Shebangrivi

Shebangrivi is a fictional term used to denote a portable script-execution framework designed to unify the execution of scripts across diverse computing environments. It combines the traditional shebang concept with a runtime and packaging model intended to allow a single script to run similarly on Linux, macOS, Windows, and cloud containers.

Origin and name: The coinage blends "shebang", the characters at the start of a script indicating an interpreter, with "rivi", derived from the word for river in several languages, symbolizing flow across systems. The term emerged in speculative discussions and in hypothetical design studies about cross-environment scripting.

Design and operation: A shebangrivi script contains an initial header that signals the runtime and optional dependency manifest. A lightweight launcher resolves the interpreter, loads a bundled runtime if needed, and enforces a sandboxed execution environment. The runtime can fetch missing dependencies or rely on a pinned manifest, enabling reproducible runs without manual setup.

Packaging and formats: Shebangrivi uses bundle files that package the script, metadata, and a minimal runtime shim. Bundles may target specific host environments or provide multi-arch binaries. Security considerations include isolation from the host and restrictions on network access.

Usage and reception: In theoretical discussions, shebangrivi is proposed for DevOps automation and education as a way to reduce environment drift. Real-world adoption is limited, with several concerns about complexity, performance, and security; it remains a topic of interest in conversations about portable scripting.

Related concepts include the traditional shebang, script packaging, and portable execution models, and the idea is sometimes discussed alongside containerization and runtime-agnostic tooling.