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Common Errors

cli-expander: command not found​

The binary is not in your PATH.

# Find the binary
find ~/.local/bin -name cli-expander -o -name ce

# Add to PATH
echo 'export PATH="$PATH:$HOME/.local/bin"' >> ~/.bashrc
source ~/.bashrc

No match found for trigger​

The match directory doesn't contain the trigger, or the path is wrong.

# Check your match files exist
ls ~/.config/cli-expander/matches/

# Validate YAML syntax
python3 -c "import yaml; yaml.safe_load(open('base.yml'))"

# List available triggers
ce list

# Load from a specific directory
ce expand ":hello" --config-dir ~/.config/cli-expander/matches/

Common causes:

  • File starts with _ (underscore files are ignored)
  • Wrong file extension (must be .yml or .yaml)
  • YAML syntax error (missing indentation, tabs used instead of spaces)
  • Misspelled trigger name

Form requires an interactive terminal​

This happens when running in a non-interactive context:

  • Piped output: echo ":form" | ce expand
  • Over SSH without TTY: ssh host ce expand ":form"
  • In CI/headless environments
  • Inside editors with non-TTY terminals

Fix: Run directly in a terminal emulator.

ce ":form"           # works
ce expand ":form"    # works

Shell Plugin Not Responding​

If :trigger[Space] doesn't expand in your shell:

# Verify plugin is loaded
type _cli_expander_on_space
# Expected: function found

# If not found, check your shell rc file
grep "cli-expander" ~/.bashrc

# Reload shell
exec bash

Zsh-specific: Load cli-expander last in ~/.zshrc:

source /path/to/zsh-autosuggestions.zsh
source /path/to/zsh-syntax-highlighting.zsh
source /path/to/shell/cli-expander.zsh   # ← last

No keyboard devices found​

System-wide detection needs access to /dev/input/ devices.

# Check group membership
groups $USER

# Add to input group
sudo usermod -aG input $USER
# Log out and back in for changes to take effect

Permission denied for /dev/uinput​

uinput injection needs write access.

# Check permissions
ls -l /dev/uinput

# Add to uinput group
sudo usermod -aG uinput $USER

# Alternative: set capability
sudo setcap cap_dac_override+ep $(which ce)

Expansion Shows Wrong Output​

If the expanded text is missing characters or shows only "v":

The injection backend may not be compatible with your application. Try:

  1. Add force_mode: clipboard to the match to use clipboard injection
  2. Add force_mode: keys to simulate keyboard input
  3. Set the global backend option in ~/.config/cli-expander/config.yml
# config.yml
backend: clipboard

YAML File is Skipped​

If a match file is not being loaded, check:

# File must not start with underscore
ls ~/.config/cli-expander/matches/
# _private.yml ← skipped
# base.yml     ← loaded

# File extension must be .yml or .yaml
# config.txt  ← skipped
# config.yml  ← loaded

CSV Not Updated After Changes​

The fzf trigger search uses a CSV cache. Regenerate it after adding matches:

ce generate-csv --force

Clipboard Variable Returns Empty​

The clipboard variable requires a running display server and clipboard tool:

# X11
sudo apt install xclip        # Debian/Ubuntu
sudo pacman -S xclip          # Arch

# Wayland
sudo apt install wl-clipboard  # Debian/Ubuntu
sudo pacman -S wl-clipboard    # Arch

# Test clipboard access
echo "test" | xclip -selection clipboard
xclip -selection clipboard -o

fzf Not Found​

If Ctrl+F/Alt+F doesn't open the trigger search:

which fzf
# If not installed:
sudo apt install fzf       # Debian/Ubuntu
sudo pacman -S fzf         # Arch
sudo dnf install fzf       # Fedora

RUST_LOG No Output​

If debug logging produces no output:

# Try explicit log level
RUST_LOG=trace ce expand ":hello"

# Ensure you're using a supported format
RUST_LOG=debug ce expand ":hello" 2>&1

Getting Help​

If you still have issues:

  • Check the GitHub Issues
  • Enable debug logging: RUST_LOG=debug ce expand ":hello"
  • Include in your bug report:
    • ce --version output
    • Your match file content
    • Exact steps to reproduce
    • Terminal emulator and shell version