retrieving history using <ESC> K

[Rich1970]

I am accumulating commands entered in the ~/.sh_history file. I ran the command "set -o vi" to allow vi commands from command line. I thought using commands such as k would walk back through the .sh_history file. It appears to walk it back to a certain point and stops. So it appears, K is walking a different buffer somewhere? Does anyone know ehre? Ideally, I would like to recall commands using the find command "/foo" to find the last entered command foo.

Also, is there away to only log commands phyisically typed in from the keyboard to the .sh_history file. Apparently, large ksh scripts that I run log immense data which I don't care about. Thanks.

[Ninad_1]

You can use the HISTSIZE variable.
e.g. export HISTSIZE=100
to store last 100 commands
.sh_history infact logs only commands and not the output, so not to worry.

Regards,
Ninad

[Rich1970]

OK! If HISTSIZE is set, I can see that K is retrieving the commands buffered. However, when I log out and back on, the command retrieve history is not working with K even though the .sh_history file still exists. So it appears K is retrieving commands from another buffer, does anyone know where?

Thanks!

[Ninad_1]

Do you have HISTFILE variable set ?
Please do echo $HISTFILE

If HISTFILE is not defined to any specific file, then default is .sh_history

Regards,
Ninad

[Rich1970]

no it is not set. I figured out the fc -l command lists the recent commands, but it doesn't appear to get the command from the .sh_history because there are many other commands in the file that do not show up when I type fc -l.

What file are the commands buffered to because it doesn't appear that the fc -l command or the ESC K command walks .sh_history.

[Dennis Handly]

Are you exporting HISTFILE too? Are you root?

I have no problems with using /foo with N different shells on different computers.

>large ksh scripts that I run log immense data which I don't care about.

You might want to use the following so you don't log functions:
set -o nolog # don't save functions in history file

[Rich1970]

Thank you very much Dennis. Adding the set -o nolog seems to have done the trick. my / command now works when searching strings in the search history.

much appreicated.

[Dennis Handly · Accepted solution]

>my / command now works when searching strings in the search history.

You could have also solved it by using HISTSIZE=10000 or so. I typically use 1000 but also grep .sh_history for valuable but "expired" commands.

I found nolog because I read every stinkin' word on the man page and I kept seeing my pushd/popd functions logged in HISTFILE.

You haven't assigned any points yet, please read:
http://forums1.itrc.hp.com/service/forums/helptips.do?#33

[Ninad_1]

The .sh_history file you are refering to - is it in the home directory of the user or somewhere else ?
If HISFILE is not set then history is stored in $HOME/.sh_history
If the .sh_history file you are checking is in fact in $HOME, then try one thing -
mv .sh_history .sh_history.org
and then try fc -l

Regards,
Ninad

[Rich1970]

Dennis - I do have me HISTSIZE set to 3000 but the retrieve didn't seem to work until I did the set -o nolog option. Actually, I noticed /foo isn't going back through the entire file to locate foo. For example, I currently have 232 lines in my .sh_history file. I can hit k which will walk me back through the last 155 commands. Not sure why it is not walking the entire 232 since my HISTSIZE is set to 3000. I am hoping to be able to walk the entire 3000 command buffer. Still not sure why it doesn't work, but it is working better because the .sh_history file is cleaner due to the nolog option

BTW - I am not root



Ninad,

Thanks for your posts.

HISTFILE is not set so it is defaulting to ~/.sh_history. I did your test and here are my results of the fc.

meekerr@stp03: /home/vtl/meekerr
==> ls -a .sh_history
.sh_history
meekerr@stp03: /home/vtl/meekerr
==> fc -l
197 asdf asdf asdf
198 asdf
199 asdf
200 hg
201 asdf
202 asdf aasd
203 ia2b
204 man fc
205 fc First
206 man fc
207 cd
208 fc -l
209 ls -a .sh_history
210 clear
211 ls -a .sh_history
212 fc -l
meekerr@stp03: /home/vtl/meekerr
==> mv .sh_history .sh_history.org
meekerr@stp03: /home/vtl/meekerr
==> fc -l
199 asdf
200 hg
201 asdf
202 asdf aasd
203 ia2b
204 man fc
205 fc First
206 man fc
207 cd
208 fc -l
209 ls -a .sh_history
210 clear
211 ls -a .sh_history
212 fc -l
213 mv .sh_history .sh_history.org
214 fc -l
meekerr@stp03: /home/vtl/meekerr

Hmmm - Is there a separate command buffer for command history or is it using .sh_history?

[Peter Nikitka]

Hi,

I'm shure the shell keeps its history in memory - or at least a part of it - so it wouldn'z be necessary to open a file for each key stroke.

mfg Peter

[Dennis Handly]

>I do have my HISTSIZE set to 3000 but the retrieve didn't seem to work until I did the set -o nolog option.

You didn't have 3000 lines of functions did you? ;-)

I have 1000 and I can do "history -999". And then grep 9000+ lines.

>Not sure why it is not walking the entire 232 since my HISTSIZE is set to 3000.

I did history to pick a line close to 1000 back and / found a unique string there.

>Is there a separate command buffer for command history or is it using .sh_history?

I suppose there is an in memory copy? If you have HISTFILE set wrong or root with sh, it doesn't put it to a file.

>Peter: I'm sure the shell keeps its history in memory - or at least a part of it - so it wouldn't be necessary to open a file for each key stroke.

It probably buffers lines? I'm able to see recent commands from other shells.