> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.celesto.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# smolvm completion

> Use smolvm completion to install shell tab completion for bash, zsh, or fish in one step, including completion of your existing sandbox names.

`smolvm completion` sets up tab completion for the `smolvm` CLI. Once installed, your shell can complete subcommands, options, and the names of your existing sandboxes as you type — so `smolvm sandbox ssh <Tab>` offers the sandboxes you actually have.

Supported shells are `bash`, `zsh`, and `fish`.

## Synopsis

```bash theme={null}
smolvm completion <bash|zsh|fish> [--install]
```

## Arguments

<ParamField path="shell" type="string" required>
  Which shell to generate the completion script for. One of `bash`, `zsh`, or `fish`.
</ParamField>

## Options

<ParamField path="--install" type="flag">
  Install the completion script and wire it into your shell's startup files. Without this flag, the script is printed to stdout so you can source it yourself.
</ParamField>

## One-shot install

The quickest path is to let SmolVM install completion for you:

```bash theme={null}
smolvm completion bash --install   # also works with: zsh, fish
```

Open a new shell afterward, then try:

```bash theme={null}
smolvm sandbox ssh <Tab>
```

What `--install` does per shell:

* **bash** and **zsh**: write the completion script to `~/.smolvm/completions/` and add a single marker-tagged `source` line to your startup file (`~/.bashrc`, or `~/.bash_profile` on macOS, or `$ZDOTDIR/.zshrc`). Re-running the command refreshes the script without duplicating the line.
* **fish**: write the autoloaded completion file into `~/.config/fish/completions/smolvm.fish` (honoring `XDG_CONFIG_HOME`). Fish picks it up automatically — no startup-file edit is needed.

If the install can't write a file, `smolvm` prints a plain-English error naming the manual `smolvm completion <shell>` fallback below.

<Tip>
  Running `sudo smolvm completion <shell> --install` still installs into the invoking user's home directory (resolved via `SUDO_USER`), so completion lands where your interactive shell will actually see it.
</Tip>

## Manual setup

Prefer to wire completion up yourself? Run the command without `--install` to print the script, then load it your own way:

```bash theme={null}
# bash — add to ~/.bashrc
eval "$(smolvm completion bash)"

# zsh — add to ~/.zshrc
eval "$(smolvm completion zsh)"

# fish — create the folder once, then write the completion file
mkdir -p ~/.config/fish/completions
smolvm completion fish > ~/.config/fish/completions/smolvm.fish
```

## Related commands

* [`smolvm sandbox list`](/smolvm/cli/list) - See the sandbox names that completion will suggest
* [CLI overview](/smolvm/cli/overview) - Full list of commands completion covers