source: archive/inputrc.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?>
<!DOCTYPE sect1 PUBLIC "-//OASIS//DTD DocBook XML V4.5//EN"
   "http://www.oasis-open.org/docbook/xml/4.5/docbookx.dtd" [
  <!ENTITY % general-entities SYSTEM "../../general.ent">
  %general-entities;
]>

<sect1 id="postlfs-config-inputrc" xreflabel="Introduction to /etc/inputrc">
  <?dbhtml filename="inputrc.html"?>


  <title>Introduction to /etc/inputrc</title>

  <indexterm zone="postlfs-config-inputrc">
    <primary sortas="e-etc-inputrc">/etc/inputrc</primary>
  </indexterm>

  <indexterm zone="postlfs-config-inputrc">
    <primary sortas="e-AA.inputrc">~/.inputrc</primary>
  </indexterm>

  <para><filename>/etc/inputrc</filename> deals with the mapping of the
  keyboard for certain situations.  This file is the start-up file used by
  <application>readline</application>, the input related library used by
  <application>bash</application> and most other shells.</para>

  <para>For more information see <command>info bash</command>&mdash;<emphasis
  role="strong">Node: Readline Init</emphasis> file as well as
  <command>info readline</command>. There is a lot that can be done with this
  one rc file.</para>

  <para>Global values are set in <filename>/etc/inputrc</filename>.
  Personal user values are set in <filename>~/.inputrc</filename>. The
  <filename>~/.inputrc</filename> file will override the global settings
  file.  A later page sets up <application>Bash</application> to use
  <filename>/etc/inputrc</filename> if there is no <filename>.inputrc</filename>
  for a user when   <filename>/etc/profile</filename> is read (usually at login).
  If you   want your system to use both, or don't want <emphasis>global</emphasis>
  keyboard handling, it is a good idea to place a default
  <filename>.inputrc</filename> into the <filename
  class="directory">/etc/skel</filename> directory for use with new users.</para>

  <para>Below is a base <filename>/etc/inputrc</filename> along with
  comments to explain what the various options do.  Note that comments
  can <emphasis>not</emphasis> be on the same line as commands.</para>

  <para>If you will create an <filename>.inputrc</filename> in
  <filename class="directory">/etc/skel</filename> using the command below,
  change the command's output to <filename>/etc/skel/.inputrc</filename> and
  be sure to check/set permissions afterward. Then you can just copy that
  file to <filename>/etc/inputrc</filename> and the home directory
  of any user already existing in the system, including <systemitem
  class="username">root</systemitem>, that needs
  a private version of the file.  Be sure to use the <option>-p</option>
  parameter of <command>cp</command> to maintain permissions and be sure to
  change owner and group appropriately.</para>

<screen role="root"><userinput>cat &gt; /etc/inputrc &lt;&lt; "EOF"
<literal># Begin /etc/inputrc

# Make sure everything is not output to one line
set horizontal-scroll-mode Off

# Enable 8bit input
set meta-flag On
set input-meta On

# Turns off 8th bit stripping
set convert-meta Off

# Keep the 8th bit for display
set output-meta On

# none, visible or audible
set bell-style none

# All of the following map the escape sequence of the
# value contained inside the 1st argument to the
# readline specific functions

"\eOd": backward-word
"\eOc": forward-word

# for linux console
"\e[1~": beginning-of-line
"\e[4~": end-of-line
"\e[5~": beginning-of-history
"\e[6~": end-of-history
"\e[3~": delete-char
"\e[2~": quoted-insert

# for xterm
"\eOH": beginning-of-line
"\eOF": end-of-line

# End /etc/inputrc</literal>
EOF</userinput></screen>

</sect1>