How to Share Code from Terminal: 7 CLI Tools Compared

You're in the terminal, you've got code you need to share—maybe a script, config file, error log, or output from an AI assistant. Opening a browser feels like context-switching overhead. You want a URL, and you want it fast.

This guide covers 7 ways to share code directly from your terminal, from one-liners to full-featured tools.

Quick Reference

# Fastest (no formatting)
cat file.py | curl -F 'f:1=<-' ix.io

# Best formatting (Claude Code)
/markshare

# GitHub ecosystem
gh gist create file.py

# Self-destructing
cat file.py | curl -F 'file=@-' https://0x0.st

The simplest pastebin that works from any terminal.

Basic Usage

# Share a file
cat script.py | curl -F 'f:1=<-' ix.io
# Returns: http://ix.io/4abc

# Share with syntax highlighting hint
cat script.py | curl -F 'f:1=<-' -F 'ext:1=py' ix.io

# Share command output
ls -la | curl -F 'f:1=<-' ix.io

# Share clipboard (macOS)
pbpaste | curl -F 'f:1=<-' ix.io

Add to Shell Config

# Add to ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc
ix() {
  curl -F 'f:1=<-' ix.io
}

# Usage
cat file.py | ix

Pros:

No account required
Works everywhere curl works
Memorable syntax

Cons:

Basic syntax highlighting
No editing after post
Plain appearance

Best for: Quick throwaway shares, piping command output.

Method 2: paste.rs (Rust-Powered)

Lightweight paste service with clean URLs.

Basic Usage

# Share a file
cat file.py | curl -X POST -d @- https://paste.rs
# Returns: https://paste.rs/abc

# Share from stdin
echo "Hello, world!" | curl -X POST -d @- https://paste.rs

# With expiration (syntax varies)
cat file.py | curl -X POST -d @- https://paste.rs

Shell Function

# Add to shell config
paste() {
  curl -X POST -d @- https://paste.rs
}

# Usage
cat config.yaml | paste

Pros:

Clean URLs
Fast
No JavaScript required to view

Cons:

No syntax highlighting
Links may expire
Minimal features

Best for: Sharing plain text quickly, CI/CD scripts.

Method 3: GitHub Gist CLI

Share code through GitHub's infrastructure using the official CLI.

Setup

# Install GitHub CLI
brew install gh  # macOS
sudo apt install gh  # Ubuntu

# Authenticate
gh auth login

Usage

# Create public gist
gh gist create file.py

# Create secret (unlisted) gist
gh gist create --secret file.py

# Create with description
gh gist create -d "My utility script" file.py

# Create from stdin
echo "print('hello')" | gh gist create -f hello.py

# Create multi-file gist
gh gist create file1.py file2.py file3.py

# List your gists
gh gist list

# View a gist
gh gist view <gist-id>

# Edit a gist
gh gist edit <gist-id>

Shell Alias

# Quick gist creation
alias gist='gh gist create'
alias gists='gh gist list'

Pros:

Version history
Editing after creation
Good syntax highlighting
Familiar to developers

Cons:

Requires GitHub account
Requires authentication
More verbose than pastebins

Best for: Code you might update, sharing with GitHub users.

GitHub CLI Docs → | GitHub Gist Alternatives →

Method 4: Markshare (Best Formatting)

For code that needs to look professional—documentation, tutorials, AI-generated content.

From Claude Code

# Share current context with one command
/markshare

The output gets:

Syntax highlighting (Shiki, same as VS Code)
Automatic table of contents
Mermaid diagram rendering
Mobile-responsive layout

[SCREENSHOT: Markshare rendered code with syntax highlighting]

Why It's Different

Most terminal paste tools output plain text or basic HTML. Markshare renders markdown the way you'd want to present it:

Traditional pastebin:
def hello():
    print("Hello, world!")

Markshare:
[Shiki syntax highlighting + clickable TOC + Mermaid diagrams]

Pros:

Best-in-class code rendering
Handles markdown + code together
Private/expiring links available
Built for AI assistant output

Cons:

Best experience in Claude Code
Newer tool

Best for: Sharing polished code documentation, AI-generated code, tutorials.

Need to clean up terminal output before sharing? Try our Terminal Output Formatter.

Try Markshare →

Method 5: 0x0.st (Self-Destructing)

For temporary shares that auto-delete.

Usage

# Upload file (expires based on size, max 1 year)
curl -F 'file=@script.py' https://0x0.st
# Returns: https://0x0.st/abc.py

# Upload from stdin
cat file.py | curl -F 'file=@-' https://0x0.st

# Shorter retention
curl -F 'file=@bigfile.tar' -F 'expires=1' https://0x0.st  # 1 hour

Retention Rules

Smaller files last longer (up to 1 year)
Larger files expire sooner
Max file size: 512MB

Pros:

Auto-deletion
Handles binary files
No account
Good for sensitive data

Cons:

No syntax highlighting
Can't extend expiration
No editing

Best for: Temporary shares, sensitive code, large files.

Method 6: termbin.com (Netcat Simple)

The most minimal option—just netcat.

Usage

# Share using netcat
cat file.py | nc termbin.com 9999
# Returns: https://termbin.com/abc

# One-liner from command output
echo "Hello" | nc termbin.com 9999

Shell Function

tb() {
  nc termbin.com 9999
}

# Usage
cat script.sh | tb

Pros:

Works without curl
Extremely minimal
Fast

Cons:

Very basic
No formatting
Port 9999 might be blocked

Best for: Minimal environments, when curl isn't available.

Method 7: Wgetpaste (Multi-Service)

A wrapper that can post to multiple paste services.

Setup

# Install
# Arch Linux
sudo pacman -S wgetpaste

# From source
git clone https://github.com/zlin/wgetpaste

Usage

# Share file
wgetpaste file.py

# Share stdin
cat file.py | wgetpaste

# Choose service
wgetpaste -s dpaste file.py    # dpaste.org
wgetpaste -s ix file.py        # ix.io
wgetpaste -s bpaste file.py    # bpaste.net

# With syntax highlighting
wgetpaste -l python file.py

# List available services
wgetpaste -S

Pros:

Multiple services in one tool
Syntax highlighting support
Configurable

Cons:

Need to install
Some services may be unreliable

Best for: Power users who want flexibility.

For a broader look at markdown tools, see our Markdown Sharing Tools for Developers guide.

Comparison Table

Tool	Speed	Formatting	Account	Binary	Expiration
ix.io	Fast	Basic	No	No	No
paste.rs	Fast	None	No	No	Maybe
gh gist	Medium	Good	Yes	No	No
Markshare	Fast	Excellent	Optional	No	Optional
0x0.st	Fast	None	No	Yes	Auto
termbin	Fast	None	No	No	No
wgetpaste	Medium	Basic	No	No	Varies

Shell Setup Recommendations

Add these to your ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc:

# Quick paste to ix.io
ix() {
  local file="${1:-/dev/stdin}"
  curl -F "f:1=@$file" ix.io
}

# paste.rs shortcut
pasters() {
  curl -X POST -d @- https://paste.rs
}

# GitHub gist shortcuts
alias gist='gh gist create'
alias gist-secret='gh gist create --secret'
alias gists='gh gist list'

# 0x0.st for temp sharing
0x0() {
  curl -F "file=@${1:--}" https://0x0.st
}

# Copy URL to clipboard automatically (macOS)
share() {
  local url=$(cat "$1" | curl -F 'f:1=<-' ix.io)
  echo "$url" | pbcopy
  echo "Copied: $url"
}

Git Integration

# Share uncommitted changes
git diff | curl -F 'f:1=<-' ix.io

# Share diff between branches
git diff main..feature | gh gist create -f diff.patch

# Share last commit
git show HEAD | curl -F 'f:1=<-' ix.io

Pre-Push Hook

#!/bin/bash
# .git/hooks/pre-push
# Share changes for review before pushing

diff_url=$(git diff origin/main..HEAD | curl -s -F 'f:1=<-' ix.io)
echo "Review changes before push: $diff_url"
read -p "Continue? (y/n) " -n 1 -r
echo
[[ $REPLY =~ ^[Yy]$ ]] || exit 1

CI/CD Integration

GitHub Actions

name: Share Build Output

on: [push]

jobs:
  build:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v3

      - name: Build
        run: make build 2>&1 | tee build.log

      - name: Share build log on failure
        if: failure()
        run: |
          URL=$(cat build.log | curl -s -F 'f:1=<-' ix.io)
          echo "Build log: $URL"

#!/bin/bash
# run-tests.sh

pytest --tb=short 2>&1 | tee test-output.txt

if [ ${PIPESTATUS[0]} -ne 0 ]; then
  URL=$(cat test-output.txt | curl -s -F 'f:1=<-' ix.io)
  echo "Tests failed. Full output: $URL"
fi

Security Considerations

Never paste:

API keys or tokens
Passwords or credentials
Private SSH keys
Environment files (.env)
Database connection strings

For Sensitive Code

Use secret gists (unlisted, not encrypted):
```
gh gist create --secret sensitive.py
```
Use 0x0.st with short expiration for temporary shares
Use Markshare private links for controlled access
Self-host a paste service for full control (PrivateBin, Stikked)

# Check for secrets before sharing
grep -E "(api_key|password|secret|token)" file.py

FAQ

For raw speed: cat file | curl -F 'f:1=<-' ix.io

For speed + good formatting: Markshare's /markshare command in Claude Code

GitHub Gist (gh gist create) has good highlighting. Markshare has the best highlighting using Shiki. Most curl-based pastebins have basic or no highlighting.

GitHub Gist: Yes, full editing and deletion
Markshare: Yes, can delete from dashboard
Pastebins (ix.io, paste.rs): Generally no

Use 0x0.st: curl -F 'file=@binary.tar.gz' https://0x0.st

Most text pastebins don't support binary files.

Is there a self-hosted option?

Yes:

PrivateBin: End-to-end encrypted
Stikked: Simple PHP paste
Hastebin: Node.js paste server

Which tool works offline?

None of these—they all require internet. For offline "sharing," save to a file and transfer via USB, email, or local network.

Conclusion

For everyday terminal code sharing:

Quickest: cat file | curl -F 'f:1=<-' ix.io
Best formatting: Markshare (especially from Claude Code)
GitHub integration: gh gist create
Temporary/sensitive: 0x0.st

Pick based on your needs: speed vs. formatting vs. features. For most developers, having gh gist create and a quick pastebin alias covers 95% of use cases. For polished documentation or AI-generated code, Markshare's formatting is worth the extra step.

Try Markshare for Better Code Sharing →

Last updated: January 2026

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Title tag (52 chars): How to Share Code from Terminal: 7 CLI Tools Compared

Meta description (158 chars): Share code from your terminal without leaving the command line. Compare ix.io, GitHub Gist, Markshare, and more. Find the fastest CLI tool for code sharing.

URL slug: /blog/how-to-share-code-from-terminal

Primary keyword: how to share code from terminal Secondary keywords: terminal paste, share code cli, command line paste, terminal code sharing

How to Share Code from Terminal: 7 CLI Tools Compared

Quick Reference

Method 1: ix.io (One-Line Sharing)

Basic Usage

Add to Shell Config

Method 2: paste.rs (Rust-Powered)

Basic Usage

Shell Function

Method 3: GitHub Gist CLI

Setup

Usage

Shell Alias

Method 4: Markshare (Best Formatting)

From Claude Code

Why It's Different

Method 5: 0x0.st (Self-Destructing)

Usage

Retention Rules

Method 6: termbin.com (Netcat Simple)

Usage

Shell Function

Method 7: Wgetpaste (Multi-Service)

Setup

Usage

Comparison Table

Shell Setup Recommendations

Git Integration

Share Diffs

Pre-Push Hook

CI/CD Integration

GitHub Actions

Share Test Results

Security Considerations

What Not to Share

For Sensitive Code

Before Sharing

FAQ

What's the fastest way to share code from terminal?

How do I share code with syntax highlighting from terminal?

Can I delete/edit code after sharing?

How do I share binary files from terminal?

Is there a self-hosted option?

Which tool works offline?

Conclusion

SEO Metadata

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