ssfe - split-screen front-end

ssfe [options] program-name [program-options]

ssfe runs a line-oriented program in the background, and provides a full screen interface for it. The bottom line of the screen is the input line, which you can edit using emacs-like keys; above that is the status bar, and the scrolling area with the program's output.

You can configure ssfe to reprint or not your own input lines, to use prompts, and to do word-wrap on the program's output.

ssfe also understands a little protocol to communicate with the program it is running, which can be used to change the contents of the status line, to set ssfe's modes and to prompt for input.

-raw

Disables word-wrap and handling of control characters. In this mode, ssfe will not attempt keep track of the cursor's position.

-cooked

Enables word-wrap, and prints control characters using inverse-video; this is the default mode.

-irc

Same as -cooked, but also interprets Ctrl-B, Ctrl-V and Ctrl-_ with the IRC convention (toggles for bold, inverse, underlined, respectively).

-hold

Sets hold-mode. In hold mode, ssfe will stop after each screenful, and wait for the user to hit TAB.

-beep

In cooked or IRC mode, enables beeps. When beeps are disabled, the character Ctrl-G is displayed as an inverse-video G.

-flow

Enables flow-control with ^S and ^Q. ssfe normally disables those, but some terminals require them to operate properly.

-print

Enables printing of your own commands back in the scrolling area.

-prompt <prompt>

Sets a prompt for the user input line. The default prompt is none, or ``> '' if -print is specified.

program [options]

Names the program that ssfe should run.

ssfe understands these keys (^ means Control):

^\

Interrupt ssfe and whatever program it's running, and exit back to the unix prompt.

^a

Go to the beginning of the line.

^b, left arrow

Move left a letter.

^c

Interrupt: ignored by the front-end, can be used to interrupt connecting to a server, with sirc.

^d

Delete the character under the cursor.

^e

Go to the end of the line.

^f, right arrow

Move right a letter.

^h, DEL

Erase the previous character.

^i, TAB

Go to next /msg in msg history.

^j, ^m, Enter

^k

Erase from the cursor to the end of the line.

^l

Redisplay the status bar and the command line.

^n, down arrow

Go to the next line in command-line history.

^o

With sirc, type the last msg you got on the command line

^p, up arrow

Go to the previous line in command-line history.

^t

With sirc, switch to the next channel you're on.

^u

Erase command-line.

^v

Insert the next character literally, even if it's a ^something.

^x b

Toggle beep on or off (off by default).

^x c

Exit the front end, back to the unix prompt.

^x h

Toggle hold mode.

^x i

Toggle irc-mode (^b^v^_ handling) on and off.

^y

Yank the current line in the history without sending it.

^z

Suspend ssfe and sirc and go back to the unix prompt - you come back with 'fg'.

ssfe is free software. You can redistribute it and/or modify it under the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation. See the file LICENSE for details.

sirc(1)

TERM

sets the terminal type. The terminal needs to be able to set a scrolling zone for ssfe to work.

None known, please report to the author.

sirc was written by Roger Espel Llima <roger.espel.llima@pobox.com>.