grip

Grip is a command‑line server that renders local Markdown files using GitHub’s own Markdown API, so the preview matches exactly what GitHub will display. It runs a local web server that updates instantly as the source file changes, and can also export a single HTML file with inlined styles for offline use. The tool supports specifying ports, hostnames, and individual files, and can read from or write to standard streams to integrate with other commands.

The software is aimed at developers and writers who want to verify the appearance of README or other Markdown documentation before committing to GitHub, especially in workflows that revolve around “Readme‑driven development.” It also offers options for rendering user‑content such as comments and issues, with optional repository context for link resolution.

Distinctive aspects include direct reliance on GitHub’s rendering service, which keeps the preview in sync with any changes to GitHub’s engine, and the ability to authenticate with personal access tokens to bypass API rate limits. An offline rendering branch is under development as a fallback when the API is unavailable.