Organize multiple local and remote Emacs shell buffers.
Multishell is available via Emacs package manager, in ELPA. Install "multishell" from the M-x package-list-packages listing.
Sometimes it seems like I have as many emacs shell buffers going as I do tabs in my browser: one for each project I'm currently working on, one for the remote host I'm interacting with and sudo shells (and remote sudo shells), one for doing maintenance chores that go across projects, and so on. Multishell makes it easy to organize my use of them all with distinct names I assign to each one, tramp syntax to specify remote and / or sudo shells, a roster of them all that can be saved between emacs sessions (preserving remote and sudo specifications), and a single key binding to access within and manage the collection.
With a customizable master keybinding, multishell makes it easy to:
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Get to the input point from wherever you are in a shell buffer, or to any of your shell buffers, from anywhere inside emacs.
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Use universal arguments and name completion to launch a new or choose among existing shell buffers, and change which is the current default.
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Easily restart exited shells, or shells from prior emacs sessions.
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Specify an initial path for the shell. By using Emacs tramp syntax you can launch a sudo and/or remote shell.
For example, specifying the following at the multishell buffer name prompt to:
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#root/sudo:root@localhost:/etc- launch a shell in a buffer named "#root" with a root shell starting in /etc. -
/ssh:example.net:- launch a shell buffer in your homedir on example.net. The buffer will be named "example.net". -
#ex/ssh:example.net|sudo:[email protected]:/etc- launch a root shell starting in /etc on example.net named "#ex". -
interior/ssh:gateway.corp.com|ssh:interior.corp.com:via gateway.corp.com, launch a shell in your homedir on interior.corp.com. The buffer will be named "interior". You can interject more host hops and so on.
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Thanks to tramp, file visits initiated in remote shell buffers will seamlessly be on the hosts where the shells are running, in the auspices of the account being used.
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Manage your list of shells, current and past, as a collection.
See the multishell-pop-to-shell docstring (in
multishell.el) for details, and
getting-to-a-shell.md for the nitty-gritty
decision tree that determines where the keybinding goes according to the
various conditions.
Customize-group multishell' to select and activate a keybinding and set various behaviors. Customize-group savehist' to preserve buffer
names/paths across emacs restarts.
Please use the multishell repository issue tracker to report problems, suggestions, etc.
See the multishell.el file commentary for a change log and Todo list.