source: chapter07/inputrc.xml@ a8f36125

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?>
<!DOCTYPE sect1 [
   <!ENTITY % general-entities SYSTEM "../general.ent">
  %general-entities;
]>
<sect1 id="ch-scripts-inputrc">
<title>Creating the /etc/inputrc file</title>
<?dbhtml filename="inputrc.html"?>

<indexterm zone="ch-scripts-inputrc"><primary sortas="e-/etc/inputrc">/etc/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> -- <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 root, that needs
a private version of the file.  Be sure to use the <parameter>-p</parameter> parameter
of <command>cp</command> to maintain permissions and be sure to change owner and group
appropriately.
</para>

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

# Make sure we don't output everything on the 1 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

# for Konsole
"\e[H": beginning-of-line
"\e[F": end-of-line

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

</sect1>