-EmacsUtils
-==========
+multishell.el
+=============
-Handy Emacs utilities
+Facilitate use of multiple local and remote Emacs shell buffers.
+
+Multishell is available via Emacs package manager, [in ELPA](https://elpa.gnu.org/packages/multishell.html). Install "multishell" from the `M-x package-list-packages` listing.
+
+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:
+
+* Get to the input point from wherever you are in a shell buffer,
+ ... or to any of your shell buffers, from anywhere inside emacs.
+
+* Use universal arguments to launch and choose among alternate shell buffers,
+ ... and change which is the current default.
+
+* Easily restart disconnected shells, or shells from prior sessions
+ ... the latter from Emacs builtin savehist minibuf history persistence
+
+* 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:
+
+ * `#root/sudo:root@localhost:/etc` for a buffer named "#root" with a
+ root shell starting in /etc.
+
+ * `/ssh:example.net:/` for a shell buffer in / on example.net.
+ The buffer will be named "*example.net*".
+
+ * `#ex/ssh:example.net|sudo:root@example.net:/etc` for a root shell
+ starting in /etc on example.net named "*#ex*".
+
+ * `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.
+
+* Thanks to tramp, file visits from the shell will seamlessly be on the
+ host where the shell is running, in the auspices of the target account.
+
+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 the keybinding according to the various
+conditions.
+
+Customize-group `multishell' to select and activate a keybinding and set
+various behaviors. Customize-group `savehist' to preserve buffer
+names/paths across emacs restarts.
+
+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.