smelt

smelt is a terminal-based AI coding agent designed for speed and scriptability via Lua. It aims to help developers generate, modify, or review code efficiently within a command-line environment, minimizing the gap between idea and implementation.

Its main strengths lie in being lightweight and scriptable: no heavy IDE is required, and users familiar with Lua can chain complex tasks through custom scripts. Being open source also means the code can be inspected, modified, and self-hosted without dependency on external services.

However, the tool requires a certain technical background: users must be comfortable with terminal workflows and Lua programming to unlock its full potential. As publicly available information is extremely limited, the community activity, long-term maintenance status, and production stability remain unclear.

It is best suited for developers who prefer terminal-based workflows, value light‑weight tools, and are willing to script their own automations. If you favor a graphical development experience or have no experience with Lua, this tool may not meet your current needs.