ghostwriter

Automatically types realistic-looking code in your terminal. For live streams, recordings, or just looking busy.

ghostwriter writes code snippets character by character, simulating human typing speed — including realistic typos, pauses before keywords, and natural hesitation.

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Install

git clone https://github.com/Omibranch/ghostwriter
cd ghostwriter
./install.sh

Requires Go 1.21+.

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Usage

ghostwriter                         # random language, medium speed
ghostwriter --lang go               # Go only
ghostwriter --lang python           # Python only
ghostwriter --lang typescript       # TypeScript only
ghostwriter --lang javascript       # JavaScript only
ghostwriter --lang rust             # Rust only
ghostwriter --lang bash             # Bash only
ghostwriter --speed slow            # ~80ms/char — hunt-and-peck
ghostwriter --speed medium          # ~45ms/char — competent dev (default)
ghostwriter --speed fast            # ~20ms/char — senior mode
ghostwriter --speed turbo           # ~8ms/char — suspiciously fast
ghostwriter --lang go --speed fast  # combine flags

Press Ctrl+C to stop.

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Features

• 6 languages: Go, Python, TypeScript, JavaScript, Rust, Bash
• 4 speed profiles: slow, medium, fast, turbo
• Realistic typos: ~2.5% chance of a wrong character, immediately corrected with backspace
• Thinking pauses: hesitation before comments (//, /*), function keywords
• Snippet variety: 8 real-world code snippets (HTTP servers, caches, event buses, deploy scripts)
• No dependencies: pure Go standard library

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Example output

# server.go

package main

import (
    "context"
    "fmt"
    "log"
    "net/http|"    ← typo corrected
    "net/http"
    "time"
)
...

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Use cases

• Live coding streams where you want filler content
• Demo recordings that need to look like coding is happening
• Making your screen look busy in an open-plan office
• Testing terminal rendering / font ligatures
• Scaring your rubber duck

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License

MIT