Beyond Linux From Scratch - Version 6.2.0

Chapter 7. Shells

Tcsh-6.14.00

Introduction to Tcsh

The Tcsh package contains “an enhanced but completely compatible version of the Berkeley Unix C shell (csh)”. This is useful as an alternative shell for those who prefer C syntax to that of the bash shell, and also because some programs require the C shell in order to perform installation tasks.

[Caution]

Caution

Tcsh has problems with command line editing in multibyte locales. The issue is discussed in more detail in the Breaks Multibyte Characters section of the Locale Related Issues page.

Package Information

Additional Downloads

User Notes: http://wiki.linuxfromscratch.org/blfs/wiki/tcsh

Installation of Tcsh

Install Tcsh by running the following commands: 

patch -Np1 -i ../tcsh-6.14.00-colorls_compat-1.patch &&
./configure --prefix=/usr --bindir=/bin &&
make &&
sh ./tcsh.man2html

This package does not come with a test suite.

Now, as the root user: 

make install &&
make install.man &&
ln -v -sf tcsh /bin/csh &&
ln -v -sf tcsh.1 /usr/man/man1/csh.1 &&
install -v -m755 -d /usr/share/doc/tcsh-6.14.00/html &&
install -v -m644 tcsh.html/* /usr/share/doc/tcsh-6.14.00/html &&
install -v -m644 FAQ /usr/share/doc/tcsh-6.14.00

Command Explanations

--bindir=/bin: This installs the tcsh program in /bin instead of /usr/bin.

sh ./tcsh.man2html: This creates HTML documentation from the formatted man page.

ln -v -sf tcsh /bin/csh: The FHS states that if there is a C shell installed, there should be a symlink from /bin/csh to it. This creates that symlink.

Configuring Tcsh

Config Files

There are numerous configuration files for the C shell. Examples of these are /etc/csh.cshrc, /etc/csh.login, /etc/csh.logout, ~/.tcshrc, ~/.cshrc, ~/.history, ~/.cshdirs, ~/.login, and ~/.logout. More information on these files can be found in the tcsh(1) man page.

Configuration Information

Update /etc/shells to include the C shell program names (as the root user): 

cat >> /etc/shells << "EOF"
/bin/tcsh
/bin/csh
EOF

Contents

Installed Program: tcsh
Installed Libraries: None
Installed Directory: /usr/share/doc/tcsh-6.14.00

Short Descriptions

tcsh

is an enhanced but completely compatible version of the Berkeley Unix C shell, csh. It is usable as both an interactive shell and a script processor.

Last updated on 2007-02-14 17:40:25 -0600