a little front end script to tame it:
```
#!/usr/bin/env bash

ORIGARGS=("$@")  # all arguments and flags; first one should be a command name
# declare -a ARGS  # collect the non-flag arguments
# while [[ $# -gt 0 ]]; do
#     if [[ "$1" = -* ]]; then
#         shift
#     else
#         ARGS+=("$1")
#         shift
#     fi
# done

LCLI=linode-cli
if [[ ! ( " $* " =~ " --pretty " || " $* " =~ " -p " ) ]]; then
    LOPTS=--text
fi


function usage()
{
    clear
    cat <<EOF
********************************************************************************
            WARNING * THIS TOOL CAN NUKE LINODES * WARNING
********************************************************************************

lin - simple linode-cli front end for managing linodes, with readable output. 

Install/update linode-cli:
- pip3 install linode-cli --upgrade

Authenticate with Linode:
- create personal access token at https://cloud.linode.com/profile/tokens
- linode-cli configure, TOKEN, us-west (2), g6-standard-2 (3), latest ubuntu (15)

Usage: lin [COMMAND [ARGS]] [-p|--pretty]

Commands:
$(grep -E '^\w.*\(\) *{' "$0" | sed -e 's/() *{//' -e 's/# /   \t/')

********************************************************************************
            WARNING * THIS TOOL CAN NUKE LINODES * WARNING
********************************************************************************
EOF
}

set -e

types() { # - list linode types
	$LCLI linodes types $LOPTS
}

create() { # NAME - create a new linode of default size with this name
	$LCLI linodes create --root_pass --label "$*" --tags test --type g6-standard-4 $LOPTS
	$LCLI linodes list $LOPTS | grep "$*"
	echo "next maybe update/create X dns record and X_HOST and X_LINODE definitions in ./lin"
}

deleteimeanit() { # LINODEID - wipe and remove a linode
	echo "Make sure you are not deleting a production linode."
	sleep 5; echo "Are you sure ?. Then type:"
	echo $LCLI linodes delete $* $LOPTS
}

# delete by name:
#linode-cli linodes delete $(linode-cli linodes list --text | grep "\b${1}\b" | awk '{print $1}')

rebuildimeanit() { # LINODEID - wipe a linode and recreate it with same size
	echo "Make sure you are not rebuilding a production linode."
	sleep 5; echo "Are you sure ?. Then type:"
	echo $LCLI linodes rebuild $* --root_pass $LOPTS
}

list() { # - list linodes owned by current authenticated account
    $LCLI linodes list $LOPTS
}

# show() { # LINODEID - show a single linode's status
# 	$LCLI linodes view $*
# }

watch() { # LINODEID - watch a single linode's status, updating periodically
	while true; do  $LCLI linodes view $* $LOPTS | cat; sleep 5; done
	# /usr/bin/env watch $LCLI linodes view $*   # display issues
}

if declare -f "${ORIGARGS[0]}" >/dev/null; then "${ORIGARGS[@]}"; else usage; fi

```