Using Better Terminal Emulator Pro
From magicandroidapps.com Wiki
Contents |
Overview
Better Terminal Emulator Pro is a full-featured terminal emulator for Android. This means that is not only allows execution of Linux commands in Android, but also includes terminal emulation features and understands most ANSI terminal codes. Better Terminal Emulator Pro also allows for input of control characters, tabs, cursor movement keys, and special symbols which may not be available on your Android device's physical or soft keyboard.
Control Characters
Many Android devices have a directional pad (DPAD) or trackball. On these devices, pressing the DPAD Center or depressing the Trackball is equivalent to pressing the Control key on a typical PC keyboard. When Control has been pressed, Better Terminal Emulator Pro's cursor will change to a > to let you know that the control key has been pressed, and the next character typed will be sent as a control character. For example, to send a Control-C (^C) you would press DPAD/Trackball, followed by C. If you press the control key twice, then the cursor will change to a ] which is Control lock, meaning that the next sequence of characters typed will be sent as control characters, until you press the Control key again. This is useful for pausing/un-pausing scrolling text with ^S / ^Q.
Some Android devices like the Motorola Droid or Motorola Cliq are unusual in that it has a directional pad (DPAD) that is only available when the hard keyboard is open. The DPAD gets covered up when the keyboard is closed. Normally, when the hard keyboard is open, you can press the center of the DPAD to activate the control function. Alternatively, when the hard keyboard is closed, you can use BTEP's Virtual Direction Pad feature which works instead of the real DPAD.
Some Android devices, like the Motorola Droid X, HTC EVO 4G, Samsung Galaxy S, and Acer Liquid devices do not have a trackball/DPAD at all. In this case, you can use BTEP's Virtual Direction Pad.
On devices without a Trackball/DPAD, but which do have a Search key, the Search key is configured by default to act as the Control Key.
Entering Tabs
Tab characters are often used in Linux shells to facilitate an auto-complete function where commands or filenames can be auto-completed by entering a Tab character. For example, in Better Terminal Emulator Pro's Enhanced Shell you can press Tab to complete a parially entered command, or press Tab twice for a list of all available Linux commands. In the ASCII character set, the Tab character is Control-I (^I). This can be entered manually by pressing Control-I in BTEP, or by using one of the Programmable shortcut keys to send the ^I sequence. By default on most Android devices, BTEP will configure the Volume Down key as Tab.
Entering Escape (ESC)
In the ASCII character set, the Escape (ESC) character is Control-[ (^[). This can be entered manually by pressing Control-[ in BTEP, or by using one of the Programmable shortcut keys to send the ^[ sequence. By default on most Android devices, BTEP will configure the Volume Up key as Escape.
Shortcuts
- search key
- back key
- focus key
- camera key
- volume up
- volume down
Special keys
control key + space ==> Control-@ (NULL)
control key + A..Z ==> Control-A..Z
control key + . ==> Control-\
control key + 1 ==> ESC (Control-[)
control key + 2 ==> paste from Clipboard
control key + 4 ==> Pipe (|)
control key + 5 ==> Control-_
control key + 6 ==> Control-^
control key + 9 ==> tab (Control-I)
control key + 0 ==> Control-]
Other shortcuts
Most of shortcuts works in different shells but definettly in BTEP.
control key + a ==> move cursor to beginning of line
control key + e ==> move cursor to end of line
control key + w ==> cut the last word
control key + u ==> cut everything before the cursor
control key + p ==> (previous) recalls the previous command (equivalent to the key : Up arrow)
control key + n ==> (next) recalls the next command (equivalent to the key : Down arrow)
control key + l ==> clears the screen content (equivalent to the command : clear)
control key + k ==> clears the line content after the cursor and copy it in the clipboard
control key + c ==> sends the signal SIGINT to the current task, which aborts and closes it.
control key +z ==> sends the signal SIGTSTP to the current task, which suspends it. To return to it later one can enter fg 'process name' (foreground).
control key +x control key+x ==> (because x has a crossing shape) alternates the cursor with its old position.
ALT + spacebar ==> paste from clipboard
