narkoz/hacker-scripts

Analysis updated 2026-06-20

★ 49,484JavaScriptAudience · developerComplexity · 1/5LicenseSetup · moderate

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((repo))
    What it does
      Automate personal tasks
      Send SMS excuses
      Roll back databases
      Brew coffee remotely
    How it works
      Cron scheduling
      Shell scripts
      Twilio SMS API
      SSH commands
    Tech Stack
      JavaScript
      Ruby
      Shell
    Who uses it
      Curious developers
      Automation hobbyists
      Creative coders

mindmap root((repo)) What it does Automate personal tasks Send SMS excuses Roll back databases Brew coffee remotely How it works Cron scheduling Shell scripts Twilio SMS API SSH commands Tech Stack JavaScript Ruby Shell Who uses it Curious developers Automation hobbyists Creative coders

Click or tap to explore — scroll the page freely

What do people build with it?

USE CASE 1

Study real examples of automating personal and work tasks using cron jobs, shell scripts, and API calls.

USE CASE 2

Use as inspiration to automate your own repetitive work tasks like sending scheduled emails or triggering server actions.

USE CASE 3

Learn how to combine SMS APIs like Twilio with shell scripts to send automated text messages based on conditions.

USE CASE 4

Explore how to chain SSH commands and database rollbacks into a single script triggered by incoming email.

What is it built with?

JavaScriptRubyShellCronTwilio API

How does it compare?

	narkoz/hacker-scripts	iamkun/dayjs	algorithm-visualizer/algorithm-visualizer
Stars	49,484	48,628	48,530
Language	JavaScript	JavaScript	JavaScript
Setup difficulty	moderate	easy	easy
Complexity	1/5	2/5	3/5
Audience	developer	developer	developer

Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.

How do you get it running?

Difficulty · moderate Time to first run · 30min

Each script needs its own credentials, Twilio API key, SSH access, or SMTP settings, configured via environment variables.

WTFPL, do whatever you want with it, no restrictions whatsoever.

In plain English

Hacker Scripts is a small humorous collection of real automation scripts reportedly discovered after a developer left their job. The README recounts a story shared online about a build engineer who had automated nearly every repetitive task in their life using scripts and cron jobs, which are scheduled tasks that run automatically on a computer at set times. The scripts themselves are simple but cleverly targeted at real-world annoyances. One script detects when the developer is still logged into the work server after 9 PM on a weekday, picks a random excuse from a list, and sends an automated text message to their wife via the Twilio SMS service. Another monitors email for messages from a known troublesome database administrator, detects distress keywords, automatically SSH-es into the affected server, rolls back the staging database to the latest backup, and sends a polite reply. A third sends automated work-from-home emails on mornings when the developer is apparently not at their desk by 8:45 AM. The most celebrated one connects to a networked coffee machine via a Telnet protocol and starts brewing a latte timed precisely to match the walk from the developer's desk to the machine. You would explore this repository if you want a lighthearted example of creative automation, or if you want to study how simple shell scripts, cron scheduling, and API calls can automate surprisingly personal tasks. The scripts use Shell, Ruby, and JavaScript, and rely on environment variables for credentials. The collection welcomes reimplementations in other languages via pull requests. It carries the WTFPL license, which imposes no restrictions.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1

Based on the hacker-scripts approach, write a shell script that checks if a process is still running after 9 PM and sends me an SMS using the Twilio API with a random excuse from a list.

Prompt 2

Write a Node.js script similar to hacker-scripts that monitors my inbox for emails containing specific keywords and automatically sends a canned reply.

Prompt 3

Create a cron job script in Bash that runs every weekday morning and sends a work-from-home email if a marker file exists in my home directory.

Prompt 4

Write a shell script that SSHes into a remote server, checks the last database backup timestamp, and rolls back to that backup if a specific error log entry is detected.

Prompt 5

Help me adapt the hacker-scripts coffee machine script concept to send a webhook request to a smart home device 3 minutes before I usually walk to the kitchen.

Frequently asked questions

What is hacker-scripts?

A small legendary collection of real automation scripts from a developer who automated nearly every repetitive task in their life, from texting their spouse an excuse to brewing coffee remotely.

What language is hacker-scripts written in?

Mainly JavaScript. The stack also includes JavaScript, Ruby, Shell.

What license does hacker-scripts use?

WTFPL, do whatever you want with it, no restrictions whatsoever.

How hard is hacker-scripts to set up?

Setup difficulty is rated moderate, with roughly 30min to a first successful run.

Who is hacker-scripts for?

Mainly developer.

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