ISeries QSHELL
Encyclopedia
iSeries QSHELL is a command line interpreter (shell
) running on the IBM
iSeries computer platform. Qshell is based on POSIX
and X/Open
standards. IBM created the Qshell interpreter primarily to provide support for the Java Development Kit
(JDK) on their iSeries line of computers. The Qshell interpreter can be used interactively or for running shell script
s.
To use QSHELL, key QSHELL or QSH on an iSeries command line.
PASE is a “real” UNIX—it is actually AIX. It looks similar to QSHELL, but doesn’t have some of the limitations built in to QSHELL.
To use PASE, CALL QP2TERM.
Articles on how to use QSHELL:
Shell (computing)
A shell is a piece of software that provides an interface for users of an operating system which provides access to the services of a kernel. However, the term is also applied very loosely to applications and may include any software that is "built around" a particular component, such as web...
) running on the IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
iSeries computer platform. Qshell is based on POSIX
POSIX
POSIX , an acronym for "Portable Operating System Interface", is a family of standards specified by the IEEE for maintaining compatibility between operating systems...
and X/Open
X/Open
X/Open Company, Ltd. was a consortium founded by several European UNIX systems manufacturers in 1984 to identify and promote open standards in the field of information technology. More specifically, the original aim was to define a single specification for operating systems derived from UNIX, to...
standards. IBM created the Qshell interpreter primarily to provide support for the Java Development Kit
Java Development Kit
The Java Development Kit is an Oracle Corporation product aimed at Java developers. Since the introduction of Java, it has been by far the most widely used Java SDK. On 17 November 2006, Sun announced that it would be released under the GNU General Public License , thus making it free software...
(JDK) on their iSeries line of computers. The Qshell interpreter can be used interactively or for running shell script
Shell script
A shell script is a script written for the shell, or command line interpreter, of an operating system. It is often considered a simple domain-specific programming language...
s.
Differences from other shells
Qshell differs from other shell environments in a number of ways:- No support for job control
- No support for the <> redirection operator (though the
QIBM_QSH_CMD_OUTPUTenvironment variable can be used to redirect output) - No support for command line editing (Command retrieval and editing is handled at an abstraction level between user and shell.)
- The number of command-line arguments is limited to 255
Compared to PASE, another shell on the iSeries computer
According to IBM, QSHELL is a “UNIX-like” interface built over OS/400. The commands you issue point to programs in a “QSHELL” library.To use QSHELL, key QSHELL or QSH on an iSeries command line.
PASE is a “real” UNIX—it is actually AIX. It looks similar to QSHELL, but doesn’t have some of the limitations built in to QSHELL.
To use PASE, CALL QP2TERM.
Articles on how to use QSHELL:
- QSHELL Introduction, part 1
- QSHELL Introduction, part 2
- QSHELL Introduction, part 3
- QSHELL Introduction, part 4