Configuring Key Shell

You can configure Key Shell's appearance and behavior through several options. These options are accessed with the Keysh config softkey or the special kc command.

You can make the following changes to keysh:

Adding, moving, and deleting softkeys.
Changing global options.
Changing the status line.
Saving configuration changes.
Restarting keysh.
Undoing any configuration changes.

The following sections describe how to do each of the above.

Adding, Moving, and Deleting Softkeys

This section explains how to add visible and invisible softkeys, move softkeys, and delete softkeys.

If you encounter errors while adding softkeys, refer to the online help topic Errors.

Softkey Names and Labels

All softkeys have names, which are the HP-UX commands they correspond to. Visible softkeys (the softkeys that appear on the top-level softkey menu) also have labels, which are the words that appear on the softkey itself. Labels allow you to give a less cryptic name to a command. For example, Search lines is the less cryptic label given to the grep command. A label can have a maximum of 16 characters.

Many of the following sections ask you to type a softkey's name or label. If you refer to a softkey by its label, you must replace any blank space in the label with an underscore "_". For example, type Edit_file or Create_dir.

Adding Visible Softkeys

The preconfigured visible softkeys are listed in Table 26-3 “Visible Softkey Commands”. These softkeys appear in the top-level softkey menu. You can also create your own visible softkeys or add any of the invisible softkeys listed in Table 26-4 “Invisible Softkey Commands” and make them visible. Creating your own softkeys is described in Chapter 27 “Customizing the Key Shell”.

To add a visible softkey, follow these steps:

Select Keysh config softkey add.
Type the name of an invisible softkey as listed in Table 26-4 “Invisible Softkey Commands”, or the name of a softkey you have created.
By default, the softkey label that will appear on the menu is the same as the softkey's name.
To specify a label that is easier for you to remember, select with label, then type the label.
By default, the softkey is added from /usr/keysh/C/softkeys. If you want to add softkeys from another file, do either of the following:
- Select from file, then type the name of the file containing the softkey you want to add.
- Select from user, then type the name of the user whose $HOME/.softkeys file contains the softkey.
Note that when you add a softkey, the remaining softkeys from that file are automatically loaded for use as invisible softkey commands.
To place the softkey in the default position (after all the other softkeys), press Return.
Otherwise, select and place, select where the softkey should be placed in the menu, and press Return.
If you select and place before softkey, you will be prompted to type the name or label of the existing softkey before which you want the new softkey to be placed.

Following are some examples that illustrate adding visible softkeys:

To add the od softkey to the end of the top-level softkey menu and label it Octal dump, use this command:
Keysh config softkey add od with label Octal_dumpReturn
To add the paste softkey to the beginning of the top-level softkey menu, use this command. The softkey will be labeled Paste by default.
Keysh config softkey add paste and place as first softkeyReturn
To add the custom emacs softkey from the file /users/rpt/.softkeys to the top-level softkey menu immediately before the ls softkey, use this command:
Keysh config softkey add emacs from user rpt and place before softkey lsReturn
To change the definition of the Mail softkey so that it calls the elm mailer instead of the mailx mailer, use the following command.
Keysh config softkey add elm with label Mail and place as first softkeyReturn

Table 26-3 “Visible Softkey Commands” shows the visible softkey commands that are configured in keysh:

Table 26-3 Visible Softkey Commands

Softkey	HP-UX Equivalent	Function
`Mail`	`mailx`	Processes electronic mail interactively.
`Change dir`	`cd`	Changes the current directory.
`Listfiles`	`ls`	Lists the contents of a directory.
`Edit file`	`vi`	Edits files on a screen-oriented display.
`Display files`	`more`	Displays the contents of a file one screen at a time.
`Print files`	`pr \| lp`	Formats a file and sends it to the line printer.
`Search lines`	`grep`	Searches for lines matching a pattern.
`Sort lines`	`sort`	Sorts the lines of a file.
`Find files`	`find`	Locates files within a directory.
`Copy files`	`cp`	Copies file to another location.
`Move files`	`mv`	Moves or renames a file.
`Set file attribs`	`chmod` `chown` `chgrp`	Changes permissions, owner, or group of a file.
`Remove files`	`rm`	Deletes a file.
`Remove dirs`	`rmdir`	Deletes a directory.
`Create dirs`	`mkdir`	Creates a new directory.
`Shell archive`	`shar`	Bundles one or more files into a shell archive package for mailing or moving.
`Print status`	`lpstat`	Shows current status of all printers.
`Cancel print`	`cancel`	Cancels a print request.
`Process info`	`ps`	Shows status of active processes.
`Kill process`	`kill`	Terminates a process.
`Manual page`	`man`	Accesses the online manual pages.
`Keysh config`	`kc`	Configures the appearance and behavior of `keysh`.

Adding Invisible Softkeys

The preconfigured invisible softkeys are listed in Table 26-4 “Invisible Softkey Commands”. These commands do not show up on the softkey menu, but if you type one of them, keysh will recognize it and display the appropriate softkey options.

You can also create your own invisible softkeys, as described in Chapter 27 “Customizing the Key Shell”.

To add additional invisible softkeys, follow these steps:

Select Keysh config softkey add invisibles.
By default, invisible softkeys are added from /usr/keysh/C/softkeys. If you want to add invisible softkeys from another file, do either of the following:
- Select from file, then type the name of the file containing the softkeys you want to add. Then press Return.
- Select from user, then type the name of the user whose $HOME/.softkeys file contains the softkeys. Then press Return.

For example, to add all invisible softkeys from user rpt, use this command:

Keysh config softkey add invisibles from user rptReturn

Table 26-4 Invisible Softkey Commands

Softkey	Function
`adjust`	Performs simple text formatting.
`ar`	Creates and maintains library archives.
`bdf`	Displays free disk space.
`cal`	Displays a calendar.
`cancel`	Cancels a print request.
`cat`	Concatenates and displays files.
`cd`	Changes the current directory.
`cdb`	C programming language symbolic debugger.
`chatr`	Changes a program's internal attributes.
`chgrp`	Changes the group of a file.
`chmod`	Changes the permissions of a file.
`chown`	Changes the owner of a file.
`cmp`	Compares two files and notifies you of any differences.
`col`	Used with nroff(1) to filter reverse linefeeds and backspaces.
`comm`	Prints all the lines common to two sorted files.
`cpio`	Copies file archives.
`cut`	Cuts selected fields or columns from a file.
`dd`	Copies a tape or file.
`df`	Displays the number of free 512-byte blocks and free inodes on a file system.
`diff`	Compares two files and notifies you of any differences.
`dircmp`	Compares two directories and notifies you of any differences.
`disable`	Disables `lp` printers.
`du`	Displays disk usage for files or directories.
`elm`	Processes electronic mail interactively.
`enable`	Enables `lp` printers.
`exit`	Terminates the shell.
`find`	Locates files within a directory.
`fold`	Wraps text lines that exceed maximum width.
`grep`	Searches for lines matching a pattern.
`head`	Displays the first ten lines of a file.
`jobs`	Displays all active jobs.
`kill`	Terminates a process.
`lp`	Sends files to an `lp` printer or plotter.
`lpstat`	Shows current status of all `lp` printers.
`ls`	Lists the contents of a directory.
`mailx`	Processes electronic mail interactively.
`make`	Maintains, updates, and regenerates groups of programs.
`man`	Accesses the online manual pages.
`mkdir`	Creates a new directory.
`more`	Displays the contents of a file one screen at a time.
`nroff`	Formats text for printing.
`od`	Creates an octal dump of a file.
`paste`	Merges the same line in several files or subsequent lines of one file.
`pg`	Displays the contents of a file one screen at a time.
`pr`	Formats text for printing.
`ps`	Shows the status of active processes.
`remsh`	Executes a command on a remote host.
`rlogin`	Connects your terminal to a remote host.
`rm`	Deletes files or directories.
`rmdir`	Deletes directories.
`sdiff`	Compares two files and displays a side-by-side listing of any differences.
`set`	Sets shell options.
`shar`	Bundles one or more files into a shell archive package.
`sort`	Sorts the lines of a file.
`tail`	Displays the last ten lines of a file.
`tar`	Creates, maintains, and accesses a file archive on tape.
`tcio`	Improves data transfer rate to cartridge tape. Commonly used with cpio(1).
`tee`	In a command pipeline, copies data passing between commands to a file.
`touch`	Updates the access, modification, and change times of a file.
`tr`	Translates characters.
`umask`	Sets file-creation mode mask.
`uname`	Displays the name of the current HP-UX version.
`vi`	Edits files on a screen-oriented display.
`wc`	Counts lines, words, and characters in a file.
`who`	Lists who is logged on to the system.
`write`	Interactively writes to another user.
`xd`	Creates a hexadecimal dump of a file.
`xdb`	C, FORTRAN, and Pascal symbolic debugger.

Moving Softkeys

To change the placement of a visible softkey, follow these steps:

Select Keysh config softkey move.
Type the name or label of the softkey you want to move.
Select where you want the softkey to be moved, then press Return.
If you select before softkey, you will need to type the name or label of the existing softkey before which you want the other softkey to be moved.

For example, to move the Mail softkey to immediately before the Keysh config softkey, use this command:

Keysh config softkey move Mail before softkey Keysh_configReturn

Deleting Softkeys

To delete a visible softkey, follow these steps:

Select Keysh config softkey delete.
Type the name or label of the softkey you want to delete.
Press Return.

For example, to delete the Edit file softkey from the top-level softkey menu, use this command:

Keysh config softkey delete Edit_fileReturn

Note that after deleting a softkey from the softkey menu, you can still access the softkey invisibly.

Changing Global Options

This section explains the global configuration options found under the Keysh config options softkey menu. Global options allow you to control such things as which type of softkeys are available for use, whether HP-UX translations are displayed, and whether prompts are given.

In the Keysh config options menu, an asterisk next to an option name means that the option is on. Global configuration options can be turned on and off with the following commands:

Keysh config options option_softkey on

Keysh config options option_softkey off

For example, to turn off the prompts, use this command:

Keysh config options prompts off Return

Table 26-5 “Global Options” describes the global options:

Table 26-5 Global Options

Option	Default	Description
`help`	Enabled.	If you set `help` to off, the `--Help--` softkey disappears, but online help is generally still available by using the Tab key.
`invisibles`	Enabled.	If you set `invisibles` to off, `keysh` will not recognize invisible softkey commands.
`prompts`	Enabled.	If you set `prompts` to off, `keysh` will not display prompt messages describing actions that are required to complete the current softkey command.
`selectors`	Disabled.	If you set `selectors` to on, an uppercase selector character appears in each softkey label. Typing this character (unquoted) selects the softkey. `keysh` automatically sets `selectors` to on if you are using a terminal that does not support a sufficient number of softkeys.
`translations`	Enabled.	If you set `translations` to off, `keysh` will not display the HP-UX translations of softkey commands before executing them.
`visibles`	Enabled.	If you set `visibles` to off, `keysh` will not display softkey commands on the top-level softkey menu. If you are familiar with HP-UX commands (but not necessarily with the options), you may wish to set `visibles` to off. You can then decrease `keysh` start-up time by editing `.keyshrc` and removing the lines that add visible softkeys.

Changing the Status Line

In the Keysh config status line menu, an asterisk next to a status line indicator means that the indicator is on. You can turn the various status line indicators on and off with the following commands:

Keysh config status line indicator_softkey on

Keysh config status line indicator_softkey off

For example, to add your user name to the status line, use this command:

Keysh config status line user name onReturn

Table 26-6 “Status Line Indicators” describes status line indicators:

Table 26-6 Status Line Indicators

Indicator	Default	Description
`user name`	Disabled.	Your user name.
`host name`	Enabled.	Your host name.
`current_dir`	Enabled.	The current directory.
`mail_status`	Enabled.	The mail status ("You have mail", "No mail", or "You have new mail").
`date`	Disabled.	The date.
`time`	Enabled.	The time of day.

In addition, you can use the KEYSH shell variable to add any arbitrary text to the status line. This text is always displayed first. You can include the same type of information in KEYSH that you normally would in the PS1 variable. For more information, refer to “Setting Shell Variables”."

Saving Configuration Changes

If you want to manually write the configuration changes you have made to your .keyshrc file, select Keysh config write. Note that keysh automatically writes configuration changes as you make them.

For example, if you have configured keysh differently in two windows and you do not want to keep one of the configurations, go to the window with the configuration you want and select Keysh config write to write that configuration to .keyshrc. Then go to the other window and restart keysh.

Restarting Key Shell

After changing keysh's configuration in one window, you can update the configuration of any other windows by selecting Keysh config restart in those windows.

If you want keysh to restart from the original default configuration, select Keysh config restart default. Any changes you have made to .keyshrc will be lost.

Undoing Configuration Changes

If you want to undo the configuration changes you made, select Keysh config undo. This command undoes all configuration changes made since keysh was last invoked or since the last Keysh config undo command. It then rewrites your .keyshrc file to reflect the undone changes.

Selecting Keysh config undo a second time will restore your configuration changes.