mgt-helper - Shell extender program for Multi Gnome Terminal.

mgt-helper [-D,-r RC_FILE,-T,-H,-V,-W,-WT,-A URL_ACTION] [--usage, --help] [-h, --history EXTENSION] [-u, --url-handler, --http-handler] [-f, --ftp-handler] [-m, --mailto-handler] [-F, --file-handler] [-x, --execute COMMAND [,COMMAND...]] [-U, --user-guide] [-s, --ssh COMMAND] [-S, --su] [-g, --google] [-lg, --lin-google] [-l, --lookup [WORD]] [-d, --debug COMMAND]

mgt-helper is a Bash script meant to be used in conjunction with multi-gnome-terminal to extend multi-gnome-terminal's usefulness in a shell environment.

The script contains a number subroutines that can be invoked from within multi-gnome-terminal's "Edit Commands" or "Keybindings" features. These subroutines are essentially independent of each other, and are not intended to be used in conjunction with each other.

Some of these subroutines are provided as a unique way of accomplishing some task that would be difficult to do otherwise. While others are provided merely as a convenience to show off an interesting idea or feature.

These options must come first on the command line. More than one of these may be used at a time, and can be combined with the COMMAND OPTIONS listed below.

-D

Turn on verbose mode, which writes some debugging type info to screen and to /tmp/mgt-helper.debug.

-r RC_FILE

Parse RC_FILE after other config files have been parsed, and over-ride any previously defined values.

-T

Force a full Tab (useful if the default config uses a split).

-H

Force a horizontally split Tab.

-V

Force a vertically split Tab.

-W

Force a "New Window" instead of Tab or split.

-WT

Force a "New Window" with start-up Tabs for the current Class instead of Tab or split.

-A URL_ACTION

Force URL_ACTION as the action that multi-gnome-terminal will take to perform this command: e.g. --add-tab. Actions may be combined within reason: e.g. --add-tab --tclass myclass. Do not use the -x option, since this will be invoked by one of the COMMAND OPTIONS listed below. Quote to protect any white space.

Use only one of these at a time.

--usage, --help

Show all command line options with brief explanation, and then exit.

-h, --history EXTENSION

Force a user defined, custom Bash history file for this terminal's shell, where EXTENSION is a user-defined, unique string. This probably only works with bash right now. Use with "Edit Commands".

-u, --url-handler, --http-handler

For use as the GNOME HTTP URL/Document Handler. This will need to be set up in GNOME and will open a new Tab with a text browser. Example from ~/.gnome/Gnome: http-show=mgt-helper -u "%s". All URL Handlers only work on Linux at this time.

-f, --ftp-handler

For use as the GNOME FTP URL/Document Handler. This will need to be set up in GNOME and will open a new Tab with a FTP client . Example from ~/.gnome/Gnome: http-show=mgt-helper -f "%s".

-m, --mailto-handler

For use as the GNOME mailto URL/Document Handler. This will need to be set up in GNOME and will open a new Tab with a email client (MUA). Example from ~/.gnome/Gnome: http-show=mgt-helper -m "%s".

-F, --file-handler

For use as the GNOME File URL/Document Handler. This will need to be set up in GNOME and will open a new Tab with a file manager or other pertinent information. Example from ~/.gnome/Gnome: http-show=mgt-helper -F "%s".

-x, --execute COMMAND [,COMMAND...]

Have the shell execute the command(s), rather than multi-gnome-terminal. This allows for much more complex commands to be run from Edit Commands. See EXAMPLES section below.

-U, --user-guide

Open the User's Guide in a text browser. Use with Edit Commands, or can be run direct from a shell prompt.

-s, --ssh [ssh args] HOST [command]

Use mgt-helper as a ssh wrapper. This is probably only useful where the sshd daemon may be running as another user, and thus breaks our GNOME URL Handling tricks. Use with Edit Commands, if needed (ie if URL Handlers don't work properly).

-S, --su

Use mgt-helper as a su wrapper. Su'ing can break URL Handling. Use with Edit Commands, if needed (ie if URL Handlers don't work properly).

-g, --google

Search google.com/linux. Provided as a convenience feature only. Use with Edit Commands.

-lg, --lin-google

Search google. Provided as a convenience feature only. Use with Edit Commands.

-l, --lookup [WORD]

Look up a word in an on-line dictionary. This will use the 'dict' command if availalbe, otherwise the Merriam Webster on-line dictionary is used. Provided as a convenience feature only. If WORD is omitted, then user is prompted for word to look up.

-d, --debug CMD_TO_DEBUG [args]

A troubleshooting aid to capture error output from shell commands (NOT MGT internals) that might vanish quickly otherwise. Any command that fails due to an error, or does not provide a means of preventing immediate exit of the spawned shell, will cause the terminal or Tab to close quickly, and the error message (if any) is thus lost. This is useful for trapping those situations. Use with Edit Commands.

--showall

This just dumps all variables from the bash environment to STDOUT, and also writes the same to /tmp/mgt-helper.debug as a troubleshooting aid.

There are a number of variables that can be defined to alter mgt-helper's behavior and set preferences. These are all listed in the script itself, though some may be commented out.

It is highly recommended that such user or site preferences be put in another file. This can be /etc/mgt-helper.rc for site-wide preferences, or $HOME/.mgt-helper.rc for individual user preferences. Both of these files are checked by mgt-helper automatically, with the latter taking precedence.

In addition, since these configuration files will be sourced by Bash, any other variables or manipulation of the Bash environment, can be added at your discretion. For instance, you could set Bash's TMOUT variable, and even base this action conditionally on other environment factors, or the contents of the command line. Or you could check the command line contents, see if a url handler is being invoked, then check the URL itself, and alter the default handler dynamically based on certain conditions. For instance, use Mozilla for https sites, and w3m for http sites. Many possibilities.

This feature is provided so that text based applications may be used with multi-gnome-terminal. Presumably so that such documents can be opened in a split terminal or Tab.

This is basically a feature of GNOME that allows user defined applications for different "document" types. multi-gnome-terminal has extended this feature considerably, making it more useful. Typically, these apps are intended to be GUI apps like Nautilus. To change this behavior, you will first have to set mgt-helper with the appropriate command line option (e.g. -u) as the Handler for GNOME. This can be done through the GNOME menu interface, or by directly editing $HOME/.gnome/Gnome with a text editor (carefully!). Secondly, be aware now that any GNOME application that may access this feature, will be using mgt-helper as the application of choice, even if it is some other application altogether (which won't work at all). This means that there must be alternate handlers set up for such situtations, preferably in either $HOME/.mgt-helper.rc or /etc/mgt-helper.rc. Defaults are provided, but probably won't work on some systems. See the script for appropriate variable names.

Since mgt-helper is Bash script, it is influenced by, and can be manipulated with, any of the various Bash variables, commands and expressions.

The following examples are what go in the "Command" field of "Edit Commands".

Create a custom Bash history file for this terminal:

   mgt-helper -h my_project

This will create and use a file named $HOME/.bash_histroy-my_project any time this terminal or Tab is opened.

Using mgt-helper as a ssh wrapper for URL handling:

   mgt-helper -s some_host

Executing complex shell commands from "Edit Commands":

   mgt-helper -x export TMOUT=300 ; bash --login

   mgt-helper -x ps aux | less

   mgt-helper -x netstat -taun | less

 
 /usr/bin/mgt-helper
 $HOME/.mgt-helper.rc
 /usr/bin/multi-gnome-terminal
 /usr/sbin/mgt-pty-helper

Not well tested, so probably yes, maybe numerous.

Not tested with any shells other than Bash, and most commands probably only work with Bash.

Some commands will only work on Linux at this time. Notably, any of the URL Handling stuff.

Cristiano De Michele is the creator and author of multi-gnome-terminal. mgt-helper was written by Hal Burgiss and Cristiano De Michele.

multi-gnome-terminal(1), bash(1)

See the User's Guide for a complete explanation of Multi-Gnome-Terminal's features and usage, and a more complete explanation of mgt-helper's features.

Please use the tracking system at http://multignometerm.sourceforge.net to report bugs, request features, etc.

Bug Reports: http://sourceforge.net/tracker/?atid=411232&group_id=34480&func=browse

Feature Requests: http://sourceforge.net/tracker/?atid=411235&group_id=34480&func=browse

Patches: http://sourceforge.net/tracker/?atid=411234&group_id=34480&func=browse

Mailing Lists: http://sourceforge.net/mail/?group_id=34480

Copyright (C) 2001, 2002 Cristiano De Michele and Hal Burgiss

mgt-helper is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.

This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU General Public License for more details, which is available from the Free Software Foundation, Inc, 59 Temple Place - Suite 330, Boston, MA 02111-1307, USA.

You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA 02111-1307 USA.