-EmacsUtils
-==========
+multishell.el
+=============
-Handy Emacs utilities
+Facilitate use of multiple local and remote Emacs shell buffers.
-I've been using Gnu Emacs since it was publicly available (1985?), and have contributed some packages which are included with Emacs, notably the [Allout outliner](http://myriadicity.net/software-and-systems/craft/emacs-allout), [icomplete mode](http://www.emacswiki.org/emacs/IcompleteMode), and python-mode's [pdbtrack functionality](http://myriadicity.net/software-and-systems/craft/crafty-hacks#section-1). Like many long-time Emacs users, I've use some custom code, some of which I wouldn't do without. Here's a few items that I particularly like, and think might be useful to others - I hope to include more, as time allows.
+Multishell is available via Emacs package manager, in ELPA. Install "multishell" from the `M-x package-list-packages` listing.
-* **[multishell.el](./multishell.el)**
+I use the emacs shell a *lot*, including separate shells for separate
+project, and more shells for access to remote systems (which I do a lot, as
+a systems administrator). On top of emacs' powerful shell and tramp
+facilities, use a `multishell` (customization-activated) key binding to:
- I use the emacs shell a *lot*. I bind this to Meta-space to make it easy to:
+* Get to the input point from wherever you are in a shell buffer,
+ ... or to any of your shell buffers, from anywhere inside emacs.
- * Get to a shell buffer with a keystroke,
- * ... or to the input point for the current shell buffer.
- * Use universal arguments to launch and choose between alternate shell
- buffers and to select which is default.
- * Prepend a path to a new shell name to launch a shell in that directory,
- * and use Emacs tramp path syntax to launch a remote shell.
+* Use universal arguments to launch and choose among alternate shell buffers,
+ ... and change which is the current default.
- On top of emacs' powerful shell and tramp facilities, this turns emacs
- into a versatile tool for conducting operations and development across
- numerous hosts.
+* Easily restart disconnected shells, or shells from prior sessions
+ ... the latter from Emacs builtin savehist minibuf history persistence
-* **[xsel.el](./xsel.el)**
+* Append a path to a new shell name to launch a shell in that directory,
+ ... and use a path with Emacs tramp syntax to launch a remote shell -
+ for example:
- X copy and paste emacs region from emacs tty sessions, using a shell command.
+ * `#root/sudo:root@localhost:/etc` for a buffer named "#root" with a
+ root shell starting in /etc.
- If xsel or linux or cygwin equivalent is installed, and DISPLAY is
- working, use `klm:xsel-copy` to copy the region to the X clipboard and
- `klm:xsel-paste` to paste the contents of the clipboard at point.
+ * `/ssh:example.net:/` for a shell buffer in / on example.net.
+ The buffer will be named "*example.net*".
- One benefit is that `klm:xsel-paste` pastes are single units, rather than
- a sequence of individual keystrokes that constitute regular X pastes to a
- terminal. This avoids layers of parsing, indenting, auto-paren insertion,
- and so forth. (You can always do a regular X paste on occasions when you
- want that processing.)
+ * `#ex/ssh:example.net|sudo:root@example.net:/etc` for a root shell
+ starting in /etc on example.net named "*#ex*".
-* **[pdbtrack.el](./pdbtrack.el)**
+ * 'interior/ssh:gateway.corp.com|ssh:interior.corp.com:' to go via
+ gateway.corp.com to your homedir on interior.corp.com. The buffer
+ will be named "*interior*". You could append a sudo hop, and so on.
- [I've moved my standalone version of pdbtrack aside. I hadn't realized
- that the version that I derived this code from lacks my source-buffer
- fallback provisions. It looks like I'm going to have to do some
- unraveling to reconstruct the best basis.]
+* Thanks to tramp, file visits from the shell will seamlessly be in
+ the auspices of the target account, and relative to the current
+ directory, on the host where the shell is running.
- Add sensitivity to comint shells so the source file lines are automatically
- presented in a separate window when the Python PDB debugger steps to them.
+See the `multishell-pop-to-shell` docstring (in
+[multishell.el](multishell.el)) for details, and
+[getting-to-a-shell.md](getting-to-a-shell.md) for the nitty-gritty
+decision tree that determines where different hits of the keybinding go.
- This is derived from the pdb tracking code, which I originally wrote, and
- which has been included in (various) official Emacs Python modes. I wanted
- a version that I could more easily tweak and maintain, independently of
- the python-mode code.
+Customize-group `multishell' to select and activate a keybinding and set
+various behaviors. Customize-group `savehist' to preserve buffer
+names/paths across emacs restarts.
- It would be nice to eventually generalize this code, to work for things
- like the node.js debugger. We'll see if I (or anyone) ever gets around to
- that.
+Please use
+[the multishell repository](https://github.com/kenmanheimer/EmacsMultishell)
+issue tracker to report problems, suggestions, etc.
+
+See the [multishell.el](multishell.el) file commentary for a change log and
+Todo list.