The default shell of grml is the zsh. You'll find a preconfigured zsh. Main configuration of zsh is located in /etc/zsh/. This documentation covers current version of zsh (>=4.2).
You'll get a zsh with the completition mechanism. grml system loads the completion mechanism by default:
autoload -U compinit && compinit
zmodload -i zsh/complist
Now it is possible to use the powerful completition mechanism of zsh. For example file completition is something you might know from other shells:
mika@grml /tmp/mplayer-1.0-pre4 % vim debian/cont<press tab>
But zsh can provide completition also by detecting the context:
mika@grml ~ % ssh grml@<press tab>
completing host
grml localhost
And it's possible to extend and adjust the completition mechanism. Take a look at the Makefile-completition:
mika@grml /tmp/mplayer-1.0-pre4 % debian/rules <press tab>
completing make target
binary binary-indep build-stamp configure install patch-stamp
binary-arch build clean configure-stamp patch unpatch
The following listing is the output provided by running 'bindkey' on zsh configuration on the grml system. Notice that the sequence '^[' in bindkey commands refers to the escape key. '^' refers to the control key. '^A' is the short form for ctrl-a. Take a closer look at it because using keybindings for special task is a very important step to become a poweruser on the command line.
"^@" set-mark-command
"^A" beginning-of-line
"^B" backward-char
"^D" delete-char-or-list
"^E" end-of-line
"^F" forward-char
"^G" send-break
"^H" backward-delete-char
"^I" expand-or-complete
"^J" accept-line
"^K" kill-line
"^L" clear-screen
"^M" accept-line
"^N" down-line-or-history
"^O" accept-line-and-down-history
"^P" up-line-or-history
"^Q" push-line
"^R" history-incremental-search-backward
"^S" history-incremental-search-forward
"^T" transpose-chars
"^U" kill-whole-line
"^V" quoted-insert
"^W" backward-kill-word
"^X^B" vi-match-bracket
"^X^F" vi-find-next-char
"^X^J" vi-join
"^X^K" kill-buffer
"^X^N" infer-next-history
"^X^O" overwrite-mode
"^X^R" _read_comp
"^X^U" undo
"^X^V" vi-cmd-mode
"^X^X" exchange-point-and-mark
"^X^Z" predict-on
"^X*" expand-word
"^X=" what-cursor-position
"^X?" _complete_debug
"^XC" _correct_filename
"^XG" list-expand
"^XK" expand-kept-result
"^Xa" _expand_alias
"^Xc" _correct_word
"^Xd" _list_expansions
"^Xe" _expand_word
"^Xg" list-expand
"^Xh" _complete_help
"^Xk" insert-kept-result
"^Xm" _most_recent_file
"^Xn" _next_tags
"^Xr" history-incremental-search-backward
"^Xs" history-incremental-search-forward
"^Xt" _complete_tag
"^Xu" undo
"^X~" _bash_list-choices
"^Y" yank
"^Z" predict-off
"^[^D" list-choices
"^[^G" send-break
"^[^H" backward-kill-word
"^[^I" self-insert-unmeta
"^[^J" self-insert-unmeta
"^[^L" clear-screen
"^[^M" self-insert-unmeta
"^[^_" copy-prev-word
"^[ " expand-history
"^[!" expand-history
"^[\"" quote-region
"^[\$" spell-word
"^['" quote-line
"^[," _history-complete-newer
"^[-" neg-argument
"^[." insert-last-word
"^[/" _history-complete-older
"^[0" digit-argument
"^[1" digit-argument
"^[2" digit-argument
"^[3" digit-argument
"^[4" digit-argument
"^[5" digit-argument
"^[6" digit-argument
"^[7" digit-argument
"^[8" digit-argument
"^[9" digit-argument
"^[<" beginning-of-buffer-or-history
"^[>" end-of-buffer-or-history
"^[?" which-command
"^[A" accept-and-hold
"^[B" backward-word
"^[C" capitalize-word
"^[D" kill-word
"^[F" forward-word
"^[G" get-line
"^[H" run-help
"^[L" down-case-word
"^[N" history-search-forward
"^[OA" up-line-or-history
"^[OB" down-line-or-history
"^[OC" forward-char
"^[OD" backward-char
"^[P" history-search-backward
"^[Q" push-line
"^[S" spell-word
"^[T" transpose-words
"^[U" up-case-word
"^[W" copy-region-as-kill
"^[[1~" beginning-of-line
"^[[3~" delete-char
"^[[4~" end-of-line
"^[[A" up-line-or-search
"^[[B" down-line-or-search
"^[[C" forward-char
"^[[D" backward-char
"^[_" insert-last-word
"^[a" accept-and-hold
"^[b" backward-word
"^[c" capitalize-word
"^[d" kill-word
"^[e" edit-command-line
"^[f" forward-word
"^[g" get-line
"^[h" run-help
"^[l" down-case-word
"^[n" history-search-forward
"^[p" history-search-backward
"^[q" push-line
"^[s" spell-word
"^[t" transpose-words
"^[u" up-case-word
"^[w" copy-region-as-kill
"^[x" execute-named-cmd
"^[y" yank-pop
"^[z" execute-last-named-cmd
"^[|" vi-goto-column
"^[~" _bash_complete-word
"^[^?" backward-kill-word
"^_" undo
" "-"~" self-insert
"^?" backward-delete-char
"\M-^@"-"\M-^?" self-insert
zsh supports many options (see 'man 1 zshoptions' for more details). To get the current settings run the command 'setopt' without any options. On the grml system you'll find the following options set:
If this is set, zsh sessions will append their history list to the history file, rather than overwrite it. Thus, multiple parallel zsh sessions will all have their history lists added to the history file, in the order they are killed.
If a command is issued that can't be executed as a normal command, and the command is the name of a directory, perform the cd command to that directory.
Does not allow `>' redirection to truncate existing files, and `>>' to create files. You must use `>!' or `>|' to truncate a file, and `>>!' or `>>|' to create a file. This options is prevents files from being deleted by accident.
Try to correct the spelling of commands. Note that, when the HASH_LIST_ALL option is not set or when some directories in the path are not readable, this may falsely report spelling errors the first time some commands are used.
Treat the `#', ` ' and `^' characters as part of patterns for filename generation, etc. (An initial unquoted ` ' always produces named directory expansion.)
Save each command's beginning timestamp (in seconds since the epoch) and the duration (in seconds) to the history file.
Whenever a command completion is attempted, make sure the entire command path is hashed first. This makes the first completion slower.
Add `|' to output redirections in the history. This allows history references to clobber files even when CLOBBER is unset.
If a new command line being added to the history list duplicates an older one, the older command is removed from the list (even if it is not the previous event).
Remove command lines from the history list when the first character on the line is a space, or when one of the expanded aliases contains a leading space. Note that the command lingers in the internal history until the next command is entered before it vanishes, allowing you to briefly reuse or edit the line. If you want to make it vanish right away without entering another command, type a space and press return.
This is an interactive shell. This option is set upon initialisation if the standard input is a tty and commands are being read from standard input. (See the discussion of SHIN_STDIN.) This heuristic may be overridden by specifying a state for this option on the command line. The value of this option cannot be changed anywhere other than the command line.
Allow job control. Set by default in interactive shells.
Report the status of background jobs immediately, rather than waiting until just before printing a prompt.
If set, parameter expansion, command substitution and arithmetic expansion are performed in prompts. Substitutions within prompts do not affect the command status.
After /etc/zshenv is sourced on startup, source the .zshenv, /etc/zprofile, .zprofile, /etc/zshrc, .zshrc, /etc/zlogin, .zlogin, and .zlogout files, as described in the section `Files'. If this option is unset, the /etc/zshenv file is still sourced, but any of the others will not be; it can be set at any time to prevent the remaining startup files after the currently executing one from being sourced.
This option both imports new commands from the history file, and also causes your typed commands to be appended to the history file. If you find that you want more control over when commands get imported, you may wish to turn SHARE_HISTORY off, INC_APPEND_HISTORY on, and then manually import commands whenever you need them using `fc -RI'.
Commands are being read from the standard input. Commands are read from standard input if no command is specified with -c and no file of commands is specified. If SHIN_STDIN is set explicitly on the command line, any argument that would otherwise have been taken as a file to run will instead be treated as a normal positional parameter. Note that setting or unsetting this option on the command line does not necessarily affect the state the option will have while the shell is running - that is purely an indicator of whether on not commands are actually being read from standard input. The value of this option cannot be changed anywhere other than the command line.
Use the zsh line editor. Set by default in interactive shells connected to a terminal.
See section zsh for more details.
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