SUMMARY: csh editing command line

From: Lucio Chiappetti <lucio_at_ifctr.mi.cnr.it>
Date: Tue, 10 Sep 1996 19:45:17 +0200 (MET DST)

The real answer is at the bottom, after the flames ...


> On Tue, 10 Sep 1996, Lucio Chiappetti (ME) wrote:
>
> > I *desperately* want to reinstate in Digital Unix csh the command line
> > editing mode I had in Ultrix csh. In particular I want to be able to use
> > the arrow keys to move to the previous and next command, and also to the
    [...]

On Tue, 10 Sep 1996, an anonymous wrote:

> Obtain and install tcsh. Use pico as the editor. It works quite well
> here for skills ranging from inexperienced users through hackers.

  I obtained several answers of this sort.
  This is the sort of an answer to a question *different* than mine that
  makes me get mad :-(

  I have NOT asked for another *editor*
  (actually I use dxnotepad - provided it works, see my request of
  yesterday ... :-| - when I am on the console,xc-xedit when I want to do
  something special, pico as built-in composer in my pine mailer ... and
  vi or even ed when I'm really bound to it :-( like boot -s)
  BUT
  I asked for a way to recall and edit *the command line*

  I have NOT asked for another *shell*
  but for a way to make the Digital csh WORK AS ADVERTISED.

  I did not want to install another shell (and then go around changing
  /etc/shells on all machines) but stick with standard shells.
  I've seen a colleague on Sun using tcsh JUST to get command line
  editing, using funny keystrokes and getting an update of the command
  line very hard to read ....

  From the man cmdedit I got the impression that the "set editmode=vi"
  would give the same behaviour as the old Ultrix csh (although I have
  never been very fond of vi and using i,a,x and escape for editing, at least
  those are the keystrokes I can recall :-( ), and that "set editmode=emacs"
  would require learning yet-other-funny-control-keystrokes.

My ideal of command line editing would be up-down arrow for recall,
left-right arrows for movement, one delete key, and one insert toggle key
(sort of thing one had under VMS), anyhow I got used to the vi-style
under Ultrix ...

And now the answer, or at least what I find a satisfactory answer :-)

Apparently "set editmode=vi" is broken ; on the other hand "set
editmode=emacs", contrary to my expectations, gives a decent behaviour :

   - all arrow keys work
   - one is always in insert mode, alas, but we can live with that
   - there is no need to learn any other keystroke

(thanks to Massimo Ianigro <massimo_at_area.ba.cnr.it>
 ... sometimes help requested from afar comes from somewhere nearby,
 same country, same organization ... even if on the other side of
 river Po :-)) !)

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Received on Tue Sep 10 1996 - 20:27:44 NZST

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