Viddy is a modern command-line tool that replaces the traditional watch command with a terminal user interface for executing commands periodically and displaying their output.
The tool solves the problem of monitoring command output over time by providing an interactive interface that goes beyond the basic watch command. It executes a specified command at regular intervals and displays the result in a terminal interface, with the ability to highlight differences between successive outputs. The core innovation is a time machine mode that lets users rewind through the history of command outputs, navigating backward and forward through past executions as though scrubbing through a video.
Viddy suits developers and system administrators who need to monitor long-running processes, logs, or system metrics and want to review how values changed over time. The time machine and history features are particularly valuable for debugging intermittent issues or understanding state transitions. The tool includes a pager for viewing large outputs, vim-like keybindings for navigation, text search capabilities, and customizable color schemes and keymappings through a TOML configuration file. It supports shell aliases and can suspend and restart command execution without losing history. The tool is available across multiple package managers and platforms, including Homebrew, Linux distributions, Windows via Scoop, and Alpine Linux.
The project shows active maintenance with support for community-maintained packages across diverse platforms and architectures. The codebase is written in Rust, providing a compiled binary with no runtime dependencies. Configuration is optional, allowing users to start with sensible defaults while enabling customization for those who need it.
