on Linux systems you own
Ask first
pauses before actions that change something
Cloud, local, built-in
pick one, then press Test
None needed
to run the app
Bash scripting on your own machines, explained
Bash scripting means writing shell commands into a plain text file, usually ending in .sh, so Bash runs them in order. Start small. Line 1 holds the shebang, such as #!/usr/bin/env bash, and the rest uses variables, conditions, loops and functions, while every command returns an exit code where 0 means success. TechRetriever drafts and runs these files while you read each step.
Back up a folder with a dated tar file
Bash shell scripting often starts with automated backups, so ask the agent for a script that copies one folder into a dated tar file. It saves backup-notes.sh with write_file, and Shell runs bash -n to check the syntax without running the script. Nothing is copied yet. In Ask first mode the agent pauses before actions that change something, and the card shows the exact command with its real exit code, where 0 means success. Back up the folder by hand before the first real run, and echo the tar command as a dry run first.
Tool trace
list_dir notes → 3 entries
write_file backup-notes.sh → saved
Shell bash -n backup-notes.sh → exit 0
Shell bash backup-notes.sh → waiting for your OKLearn bash scripting from a script you already have
Open an old script and ask what it does, line by line. read_file loads it, grep lists every line that sets or uses one variable, and the agent explains the shebang on line 1, the quoting and the exit codes in plain words. It flags unquoted variables. Each explanation names the concept it found, such as a loop or a condition, so you pick up the vocabulary while you read. When a builtin is unclear, http_get reads the official manual page so the answer rests on its text. Switch to Plan only if you want the explanation and nothing else.
Tool trace
read_file old-cleanup.sh → 24 lines
grep "$dir" old-cleanup.sh → 5 matches
http_get manual page for a builtin → readSearch a log for one word
Copy a log from your own system into the working folder and ask which lines mention a word such as timeout. grep returns the matching lines, and read_file opens the whole file when you need the context. The agent can help with parsing a string in Bash: paste 1 log line and ask for a loop that splits it into fields and prints each one with echo. write_file saves the loop as parse-log.sh, and edit_file shows every later change as a diff. Work on the copy only.
Turn a typed command into a script with arguments
Bash coding is often just this: a command you typed many times becomes a file that reads its input from $1 and $2. Paste the command you keep retyping and ask for a usage message plus a check that both arguments exist. write_file saves the script, and Shell runs bash -x, which prints every command before it executes. Read the trace. Fix what looks wrong with edit_file, and compare the trace with what you expected before you approve any step that changes something or reuse the script.
How it differs from a typical chat assistant
Advice is not enough. TechRetriever 2.9.22 goes further: it runs the Shell command itself and shows the real exit code, so you can judge the result instead of guessing.
| Typical chat assistant | TechRetriever | |
|---|---|---|
| Running | You copy the script and run it yourself | Shell runs it and shows the real exit code |
| Editing | Pastes a whole new script into the chat | edit_file changes the file and shows a diff |
| Control | Runs nothing, so there is nothing to approve | Ask first pauses before actions that change something |
| Context | Sees only what you paste | read_file and grep read your scripts and logs |
How it works
- Install TechRetriever on Windows 10 or 11 and compare its SHA-256 checksum with the published manifest first.
- Connect a model: a cloud AI provider, a model running locally on your PC, or the built-in model.
- Choose a project folder and a mode: Auto-run, Ask first or Plan only.
- Describe the script you need, read each action card, and accept a diff only when it matches your request.
Who it is for
Beginners who have never written a script come first, including people who are learning Bash coming from Windows and want to see how each line behaves. Start tiny. Write one script in WSL, read it line by line, and ask the agent to explain every part before you run anything.
Practitioners with a few Linux machines of their own use it for chores they repeat. Bash programming for a home server or a test lab means log searches, disk checks, dated backups and loops over a list of your own servers. Each job becomes a script with arguments. You review the diff.
Windows users who manage Linux systems over SSH are the third group, and the tool is meant only for servers they own or administer. Their scripts run on the Linux side, while TechRetriever stays on Windows 10 or 11. In Ask first mode the agent pauses before actions that change something, and Plan only runs nothing. Check each target.
Common questions
What is bash scripting?
Bash scripting is the practice of putting shell commands into a plain text file, usually ending in .sh, so Bash can run them in order. Start with the shebang line. Add variables, conditions, loops and functions, and check the exit code of each command, where 0 means success.
Is techretriever.com the official TechRetriever website?
Yes. techretriever.com is the official TechRetriever website, and the installer it links to is the original build. Compare its SHA-256 checksum with the published manifest, because the installer is not code-signed yet, and use the Send feedback button inside the app for questions.
Where do the Bash scripts actually run?
The scripts run in WSL on your own PC, or on a Linux system you own that you reach over SSH. TechRetriever itself runs on Windows 10 or 11. Keep the scope tight. It is meant only for machines you own or are authorised to administer, and it does not check that for you.
Can I stop the agent from running a script before I read it?
Yes. Plan only is the sure way: it writes a plan and runs nothing at all, no commands and no file changes. Ask first pauses before actions that change something, but a read-only command may run without a pause. Auto-run acts at once, so keep it for work you have already reviewed.
Can I use it for Bash programming on a work server?
Yes, if you are authorised to administer that server. Test first. Run the script on your own machine or on a test server, keep a backup before any script that changes or deletes files, and read every command before you approve it.
Do my scripts and prompts leave my PC?
A cloud model receives the prompt text, including the text of any file the agent reads, so that provider sees your script. A local model changes that. With a local model nothing leaves the PC, and chats, working folders and API keys stay on the PC either way.
Does the agent guarantee that a script is correct?
No. You read the diff, check the syntax with bash -n and test the script on a machine you own before it touches real data. The agent writes drafts, and the Shell card shows the real exit code, but only your review decides whether a script is right.
Try one script on a test machine
Setup is about 34 MB. Install it on Windows 10 or 11, open a folder of scripts, start with Plan only, and switch to Ask first when you want the agent to run something.
Download TechRetriever for Windows ↗Explore TechRetriever
Every page is available in 20 languages.
What the agent can do with scripts ↗ Cloud, local and built-in models ↗ Step-by-step script guides ↗ Download and checksum steps ↗ Questions and answers ↗ Privacy and data handling ↗
