Terminal replacement

[Mikuro]

Can anyone recommend a simple, modern Terminal replacement? All I really want is a version of Terminal that lets me select and manipulate text like a normal program. For example, if I select a bunch of text and hit Delete, I'd like it to actually delete that text, instead of just the single last character I typed.

I've already tried iTerm and GLterm, both of which handle text exactly like Terminal.

Any help will go a long way towards saving my sanity.

<This post has been severely edited for length and vitriol.>

[Kees Buijs]

Originally Posted by Mikuro

Can anyone recommend a simple, modern Terminal replacement? All I really want is a version of Terminal that lets me select and manipulate text like a normal program. For example, if I select a bunch of text and hit Delete, I'd like it to actually delete that text, instead of just the single last character I typed.

I've already tried iTerm and GLterm, both of which handle text exactly like Terminal.

Any help will go a long way towards saving my sanity.

<This post has been severely edited for length and vitriol.>

You could do some trick with export / import and use textedit. It sure is not the way to go, but for some purposes i use this. If you paste the clipboard, it will be accepted as keyboard input thus being added to the file (or as i use more often as command stream).


Good luck, Kees

[MisterMe]

Originally Posted by Mikuro

...

I've already tried iTerm and GLterm, both of which handle text exactly like Terminal.

...

Perhaps, you should explain why you want to manipulate text. It sounds like you want a terminal with addressable screen coordinates which will allow you to interact with text anywhere on the screen. You can do this with MacWise, Terminal, iTerm, or GLTerm. However, your host must allow this.

[Flying Meat]

An example of where this might be handy, would help.
The command line is not really intended to be a GUI editor.

You could try using BBedit, or maybe even TextWrangler.
Both have the ability to run commands from within the application, and get the output back in editable documents.

[Mikuro]

Haha, perhaps I shouldn't have edited my original post so much.

Basically, the funky text control is driving me crazy in two ways:

It makes it an awful chore to do the same command many times with just one or two different parameters. Heaven forbid I want to delete/overwrite an entire pathname! I'm sure there's a historical reason for this (maybe even a good one), but all I really want is the flexibility of a normal text field — put the text into that field, hit return, and have it execute that text. The only thing I can imagine losing with this functionality is that retro feel, and really, I can live without that! (Again, I'm sure there are reasons, but I don't think they could possibly apply to me.)

I've tolerated that funkiness in the past because the "option-click to position cursor" feature (in Terminal > Window Settings > Emulation) at least gave me some flexibility. (I assume this is what you're talking about, MisterMe.) But that won't even work consistently. Sometimes it works as expected, but sometimes it just beeps and changes my entire command entry to the last successful command I entered (similar to pressing the up arrow). I have no idea why. It generally happens after I paste in a command and try to change a few flags. However, even if I could get that working normally, it's gotten to the point where I'm using Terminal too much to accept such a half-baked solution anyway.

I actually have started writing complete commands in BBEdit, then copying and pasting them into Terminal, as has been suggested. This is obviously a pain in the neck, though. It also forces me to give up Terminal's most useful text-entry feature: dragging files from the Finder to insert lists of properly-escaped file paths into the command line.

Edit: Actually, I missed it in my first look, but iTerm has an optional Cocoa text field in its toolbar that lets you enter commands for execution. Unfortunately, it does not accept dropped files properly, and it's very small. It'll be good to have it in my toolbox, but I'm still hoping for something better.

[macbri]

If you get to grips with command-line substitution that might help. For example replacing "Disk2" with "Disk3" in the previous command:

du -dh /Volumes/Disk2/data
^Disk2^Disk3

[Flying Meat]

As for loosing the ability to drag files/folders to the terminal to enter paths, there is a nice contextual menu add-on, PathSnagger, that can copy the path to the clipboard for pasting.
Certainly not as sweet as dragging the object to the terminal window, but it helps bridge the gap...

Also, I believe that BBedit can run a selected command right from the BBedit document. Try installing the BBedit unix tools?..

In the Terminal window, (you probably already know these, but) control+a takes you to the beginning of the command line, control+e takes you to the end.
I think there is a modifier key to go forward and back, in one word jumps, as well... ehhh. scratch that last bit for now.

[jbarley]

Originally Posted by Mikuro

It also forces me to give up Terminal's most useful text-entry feature: dragging files from the Finder to insert lists of properly-escaped file paths into the command path.

Maybe check out "PathSnagger",
note- this url is for a universal binary, he also has the original ppc version on his web site.

http://www.bergenstreetsoftware.com/...agger1.1UB.dmg

this adds a contextual menu item to all files, that lets you grab the full path and then paste it wherever you wish.
Sort of helps overcome what you lose when using a text editor.

jb.