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'''The command line''' is often mentioned as a tool for starting or setting up [[Flightgear]], [[Atlas]], [[Terrasync]], [[FGCOM]] and other programs related to Flightgear. Many users | '''The command line''' is often mentioned as a tool for starting or setting up [[Flightgear]], [[Atlas]], [[Terrasync]], [[FGCOM]] and other programs related to Flightgear. Many users aren't aware of the command line or how to make use of it. This article may help... | ||
Operating System independent advice: | |||
'''Try to use copy & paste as much as | '''Try to use copy & paste as much as possible in order to avoid spelling mistakes, whenever you try to execute command line commands!''' | ||
The | The system will do ''exactly'' what you tell it on the command line and when you get it wrong, the system will do it wrong. | ||
==Windows== | == Windows == | ||
On Windows, you | On Windows, you can get to the command line by clicking the "Start" button and then choosing "Run...". As a handy shortcut to the "Run..." prompt: Hold down the "Windows" key (the one with the windows flag on it) and tap the "R" key. | ||
Type "cmd" (without quotation marks) into the field and hit Enter. | |||
You should see the so called ''prompt'' now, which says something like that: | You should see the so called ''prompt'' now, which says something like that: | ||
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That says you're operating on drive C in directory Windows. The blinking cursor awaits your commands. | That says you're operating on drive C in directory Windows. The blinking cursor awaits your commands. | ||
You can simply | You can simply change drives by entering <drive-letter>: as shown below: | ||
C:\Windows> d: | C:\Windows> d: | ||
| Line 29: | Line 30: | ||
C:\Windows>_ | C:\Windows>_ | ||
Now how about changing the directory? Assuming you downloaded Flightgear into the directory "Flightgear", that is located on drive D and its directory " | Now how about changing the directory? Assuming you downloaded Flightgear into the directory "Flightgear", that is located on drive D and its directory "Simulators". You do the following: | ||
C:\Windows> d: | C:\Windows> d: | ||
D:\> cd | D:\> cd Simulators | ||
D:\ | D:\Simulators> cd Flightgear | ||
D:\ | D:\Simulators\Flightgear>_ | ||
Easy, isn't it? You can also change directly into subdirectories: | Easy, isn't it? You can also change directly into subdirectories: | ||
| Line 48: | Line 49: | ||
D:\>_ | D:\>_ | ||
That's most you'll need to know about the command line, when operating under Windows. Any commands that appear in the forums or in a wiki can be executed directly on the command line | That's most you'll need to know about the command line, when operating under Windows. Any commands that appear in the forums or in a wiki can be executed directly on the command line, after you have changed into the correct directory first. | ||
==Linux== | == Linux == | ||
===Basics=== | === Basics === | ||
On Linux systems, there are several ways to get a command line. As Flightgear does only run in a graphic X-Window system, we'll use a so-called ''terminal''. | On Linux systems, there are several ways to get a command line. As Flightgear does only run in a graphic X-Window system, we'll use a so-called ''terminal''. | ||
The | The most often used window managers are Gnome, KDE and Xfce. One way of getting to a console would be using the window managers menu: | ||
'''KDE''' KDE-Menue > System > Konsole | * '''KDE''' KDE-Menue > System > Konsole | ||
'''Gnome''' Applications > Accessories > Terminal | * '''Gnome''' Applications > Accessories > Terminal | ||
'''Xfce''' Applications > Terminal | * '''Xfce''' Applications > Terminal | ||
A different approach would be pressing ''Alt F2''. That should open a dialog box, where you can enter one single command. Depending on which distribution of Linux you chose and which window manager you use, you can try (all without quotation marks) "xterm", "konsole", "gnome-terminal", "gtkterm", "kterm", "xfce4-terminal"... there's a lot of graphical console emulators! | A different approach would be pressing ''Alt F2''. That should open a dialog box, where you can enter one single command. Depending on which distribution of Linux you chose and which window manager you use, you can try (all without quotation marks) "xterm", "konsole", "gnome-terminal", "gtkterm", "kterm", "xfce4-terminal"... there's a lot of graphical console emulators! | ||
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username@computername:~$_ | username@computername:~$_ | ||
This (especially the dollar sign) is | This (especially the dollar sign) is the so called "prompt", where ''username'' should be the name of the currently logged on user and ''computername'' is the name of your computer. If your prompt is "#" instead of "$", you are logged in as root (superuser) and probably shouldn't be. | ||
Note the "~" (tilde) sign before the prompt. On Linux systems that sign indicates, that | Note the "~" (tilde) sign before the prompt. On Linux systems that sign indicates, that you're in your home directory, which normally should be equal to "/home/username". | ||
On Linux systems, you can | On Linux systems, you can change directories equally to the above described Windows method: | ||
username@computername:~$ cd Flightgear | username@computername:~$ cd Flightgear | ||
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username@computername:/$ _ | username@computername:/$ _ | ||
Notice, that the "~" sign disappeared, as you went out of your personal home directory from /home/username to /home. The directory "/" is the so called root directory - you can't go downwards from here as all directories are based here. | Notice, that the "~" sign disappeared, as you went out of your personal home directory from "/home/username" to "/home". The directory "/" is the so called root directory - you can't go downwards from here as all directories are based here. | ||
To change directly to a specific directory, you may use: | To change directly to a specific directory, you may use: | ||
username@computername:~$ cd /any/path/you/like | username@computername:~$ cd /any/path/you/like | ||
username@computername:any/path/you/ | username@computername:/any/path/you/like$ cd /home/username | ||
username@computername:~$ cd /some/other/path | username@computername:~$ cd /some/other/path | ||
username@computername:/some/other/path$ cd ~ | username@computername:/some/other/path$ cd ~ | ||
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Notice, that cd-ing to /home/username produces the "~" sign, indicating, that you're at your home directory, as well as "cd ~" directly brings you there. | Notice, that cd-ing to /home/username produces the "~" sign, indicating, that you're at your home directory, as well as "cd ~" directly brings you there. | ||
One last note, before we finish this thing: | |||
''Linux systems are case sensitive, so you have use the correct case sensitive spelling of files and directories. Otherwise the command line won't act as expected!'' | |||
Now this should be enough, to change to a desired directory, where commands can be executed. | Now this should be enough, to change to a desired directory, where commands can be executed. | ||
===Special commands=== | === Special commands === | ||
On Linux, the command line is a very essential tool and it provides a lot of means to do special actions. | On Linux, the command line is a very essential tool and it provides a lot of means to do special actions. | ||
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OpenSceneGraph run_fgjs.sh~ | OpenSceneGraph run_fgjs.sh~ | ||
Okay. Imagine, you just want to know about the files and directories containing the sequence "run". In order to achieve this, you can pass the output of the "ls" command to another program. A very common filter program is "grep". You use "grep" by telling the program what to filter. Directing the output of "ls" to "grep" (filtering for "run") is by using the ''pipe'' symbol: "|" | Okay. Imagine, you just want to know about the files and directories containing the sequence "run". In order to achieve this, you can pass the output of the "ls" command to another program. A very common filter program is "grep". You use "grep" by telling the program what to filter. Directing the output of "ls" to "grep" (filtering for "run") is done by using the ''pipe'' symbol: "|" | ||
username@computername:~/flightgear$ ls | grep run | username@computername:~/flightgear$ ls | grep run | ||
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drwxr-xr-x 3 username usergroupname 4096 2009-01-26 07:20 simgear | drwxr-xr-x 3 username usergroupname 4096 2009-01-26 07:20 simgear | ||
First, every item has its mode bit, shown on the very left in a scheme of ''drwxrwxrwx'', followed by a number, the username of the owner (should be the same as of the current user!), the name of the group of the owner, file size, its last change date and its name. If there is a "-" (minus) sinstead of a character in the ''drwxrwxrwx'' sequence, the specific mode bit isn't set. | |||
The first ''d'' in some of the items indicates a directory. Then, three groups of ''rwx'' follow. Each ''r'' means "file/directory may be read", each ''w'' means "file/directory may be written", each ''x'' means "file may be executed". | |||
The first group of ''rwx'' shows the rights of the owner of the file, the next group of ''rwx'' shows the rights of the group of the owner and the last group of ''rwx'' gives information about what everybody else may do with the file. | |||
As there are some scripts out there, that can be downloaded, you have to make them executable in most of the cases (because downloading only sets | As there are some scripts out there, that can be downloaded, you have to make them executable in most of the cases (because downloading only sets ''-rw-r--r--'' per default). Making a file executable can be achieved by the "chmod" command. We use the "ls" command with its "-l" option and the ''pipe'' to filter the output of "ls" by "grep": | ||
username@computername:~/flightgear$ ls -l | grep download_and_compile.sh | username@computername:~/flightgear$ ls -l | grep download_and_compile.sh | ||
-rwxr-xr-x 1 username usergroupname 15263 2009-02-05 21:23 download_and_compile.sh | -rwxr-xr-x 1 username usergroupname 15263 2009-02-05 21:23 download_and_compile.sh | ||
username@ | username@computername:~/flightgear$ chmod -x download_and_compile.sh | ||
username@ | username@computername:~/flightgear$ ls -l | grep download_and_compile.sh | ||
-rw-r--r-- 1 username usergroupname 15263 2009-02-05 21:23 download_and_compile.sh | -rw-r--r-- 1 username usergroupname 15263 2009-02-05 21:23 download_and_compile.sh | ||
username@ | username@computername:~/flightgear$ chmod +x download_and_compile.sh | ||
username@ | username@computername:~/flightgear$ ls -l | grep download_and_compile.sh | ||
-rwxr-xr-x 1 username usergroupname 15263 2009-02-05 21:23 download_and_compile.sh | -rwxr-xr-x 1 username usergroupname 15263 2009-02-05 21:23 download_and_compile.sh | ||
Notice, that "download_and_compile.sh" at first had the executable bits all set, then we take them away by "chmod -x" and give them back by "chmod +x". You can do the same with read and write rights. | Notice, that "download_and_compile.sh" at first had the executable bits all set, then we take them away by "chmod -x" and give them back by "chmod +x". You can do the same with read and write rights. | ||
==External links== | That should be enough of command line knowledge, to perform several command line actions related to Flightgear and its Addons so far. | ||
== Related content == | |||
=== Wiki articles === | |||
* [[Command line options]] | |||
== External links == | |||
* [https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UsingTheTerminal?action=show&redirect=BasicCommands Ubuntu wiki page on the command line] | * [https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UsingTheTerminal?action=show&redirect=BasicCommands Ubuntu wiki page on the command line] | ||
[[Category:Howto]] | [[Category:Howto]] | ||