I create wrapper scripts. I try to keep them simple... they're convenience scripts, not a replacement for a build system. Here's one for a QEMU dev env where

I create wrapper scripts. I try to keep them simple... they're convenience scripts, not a replacement for a build system. Here's one for a QEMU dev env where I add and remove bits of command line in a freeform way. I just break out the command line into components, and uncomment the ones I want for a particular use: #!/bin/bash set -ex # Drive created with: # /usr/bin/qemu-img create -f qcow2 ngx.qcow2 40G #vga='-vga cirrus' vga='-vga std' #vga='-vga qxl' drive='-drive file=ngx.qcow2,cache=writeback' tablet='-usbdevice tablet' #vnc='-vnc :3' #cdrom="-cdrom base_install.iso" #cdrom='-cdrom documentation.iso' #cdrom="-cdrom /dev/sr0" cdrom='' #net='-net user -net nic' net='-net user,restrict=off,hostfwd=tcp::6666-:6666 -net nic,model=rtl8139,macaddr=00:11:82:C3:54:55' #net='-net user,restrict=on,hostfwd=tcp::6666-:6666,hostfwd=tcp::3389-:3389,hostfwd=udp::3389-:3389 -net nic,model=rtl8139,macaddr=00:11:82:C3:54:55' monitor='-monitor stdio' qemu-system-x86_64 -enable-kvm -nodefaults -m 768 $vga $drive $tablet $vnc $cdrom $net $monitor If you have multiple stages to your build/run process, you can chain together a few scripts. build-and-run.sh builds it, and then calls run.sh which runs it. If you want to skip the build step, you use run.sh.